Following a pleasant hike from Stemnitsa the previous day, we woke up refreshed in the mountainous coolness of Dimitsana village. The plan now was to continue along the second section of the acclaimed Menalon Mountain Trail toward the village of Zygovisti. We had an easy morning in our hotel’s cute garden, packed slowly, and started.The route begins from the village center, … [Read more...]
Stemnitsa to Dimitsana, Lousios Gorge: Menalon Mountain Trail Section 1
Summer of 2024, I had a client/friend who tasked me with taking him on a two-day hiking trip in Greece. It would be his first-ever of the kind. We needed a beginner-grade route with sufficient shade for the summer heat and villages with amenities along the way. The Menalon Mountain Trail, in the Arcadia region of central Peloponnese, was an obvious choice.After a couple of … [Read more...]
Climbing Mount Grammos from the Greek Side
Part of the greater Pindus Mountain Range—the rugged spine of the Greek mainland—Mount Grammos (spelled Grammoz in Albanian) is an imposing mountain whose ridge defines part of the Greek-Albanian border. Its highest peak, called Maja e Çukapeçit in Albania and Tsouka Petsik in Greece, rises to 2,523 meters, making it the 10th-highest mountain in Albania and the 4th-highest in … [Read more...]
Hiking Mount Askio, Western Macedonia, Greece
Mount Askio is situated in the heart of the Western Macedonia region of northern Greece. Adjoined by Mount Verno to the north and Mount Vourino to the south, it is the central part of the mountain chain that separates the Kastoria prefecture from the plain of Ptolemaida. Its highest peak, called Siniatsiko, reaches an elevation of 2,111 meters, making Askio the 34th highest … [Read more...]
Climbing Mount Smolikas & Camping at its Dragon Lake
Located in the core of the Pindus Mountains, Smolikas is Greece’s second-highest mountain and—I’d argue—one of its most stunning. It is renowned for its extensive forests and its so-called Dragon Lake: an idyllic alpine lake situated below its 2,637-meter-high peak. While touring the region in July 2024, it became our top priority for a hiking trip.Smolikas’s summit and the … [Read more...]
Highest Mountains on Evia Island (Euboea)
Evia (also spelled Euboea - gr: Εύβοια) is the second-largest island in Greece after Crete. Beyond the picturesque, remote beaches that define its long coastline, the vast, 3,684-km² interior of the island is occupied by wild, at times craggy, at times lush, extensive and high mountain ranges. Given also its great vicinity and excellent connectivity to the Greek mainland and … [Read more...]
Dragon Houses (Drakospita) of Evia Island in one day from Athens
As the Dragon Houses (Gr. Δρακόσπιτα/Drakospita) is known a bunch of megalithic structures found scattered throughout the southern part of Evia Island in Greece. The buildings have puzzled archeologists ever since their rediscovery in the 18th century, as no mention exists of them anywhere in ancient sources, and no one has come up with a credible theory about when, by whom, … [Read more...]
All the good places to go Hiking in Athens, Greece
This post includes a list of all the good places you can go hiking in Athens, Greece, as well as useful information for planning your hiking trips there on your own. If there is anything particular you wonder about that you cannot find in this post, feel free to contact me and I will be happy to assist you. If you are looking for additional resources for planning your hiking … [Read more...]
Hiking across Mount Taygetos and Vyros Gorge in 3 days
In this post, I narrate my 3-day trip hiking across Mount Taygetos and Vyros Gorge in Peloponnese, southern Greece. If you are looking for information and inspiration for planning your hiking adventures throughout Greece, check out this resources page.Having spent the last week camping on various beaches along the coast of Laconia, it was a good time to add some variety by … [Read more...]
Hiking Mount Xerovouni on Evia Island
This is a hiking trip report from Mount Xerovouni on Evia Island. If you are looking for inspiration and information for planning your hiking adventures throughout Greece, check out this resources page.Mount Xerovouni is known as the second-highest mountain on the island of Evia: the second largest of the Greek islands. Its highest peak is called Portaris and reaches 1,453 … [Read more...]
