Tzoumerka, NW Greece: Forests, Waterfalls and High Mountains

In this mountainous region, between Arachthos river to the west and Acheloos to the east, you will encounter landscapes of authentic natural beauty and significant human landmarks, such as stone bridges, monasteries hidden among the rocks, artificial lakes, caves, imposing canyons, and rugged peaks… they will be imprinted in your travelling memory forever. 

If you look up, the setting will take your breath away. Tzoumerka is one of the most impressive mountains in Greece thanks to its sharp peaks, which surpass the 2000 meter mark.

A total of 47 villages – known as the Tzoumerkohoria, exist on the slopes of the mountains; each has its own distinct character but all boast picturesque squares shaded by plane trees, stone-built houses and a characteristic architecture. Water is naturally available everywhere, even in the summer, in the form of waterfalls, streams, springs, cascades. The land is verdant, filled with plane trees bearing fruit and, as you look up the mountain side, fir trees interrupted by red tile roofs. Need to say more?

So we present you our new hiking adventure at two of our favourite areas in Northern Greece:

A brand new hiking adventure in Northern Greece! 
Walk and explore Zagori & Tzoumerka…

This 7-day walking holiday highlights some of the most unspoilt and off-the-beaten track sceneries mountainous Greece has to offer. 

Perched on the mountain slopes of Epirus, ‘Zagorohoria’ are considered to be the most beautiful and well-preserved villages of Greece. They are not only great examples of traditional stone architecture, but of a still “living” tradition, full of myths, customs and cultural expressions of a culture nearing extinction; the culture of the mountainous populations of Greece.

Dramatic Papigo at the foot of the rock “towers” of Astraka… mountainous Vradeto with the outstanding stairs to the Beloi ‘balcony’ offering panoramic views to Vikos gorge… verdant Elafotopos… picturesque Kipi with its wonderful hiking routes and stone built bridges… tiny Kapesovo with its delicious local products… sophisticated Aristi… the Zagorian villages’ natural beauty exceeds imagination!

Deep gorges, ravines, streams and flowing rivers, stone paved paths, staircases and bridges, challenging mountain trails… will definitely captivate you!

But this is not enough. After wandering around the picturesque Zagorian villages and Vikos gorge for four days, we will move south over the Pindos range to the unkown Tzoumerka National Park for 3 more days. 

Here is what you will experience if you join our Zagori, Vikos Gorge & Tzoumerka walking holiday:

DAY 1: ARRIVAL AT ZAGORI & RELAXED VILLAGE WALK

Meeting at Ioannina or Thessaloniki and transfer to your traditional guesthouse situated at the beautiful village of Elafotopos. As a Zagorian village, Elafotopos is another little gem, well-hidden underneath lush green mountains. The old name of Elafotopos village was “Cervari”, deriving from the word “Cerva” which means deer in Latin, signifying the high presence of deers in the area. In an attitude of 1100m Elafotopos holds an excellent climate and enjoys, due to its orientation, many hours of direct sunlight.

In the afternoon you will stroll around Elafotopos traditional “kalderimia”, the centuries-old stone paths, visit the church, the square, the museum and the little “kafenio” (coffee shop) of the village. To complete taking in the atmosphere of our base camp we will enjoy a heart-warming dinner cooked by Lena, the owner of our guesthouse.
 
DAY 2: HIKE FROM VRADETO TO BELOI VIEWPOINT OVER THE WORLD’S DEEPEST GORGE

After having breakfast with a view, you will be transferred to Vradeto, the highest of the Zagori villages at an elevation of 1340m. Vradeto is one of the most excellent examples of traditional stone architecture, dominant in every public building, dwellings and churches, in the village paths, which still remain unspoilt. This is where we’ll take a captivating path towards the viewpoint of Beloi, a natural stone balcony offering breathtaking panoramic views over the gorge. It is also the ideal spot for wildlife spotting due to its isolated and strategic location, so an encounter with a bold Eagle or one of the few remaining Pindos Black bears should not come as a surprise. 

After admiring this wild, untouched scenery and returning to Vradeto for a coffee in its beautiful square, we will zig-zag down an impressive cobble-stone staircase of 1200 steps and 39 turns, that was painstakingly built stone by stone, and was the only connection of isolated Vradeto with Kapesevo and the rest of the world till the road was built in 1973! Completing our descent of this architectural masterpiece, the “Vradetto stairs”, we will have our dinner at Kapesovo, another village of unique architecture and tranquil atmosphere.

(Distance: 10 km. Technical difficulty: easy to medium. Actual walking time: 4-5 hours.)

DAY 3: TRAVERSE THE MAGNIFICENT VIKOS GORGE

Today is the day! After admiring the gorge from above, today you will be amazed by its ravines and hidden spots as you follow a long traverse route that will take you through the gorge, from the village of Monodendri all the way to the beautiful village of Papiggo.

Starting in Monodentri, you will descent to the bottom of the gorge and then move up along the river bed until the Voidomatis springs. Vikos Gorge, with a length of 20km, walls that reach 450m and 1600m depth, and a width ranging from 400m to just a few meters at its narrowest part, is listed by the Guinness Book of Records as the deepest canyon in the world in proportion to its width. 

The park of Vikos Aoos is one of the ten national parks of Greece, part of the ecological network Natura 2000 and the UNESCO Geoparks Network, because of the rich variety of flora and the great variation of biotopes. Our naturalist guide will be glad to spot for you the most important plants and herbs! After reaching Voidomatis springs – the brave enough can jump into the frozen water! – we will ascent to Papiggo, one of the most popular Zagorian villages. Papiggo is situated in a breathtaking landscape, under the towers of Astraka, some of the most amazing solid rock formations of the area. After a delicious meal at a local tavern and a stroll around the village, you will be transferred back to your guesthouse.

(Distance: 18km. Technical difficulty: Medium. Actual walking time: 7-8 hours.)

  
DAY 4: VILLAGE HOPPING THROUGH TRADITIONAL STONE PATHS AND ARCH BRIDGES

After a delicious breakfast at our guesthouse, you will start your recovery walk around the picturesque villages of Vitsa, Koukouli, Kipi and Dilofo through traditional stone-built paths and arch bridges. The Zagori area as you have realised by now is full of deep gorges, ravines, streams and white water rivers. Whereas today those water reservoirs serve as the playground of many outdoor activities, such as kayaking, rafting, river trekking and so on, back in the day they were big burdens for local people, especially in the winter, as some of them were impassable.

Local wealthy families and noble governors were building bridges so that villages won’t stay isolated during winter and thus transport of goods and people was facilitated. The bridges were named after the family or noble who build it. Due to their remarkable architecture, most of these stone bridges are still standing and during this circular walk you will admire some of the most remarkable centuries-old arch bridges in Greece.

You will stop in Koukouli for a lunch break and a visit to the local museum dedicated to local and endemic herbs and plants. You’ll continue our village hopping till we reach our base, Elafotopos. Time to rest before enjoying another lovely dinner.

(Distance: 8 km. Technical difficulty: Easy. Actual walking time: 4-5 hours.)

DAY 5: TRANSFER TO MELISSOURGOI REFUGE IN TZOUMERKA MOUNTAINS AND CIRCULAR WALK TO A HIDDEN WATERFALL

Today is the day to move and meet another fascinating place of rural and mountainous Greece. We will be driving through magnificent scenery to reach the village of Melissourgoi nested up on the high mountains of Tzoumerka. Melissourgoi is located at an altitude of 850 m, and is said to have been named after the bees (‘Melissa’ in Greek), as bees are a model of industriousness and represent the hard work of the villages’ inhabitants. The wild nature along with the clear waters and fir forests give this village a particular natural beauty. Today’s walk will be a circular route to Kefalovryso Waterfall and back, the tallest in the country hidden in the deep forest behind the refuge. After the walk you will enjoy a home cooked meal from our new guests.

(Distance: 6 km. Technical difficulty: Easy. Actual walking time: 3-4 hours.)

DAY 6: CIRULAR WALK BETWEEN KALARITES AND SYRAKO VILLAGES

Today we will start the day early and drive 40 minutes to reach the trail head of our route in Syrako village. Syrako and Kalarites are two villages build one facing the other separated by a deep gorge. This is where exactly the first boarder of Greece lied. Kalarites was Greece and Syrako still belonged to the Ottoman empire for many years more before being attached to Greek territory. Both are traditional villages, true gems of local architecture. They were constructed around the 15th century by Vlach-speaking populations.

The glorious past and the economic prosperity they experienced in previous centuries – thanks to the famous tailors, merchants, who honoured their homeland in the great markets of the Mediterranean in the 18th and 19th centuries – are revealed to us through a walk in their stone-paved streets. The beautiful path we are going to walk starts from Syrrako and connects to the village of Kalarrites. 

You are going to finish the walk in Kalarytes, only to find yourself dining in one of the oldest little tavernas of Greece, Napoleon’s place, truly not to be missed. On the way back, you are going to pay a visit to the Monastery of Kipina (1212), dedicated to the Zoodochos Pigi, with impressive 17th-century frescoes. This monastery, embedded on a steep, vertical cliff, is one of the most impressive and imposing not only in Epirus, but also throughout Greece. The sight of it is awe-inspiring and breath-taking. It is worth climbing a few steps to visit it!

(Distance: 7 km. Technical difficulty: Easy. Actual walking time: 4-5 hours.) 

DAY 7: SUMMIT STROGGULA PEAK

Today we will drive to the nearby refuge at Pramada where we’ll start our ascent to the impressive Stroggula peak. It is an ascent with almost 900 meters of elevation. The ascent itself starts easily with the path climbing slowly across the grassy lower slopes of the mountain. Gazing at the misty valley underneath makes this first section of our climb absolutely breathtaking. Later, the terrain becomes rockier and the path steeper rising up among the rugged crags.

The views from the top at an attitude of 2115m are breathtaking and definitely will reward you for your effort. Back at our base you will enjoy a sauna in a private cabin in the woods. The day will end with cooking in a wooden oven and a delicious meal! The perfect way to say goodbye to a week’s long adventure on the Pindus mountains.

(Distance: 13 km. Technical difficulty: Moderate . Actual walking time: 7-8 hours.)

DAY 8: DEPARTURE

The carefully chosen hikes during our Zagori, Vikos gorge & Tzoumerka walking holiday are graded as easy to moderate. I will be glad to call you and answer any questions you may have about the hikes, the terrain or travelling to Greece in general.

If you wish to discuss the above or any other matter please don’t hesitate to contact us either by phone at +30 6976 761492 or email at info@nofootprint.gr

We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Nofootprint team