How to stay away from the big crowds and off the beaten tourist paths while visiting Meteora

In the plain of Thessaly, the mythical battleground of Gods and Titans, in the most northwestern part of it, lay one of the most beautiful and diverse parts of mainland Greece. 

Agios Stefanos monastery and the plain of Thessaly below

Trikala and Karditsa prefectures are considered to be a truly hidden gem with amazing history, unparallel and unspoiled natural beauty, many wonderful top rated hotels and some of the most exquisite and delicious tastes one will ever find in Greece.

Meteora sunrise

Many people and tourists on the order of millions visit the area every year especially Meteora, one of the most popular and well known sites of Thessaly. But the truth is that only a tiny percentage of all those milions of visitors will ever discover or touch the true heart of this fascinating place. Most of them will pay a hasty visit to a couple of Meteora monasteries, take a few shots of the out of this world landscape with their cameras to show off at their friends and relatives where they have been, eat the leftovers of the previous week and then off they will go!  

Great Meteoron monastery

Is this what travelling is all about? Certainly not, at least not by any of my standards. Imagine millions of tourists coming and going every year in Meteora and most of them will never know that just few km away from Kalampaka and Meteora lays one of the most important prehistoric caves not only to Greece but to the entire world, with archeological findings dating back to 130,000 BC! Visit Theopetra prehistoric cave, just 5 km from Kalampaka on the way to Trikala and discover the most ancient man made structure on earth, a stone wall dated back to 26,000 BC.

The prehestoric cave of Theopetra

Have the chance to see on the caves’ floor the petrified footprints of a seven years old child that walked on the remaining ashes some 60,000 years ago. Think just about that: It’s like travelling back in time the moment the kid was running inside the cave leaving his footprints all over the ashes for us to see so many thousands of years later into the future.

The old hermitages

Later on the afternoon when all the masses of tourists are long gone have an amazing sunset tour organized by a local travel agency that will be your highlight of your entire Meteora visit. This particular tour will take you on a late afternoon tour to all the places around Meteora that only locals know about in order not only to enjoy amazing views but to learn as well about the real history and traditions of the place. You will see the 1,000 years old Bandovas hermitages inside caves high up on the rocks and learn the amazing history of one of the most ancient churches of Greece, the Dormition of Virgin Mary in kalampaka. Imagine a church so ancient and so old that even before becoming the church it is today it was an ancient temple dedicated to god Apollo!

The church of dormition of Virgin Mary, 4th century AC

And then filled with all the history and culture of the place the tour will take you to enjoy panoramic views on the most perfect spot of Meteora and capture one of the most beautiful sunsets you could ever imagine. And at that very moment, when then sun begins to slowly and tenderly touch the back of the distant mountains and all you hear is the silence and an awe feeling of this magnificent Meteora landscape, in that very moment one can truly understand why Meteora was chosen by the monks to build here all those monasteries. Simply by gazing at this landscape you unconsciously perform an act of meditation, meditating on the immense beauty and awe of all creation.

Meteora sunset

If you are staying at Kalampaka and start feeling hungry the best places for having excellent grilled plates is “Skaros Tavern” at the entrance of town coming from Trikala right next to Divani Hotel. Do not miss to taste their lamp kebabs, one of the best of whole Greece. For cooked dishes your best choice is Meteora restaurant opposite the Town hall square, the oldest and by far the best restaurant of kalambaka town. If you’re staying at Kastraki village then Plakias Tavern and Ziogas Tavern are both excellent choices for either lunch or dinner.

Another off the beaten tourist track attraction is the nearby Pindos mountain of Aspropotamos! Aspropotamos which literally means “the white river” is a beautiful mountainous place of truly unspoiled nature with many small traditional villages waiting to be discovered!

Rafting in Aspropotamos river

If you visit the area during spring or autumn, I would recommend you to try a rafting adventure on the river. You could also have a hike to discover the amazing 16^th century church of Holy Cross at Doliana village and don’t you dare miss having dinner or lunch at the Mantania hotel where you can taste and even take part on the making of the traditional “spanakopita”, one of my favorite traditional Greek pies.

Mikri Aselinos beach – a peaceful place in crowded Skiathos

Mikri Aselinos is a stunning hidden beach in Skiathos Island, just 15 km from Skiathos town. Although, I’ve been to Skiathos more than 7-8 times, I discovered this place 3 years ago and was really amazed by its natural beauty.

It’s a natural bay on the north-west part of the island, surrounded by rocks and trees. It has a short coastline and is perfect for those who are looking for a place away from the crowds (Skiathos is one of the busiest islands!). The water is crystal clear and ideal for scuba diving, fishing and lots of swimming of course.  There is almost nothing around, apart from a really nice canteen from where you can buy drinks and eat fresh sea food and other nice Greek mezes.  You will also have the opportunity to meet their lovely donkey; they use it to carry the food supplies from the top of the hill to the canteen.

So, how to get there? You can go to mirki aselinos either by boat or car. There are daily boats departing from Skiathos port or you can even rent your own boat (ask for more information at the port). If you choose to get there by car, just follow the main regional road (periferiakos Skiathou) towards koukounaries beach, and slightly turn right towards ‘Troulos’. There are many road signs and it’s very easy to find it. However, bear in mind that there’s around 1-2 km of dirt road and you will probably need an ‘off road’ vehicle.  

Kariani – a trip to pure nature with wonderful, hospitable locals

Kariani is a seaside resort  located approximately 40km from the capital of the region, Kavala. It has one of the most beautiful and clean seas  with golden beaches and rich beds*. What makes this place worth-visiting is the way it combines peacefulness and chances to have a great social life as you can visit fabulous beach bars, local taverns, restaurants, clubs and archaeological sites.

Panoramic view of Kariani

Fishing and swimming activities next to the beach houses can provide you a very pleasant morning before you visit a local beach bar.You will certainly have the opportunity to do many water sports there with your friends and people you will meet. (And if you are lucky enough you will also meet Athena, the famous, local tzak Russel terrier that always stays next to people playing  beach tennis and brings the ball back to them all day long!).

Local woman fishing 

After swimming I strongly recommend-without second thoughts- to taste fish food with local ouzo and tsipouro next to the sea. During night time you can stay on the beach, light a fire, grill and listen to beautiful music under the moon light where you can also share moments with local hospitable Macedonians. Gentle, simple, pure, generous, always smiling warmly, outspoken, loving everything they turn their hand to. Economic crisis has never found any place in their hearts and they know how to share moments with you. That is what is worth the most in this travel!

Sunset in Kariani

Travelling in Greece...

Through this blog, I'd like to create a ‘local’ guide for those who have chosen Greece as their holiday destination or consider visiting Greece and would like to explore and experience new places and unspoilt locations off the beaten track. 

How many of you know that Greece has over 2,000 islands? Most of them are not even being listed in any tourist guide. How many times have you discovered a nice local spot, a tavern or a traditional small cafe just a day before you returned back home from holidays? There are so many great Greek destinations and places which are not being advertising or promoted by travel agencies and websites. 

I personally love travelling and am always looking for traditional, local and unspoilt spots. From famous islands to unknown villages, via this blog, I will be sharing and writing about my favourite places as well as non-popular destinations in Greece that are not being listed in tourist guides and can be visited throughout the year, and not only during the summer months. I am not a 'travel' expert; I just want to share my travelling memories...you can add yours here too. 

I hope you enjoy the blog posts and find some useful tips :). 

Walking down the Samaria gorge in Crete

A-must-do for those who want to try something alternative and explore the wild nature of the island

Although Crete is one of the most popular holiday destinations in Greece along with Samaria gorge which has hundreds of visitors per year (and thus, you can find it in most tourists guides), I’d also like to share this story and give you a few extra tips...

So, my friend Sofia and I walked down the Samaria gorge last summer and we enjoyed every minute of it. For those that haven’t heard of it, the gorge is located in the southwest of Crete and is 16 km long. It’s just 42 km from Chania town and is very easily accessible by local buses. 

We set off around 7:30 am from Chania town centre and arrived at Xyloskalo, the head and entrance of the gorge,  at 8:30 am.  The view of the high White Mountains from the top of the gorge was stunning!

To our surprise, it was a little bit colder than we expected... Xyloskalo is in an altitude of 1.200 meters and the temperature was much lower than in Chania town. At Xyloskalo, there is also a small cafe and a convenient shop where you can buy water, snacks, food etc. 

                                                     Freezing...

The trail towards the gorge is very well maintained and is suitable for everyone. It’s very easy to cross, but it’s better to wear hiking shoes. Throughout the gorge, there are many designated resting areas, where you can find fresh water sources and first-aid stations.

It took us approximately 6 hours to reach Agia Roumeli beach, which is the end of the hike and from where we took the ferry to Sfakia town and returned by bus to Chania city. Agia Roumeli beach is magnificent; to us it seemed like an ‘oasis’ in the middle of the desert.  At that point, we had been walking for over 6 hours under the strong sun...   

Sfakia town

Last but not least, I would suggest to take it ease...walk down the gorge slowly so as to really enjoy and observe the stunning landscape view, the old Samaria village and the wild kri-kri goats.

Tips  

Wear hiking shoes, sunscreen and long-sleeved white top if you visit the gorge during the summer months. Also carry a few extra t-shirts and socks.
The sun is very strong and the temperature might rise up to 35 °C.

Before you set off, check out the opening hours of the gorge as well as the timetable of the local buses and boats (these might change depending on the time of year you visit).

Don’t miss the last boat from Agia Roumeli to Sfakia town as there’s no other way to get back to Chania town (unless you want to climb up the gorge...).