Go Hiking in Meteora

Go hiking in Meteora and you’ll experience a unique convergence of nature and spirituality unlike anyplace else in Greece.

Greece’s Nature and Spirituality

During my travels around Greece over the years, I must say that Meteora has proved to be unique.  I’d rate the travel experience as wonderful as discovering the island of Santorini.  Why?  The landscape is absolutely surreal.  A traveler that loves the unusual, beautiful and breathtaking places of the world will appreciate Meteora.

Recently, I blogged about the experience I had on the Sunset Meteora Tour with Meteora Thrones. Our Travel Bloggers Greece group explored the monasteries built atop of unusually formed limestone cliffs in the middle of central Greece.  Onward from the 11^th century, monks built about two dozen of them in an effort to be closer to God.  A beautiful thought, isn’t it?   Today, you can visit six of them that are fully functional.

Hiking in Meteora

A highlight of that weekend was hiking in Meteora.  It was certainly an experience to trek the paths between the holy sites. The paths have been followed by locals for centuries – before road access, GPS and modern times.  The trails were tucked in the core of region’s fantastic nature.

Local guides from Meteora Thrones lead the way.  We started off by following a trail from the Holy Monastery of Great Meteoron.  The rocky path headed down a curvy stone slope.  It wasn’t tiring but a bit of care needed to be taken in order not to slip.  I stopped here and there just to breathe in the fresh air.  I admired the wild flowers and the lovely old trees that opened the way around us.

Admiring Meteora from Below

Hiking in Meteora gave me the opportunity to see the monasteries and landscape from a new perspective.   I was looking up and out from such lush valleys. The limestone peaks of the lanscape were framed by majestic tree branches.

Christos, our Meteora Thrones guide, told us about his experiences hiking these trails over and over again.

We continued on, happily marching forward. Near the Holy Monastery of Varlaam we found ourselves surrounded by giant rock boulders and this beautiful refreshing spring.

Our two-hour hiking in Meteora tour ended at the Holy Monastery of St. Nicholas Anapausas.

Hiking in Meteora Travel Tips

• The trails around the Meteora monasteries are not too well marked, so it can be easy for someone to get lost without a map.  I recommend hiring a local guide so you can make the most out of your time.
• Dress comfortably. Wear good shoes with rubber soles that don’t slip.  Wear a hat should it be sunny. The Greek sun is strong.
• Bring a snack, fruit and water along with you. Depending on the hike’s length you may get hungry and a refreshment stand may not be readily close by.
• For more useful tips on visiting the monasteries of Meteora check out my earlier post Sunset Meteora Tour.

Meteora Thrones Hiking Tour

• This Meteora tour is approximately 4 hours.
• Check the website for more details, from €25 per person.

How to Get to Meteora

Fly

There is no airport in Meteora. The National Airport of Nea Achialos, located close to Volos, is the closest but there are limited summer flights. Otherwise the closest international airport is Athens.I recommend finding the best flight deals to Athens on Travelocity.

From Athens, you can get to Meteora in the following ways listed below.

Drive

If you are staying in Athens or Thessaloniki, I recommend renting a car with Avis Europe.

Train

Check updated times on the OSE Greek Rail website.
From Athens: Take a train from Athens (Larissa Station) to Kalambaka.  Some lines stop in Paleofarsalos. 5 hours. €30 (one-way) or €40-50 (round-trip)
From Thessaloniki: Take a train to Kalambaka. Some lines stop in Paleofarsalos.  Journey 3 hours.
There are also trains from Litochoro and Volos to Kalambaka.

Bus

Check updated times on the KTEL website.
From Athens:  Liossion Station (near the Kato Patissia station on the green Athens metro line) to Trikala. From Trikala, take a bus to Kalambaka. Athens to Kalambaka costs about €30.  A roundtrip ticket costs about €50.
You can also book a private bus with Meteora Thrones.

Where to Stay in Meteora

I recommend the three-star Famissi Hotel in the center of Kalambaka. It was centrally located near eateries and cafes. It had a strong hot shower and a good mattress.

Where to Eat in Meteora

Meteora has excellent Greek food.  Stay tuned for a post detailing the following best restaurants of Meteora:

I highly recommend the excellent slow-cooked traditional dishes at Restaurant Meteora.  Nice outdoor dining in the center of town.

Palazzo has very nice Greek dishes as well and a view of the Meteora rocks.

For a low-key taverna with delicious Greek food, visit Plakias Taverna Gardenia in Kastraki.

Have you ever been hiking in Meteora or any place else in Greece? I’d love to hear about it. Feel free to comment below.