Greece has a magical landscape; a landscape that is dotted by ancient ruins, sparkling white villages, impossibly blue seas, perfect sandy beaches, lush valleys filled with churches perched on top of towering rock formations, and more. It is a place where mystery and adventure is never too far away.
One place to visit to get a taste of many of these views at once and to admire the natural bounty of the country is the Panachaiko Mountains, located in the Achaea region, east of Patras, in the north of Peloponnese. If you find a vacation rental in Patras and want to take in the best views of the city and the surrounding area, to stretch your legs and get some fresh air, it is the ideal place to spend a day hiking and exploring.
One place to visit to get a taste of many of these views at once and to admire the natural bounty of the country is the Panachaiko Mountains, located in the Achaea region, east of Patras, in the north of Peloponnese. If you find a vacation rental in Patras and want to take in the best views of the city and the surrounding area, to stretch your legs and get some fresh air, it is the ideal place to spend a day hiking and exploring.
Known as Vodias to the locals, the official name for the mountain range from the Middle Ages until the early 20th century, it is steeped in local legend. In fact, its previous name comes from a tale of the mountains originally being submerged but for its highest peak, which was so narrowly exposed that only an ox, or “vodi”, in Greek, could stand on it. Today, it is home to two shelters, Greece's largest wind farm and two communications stations.
The area has suffered through forest fires, appropriation of land for housing and overgrazing and, as a result, much of the soil is barren and forestation is sparse. Despite this, it is still a beautiful place, popular for hiking and paragliding and offers wonderful views.
The area has suffered through forest fires, appropriation of land for housing and overgrazing and, as a result, much of the soil is barren and forestation is sparse. Despite this, it is still a beautiful place, popular for hiking and paragliding and offers wonderful views.
From the top of the peaks of Panachaiko – which include the highest at 1,928 metres, called Pyrgos tou Palavou (Tower of the Mad One), Vodias, Vouno tou Giorgi, Mparmpas, and Krania – there are sweeping vistas over Patras, the gulf of Patras, the rest of the mountains in Peloponnese and a great swathe of mainland Greece. A common hiking route is this one, which takes around two and a half hours and offers amazing views along the way.
Photo credits
picture 1: Michael Paraskevas / CC BY-SA 3.0;
picture 2: Kakolyri Maria / CC BY-SA 4.0;
picture 3: Koliri / CC BY-SA 3.0
picture 1: Michael Paraskevas / CC BY-SA 3.0;
picture 2: Kakolyri Maria / CC BY-SA 4.0;
picture 3: Koliri / CC BY-SA 3.0
