8 days in Epirus, Greece (Tzoumerka, Zagori and Meteora) with two kids (8 and 5 years old) in early October.
If you like mountains, forests, streams and waterfalls then National Parks Tzoumerka and Zagori in the Pindus Mountains is your next destination. Here you will not find large cities, shopping malls, or amusement parks, just pure nature. The truth is that you will hardly find people in these areas, but those you will meet will be very kind and happy. You can also make a two hours drive to the western coast of Epirus and spend a day at the amazing Meteora monasteries.
We booked three accommodations online few months before. Three nights in Tzoumerka in a hotel near Pramanta, four nights in an authentic house in the village of Ano Pedina and the last night at a hotel in Kastraki near Meteora.
Brief route:
Here you can see all the waypoints on the Google Maps and also use Google navigation to the place:
You can also download KML file and open it in other offline application for navigation and editing:
Day 1:
Athens Airport.
10 hours drive to Hotel Xenion tou Georgiou Merantza in Pramanta with stops at the bridge over the Korinth Canal, Antirio town after Rio Bridge and Arta Town. It is highly recommended to take a domestic flight from Athens to Ioannina to save a long drive.
Day 2:
Monastery of Kipina
Route to Kuiassa Springs (half an hour each direction)
Kalarites village and lunch
The stalactite cave Anemotrypa
The village of Pramanta
Day 3:
Rafting for 3 hours on the Arachthos River
Kataphygio Trail near the Mount Strongoula (50 minutes each direction)
Day 4:
Drive to the Orestis guest house in the village of Ano Pedina
Visit the old part of Ioannina town near the lake
Day 5:
Kokkori Bridge
Route to Beloi observation point (half hour each direction)
Vradeto Steps
The village of Kapesovo
Plakidas Bridge
The Stone Forest
Observation of Oxia
View from the monastery of Agia Paraskevi (option)
Excellent mushroom restaurant KANELLA & GARYFALLO in Vitsa village
Day 6:
Papigkou Bridge
Ice Age Route along Voidomatis River
Papingo Village and the excellent Astra Restaurant
Short Track in the Pools of Rogovo
The village of Micro Papigko
Village of Vikos (optional)
Day 7:
A two-hour drive to Syvota in the bay with three small islands, and a motorboat rent for half a day.
Day 8:
A two hour drive to the Tsikeli Hotel in the town of Kastraki and a visit in 3 of 6 monasteries of Meteora. The room for 4 people price was 68 euros for one night including breakfast.
In the morning drive back to Athens airport.
Photos and description:
Day 1:
We landed at 7:30AM at an Athens airport, rented a regular family car in, because the roads in Greece are good and we did not plan 4X4 trips.
It’s worth checking for an automatic toll pass, otherwise you’ll have to stop and pay at every checkpoint on the highways.
At 9:30AM we were already on a long way to the hotel in Pramanta.
First stop at the bridge over the impressive Korinth Canal, which was built in the 19th century.
A second stop for lunch on the beach in the town of Antirio after the Rio Bridge, one of the largest in Europe.
Third stop in Arta town. Not mandatory, unless you want to eat in one of the restaurants in the center.
We arrived at the Hotel Xenion tou Georgiou Merantza in the mountains at 7:30PM.
Day 2:
We woke up in a country hotel with breathtaking view of the mountains and the pool, which was a bit cold to swim in this season. We received a two-room apartment with a fireplace and two balconies. The staff at the hotel are very kind, especially the big dog who always played with the kids. The flat price was 300 euros for 3 nights including breakfast.
A few kilometers before the Kipina Monastery there is a small cafe where you have to take a key to the monastery. The place is very special, built into a mountain rock.
A track through a forest along a stream and waterfalls to Kuiassa Springs. It takes about half an hour each direction, and it’s much recommended to get to the falls at the end.
The traditional Kalarites village and lunch in the restaurant on the vineyard terrace with views over the surrounding mountains. The beans and spinach pie were superb.
The stalactite cave Anemotrypa. A small cave but we had a private tour with a guide at a cost of 3 euros per person.
A short walk in the village of Pramanta.
Day 3:
At our hotel we were recommended to take Nikos Rafting for 3 hours in the Arachthos River. It turns out that this season the river is quite so you can do rafting with small children. We had a great experience.
Route Kataphygio in a forest to a waterfall near the Strongoula Mountain. This route was also recommended to us at the hotel. The route takes 50 minutes each direction and there is a little climb at the end. We did not get to the end because it was already getting dark, but definitely recommend the track.
Day 4:
In the morning we started a drive to the guest house in the village of Ano Pedina. It was the only day when it was raining a little, the rest of the time the weather was excellent 20-25 degrees Celsius, but in the morning it was pretty cool about 8 degrees.
Visit the city of Ioannina near the beautiful lake. In the Old City there are two fortresses and a promenade around the city walls with an exit to restaurants and a small port from which sailing to the island. We did not make the cruise because of lack of time.
Towards evening we reached the authentic village of Ano Pedina with traditional gray stone houses. We stopped at Orestis house, one of the oldest in the village. It was a very special atmosphere inside. The hostess prepares the breakfast and can also prepare dinner. The flat price was 340 euros for 4 nights including breakfast.
Day 5:
In the morning when we got into the car it was 6 degrees outside, but later during the day it became much warmer, up to 20 degrees.
On the way to the observation point we stopped at Kokkori Bridge. From there the route begins to all the bridges of the Kipi region.
The route to the Beloi observation point on the Vikos Gorge takes about half an hour each direction, but it definitely worth the walk.
The Vradeto steps on the mountains, were used to connect between the villages. You can make the route along all the stairs, but for that you need an additional vehicle.
Kapesovo is one of the most authentic villages in Zagori. At the main square there is a handicraft shop where we bought excellent rose jam.
The Plakidas Bridge has 3 arches and is one of the famous bridges in the Kipi region.
On the way to the Oxia observation point, we stopped in the special Stone Forest.
The Oxia viewpoint also includes a short walk on the edge of the cliff, right next to the parking lot, another view of the Vikos Gorge.
Excellent mushroom restaurant KANELLA & GARYFALLO in Vitsa village. All the dishes are prepared from different forest mushrooms, including liqueur and mushroom jam.
Day 6:
In the morning we reached the Papigkou Bridge and walked a little by the clear stream. The surrounding trees were painted in autumn colors of red and yellow.
We left a car on a parking and started an Ice Age route along the Voidomatis River. We did not get to the end, just at some point we turned back to the car.
We visited the beautiful village of Papingo and had lunch at the excellent Astra restaurant on the terrace outside.
Pools of Rogovo – a short but special route of half an hour over water between the rocks. Children enjoyed jumping from stone to stone.
Micro Papigko village near there. You simply have to take a walk in the narrow streets and enjoy the view.
Day 7:
This morning we decided that we are missing a sea, although I had already marked the place before, but I was not sure we would get there. We drove almost two hours to the town of Syvota in a small bay with three little islands.
We rented a motorboat for half day for 60 euros and made our own cruise between the islands in a crystal clear water, stopped in lonely beaches like Blue Lagoon or Bella Vraka and just enjoyed the sun.
Day 8:
Our last day in Greece we drove for two hours to a hotel in the town of Kastraki and visited the place that seemed to have landed from space. We visited three of the six monasteries of Meteora, which translation is “hanging in the air”.
At 6PM we came back to the “Panorama” viewpoint to see the sunset in these amazing mountains.
The next morning we drove back to an Athens airport for about five hours.
