Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
CLIMBING MOUNT KALIAKOÚDHA
The eight-hour hike up and down Mount Kaliakoúdha (2098m) is one of the most popular
outings in the Karpeníssi Valley. There's a good, waymarked path much of the way to the top,
but the final ascent conquers a pretty sharp grade and requires scrambling skills. The route
and its features are shown reasonably accurately on Anavasi Editions 1:50,000 map no. 13,
Karpenisi Prousos . With an early start, you'll polish off most of the 1250m altitude difference
before the sun catches you.
From Megálo's square with its bars and cafés, head southeast, following painted red or
yellow waymarks on walls until a proper path leaves the village. This passes one water source
and climbs steadily through fir forest where many trees are dead or dying due to climate
change, but the survivors provide welcome shade. About two hours above the village, and
frequent crossing of the dirt track, the path ends temporarily just below the tree line at
Malakássa , near the only other reliable spring this side of the mountain. You're forced onto
the track for about another hour (unless you use some trail short cuts) to a saddle at the
northeast flank of the peak. The track continues down and south towards Stournára and
Pandavréhi (see below); for Kaliakoúdha, head west and relentlessly up, following red-paint
waymarks. The trail is poor to nonexistent, often strewn with scree, but there's little danger of
getting lost and on a fine day you'll have company. Just under an hour (roughly 4hr from the
village) should see you on the summit with its trig point; staggering views over central
Greece are your reward. Vardhoússia and Íti loom to the east; the Ágrafa region unfolds
beyond Mount Tymfristós to the north-northeast; while Mount Panetolikó approximates the
provincial border south-southwest.
Due south lies Stournára village in the Krikellopótamos Valley, poised just above
Pandavréhi , the other big local attraction, where waterfalls pour year-round from the walls of
a narrow gorge of the Krikellopótamos. As there are no reliable facilities in Stournára, most
people visit Pandavréhi by car; from the sign posted junction just below Megálo Horió, it's
23km there along the track system.
3
hotel is plain and rooms small, but some have balconies
with mountain views. It's down from the main thoroughfare,
250m southeast of the Panorama restaurant ( see below);
on-street parking is feasible. Breakfast included. €3
EATING AND DRINKING
Eating options are surprisingly limited amid a plethora of fast-food outlets, cafés and après-ski bars. It's good to head for
the following full-service tavernas downtown.
En Elladhi Koutsímbou 4 T 22370 22235. Off the main
square, this reliable family-run taverna features home-
made soups, pastas and substantial casserole fare, along
with tasty regional specialities. Expect about €10-15/
person. Daily lunch & dinner.
Panorama Ríga Feréou 18 Karpeníssi T 22370 25976.
This taverna has terrace garden seating with views, and
offers well-executed mayireftá and mountain grills among
a wide range of menu choices. Expect about €10-15/
person. Daily lunch & dinner.
The Pelion peninsula
The hilly PELION PENINSULA confounds every stereotypical image of Greece, with its
abundant fruit trees and dense forests and water gurgling up from fountains or
aqueducts. Summer temperatures here can be a good 5°C cooler than on the baking
plains nearby, and this finger of land is very popular with Greek tourists and more
discerning foreign visitors drawn to its pretty villages , excellent beaches and hiking
routes (see box above).
The peninsula is dominated by Mount Pelion (Mount Pílio; 1651m), below which
villages are spread out widely, linked by cobbled paths. The best concentration of
traditional communities lies just north and east of Vólos , the main gateway to the region.
he west coast down from Vólos to Áfyssos is less memorable, with concentrated
 
 
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