Visiting Greece is most often thought of as an island oasis with crystal clear waters and white and blue buildings in the background, but many people haven’t ever recognized the full potential Greece has when it comes to long-distance hiking trails.
To get a more holistic experience of the country, hiking the Menalon Trail is one of the best ways to see the mountains, and small villages, eat traditional Greek food, and get off the beaten tourist tracks.
The Menalon Trail combines 75 kilometers of stunningly beautiful landscape with the rich culture of nine small villages along the way. By walking this trail, you immerse yourself in both the natural and historical histories of the country.
What’s a better way to spend a walking holiday in Greece than to explore the mountains on foot by day and drink ouzo with locals at night?
A Brief Overview of the Menalon Trail
In the Arcadia region of the Peloponnese, you will constantly stumble onto gorgeous walking trails no matter where you go. Shepherds walk these trails to graze their sheep, villagers move supplies by mule, and tourists come to enjoy the beauty of the natural landscape. For more details on the best trails and tips, check out this ultimate guide to hiking in Greece.
Many of these trails have been around for centuries, and the Menalon Trail is no exception.
The Menalon Trail dates back to the 16th century when Ancient Greeks roamed the hills and lived lives quite similar to the ones you encounter today. The trail has remained relatively unknown in the grand scheme of long-distance hiking trails in Europe, but by now means does that mean it isn’t worth your time.
Following the Lousios River Gorge, the West Menalon, and the Mylaonta River Valley through the Gortynian Mountains, the Menalon trail was the first hiking trail in Greece to be certified by the European Ramblers Association (ERA). What this means is, there’s diversity in landscape, safe traversing, and retained natural beauty of the area.
Since its certification by the ERA, the Menalon Trail has been incorporated into the Greek Paths of Culture and was placed among the leading quality trails as one of the Best of Europe, giving it even more reason for you to check the trail out.
The 75.2 kilometers of walking take you on a trek through nine different villages, all of which have something unique to offer to the experience.
With the villages along the route, the trail is naturally broken into eight different sections, so you can easily make the trip last four to eight days (most people take an average of five days) depending on how fast you want to be moving every day. At a slow pace, you can enjoy each village as you pass through and stay the night.
The Need-to-Know for Hiking the Menalon Trail
As I said, hiking the Menalon Trail means tackling some of the best hiking in the Peloponnese. There are a few reasons why this trail can be considered the best of the best, but one of the biggest reasons is that it’s an easily accessible trail for backpacking beginners.
Due to the frequency with which you pass through villages, you don’t need to bring all of the normal backpacking basics and can easily find a room to stay in each night if you plan ahead (we’ll talk more about that later).
The trail itself is rated as moderate, meaning that you’ll be challenged, but it’s unlikely that you’ll get turned away by the difficulty of the trail if you know what you’re getting yourself into.
Trail Markers on the Menalon Trail
Unlike a lot of other trails in Greece, the Menalon Trail is well-marked and easy to follow. The trail marker is a red, yellow, or green square with a mountain “M” in the forefront. The color of the signs change as you go further along the trail, so expect red toward the beginning, yellow in the middle, and green squares as you near the end.
The trail markers are frequently placed along the route and will point you in the right direction with ease. For any junction, the markers will indicate which way to go by their shape. If they are bent on the left (forming an arrow pointing left), you should turn left. The same goes for the right. If the markers aren’t bent at all, keep heading straight on.
At the beginning of each of the eight sections, you’ll find a map that helps you plan forward as you get ready to start the day’s hiking. This can be super helpful if you are choosing not to carry a paper map. Simply take a picture at the start of each day’s hike and refer to that when necessary.
One of the more confusing parts about hiking the trail is that many times you’ll find these trail markers next to other signs that have distances and times to the nearest villages. Often, these distances and times are completely wrong, so it’s best to not take note of them at all and continue to follow the Menalon markers.
Most of, if not all of, the signs along the trail are written only in Greek. It may be worth gathering a brief understanding of the Greek alphabet if you’re feeling up to a challenge that will help you find your way. If you can read the signs, you might get the long-awaited boost of confidence that you’re nearing your destination or at least a place to rest. The alphabet isn’t too hard to learn and it can be a fun thing to add on to your list of skills formed on your walking holiday in Greece!
Sometimes you’ll see some red squares painted on stones along the path. These are the older trail markers that have been replaced with the metal signs hung on posts and trees, but are helpful to reassure yourself that you’re headed in the right direction.
Terrain of the Peloponnese
You’re guaranteed to experience a wide variety of terrain while hiking the Menalon Trail. The trail has everything from gravel, dirt, grass, roots, and bridges to ancient cobblestones and modern asphalt roads.
Due to the changing terrain, comfortable shoes are an absolute must when hiking in Greece. You’ll thank yourself for doing the work beforehand and breaking in a pair of shoes so you can be happy at the end of every long day of hiking.
For the most part, the terrain will be rolling along with the mountainsides, but you’ll also walk along the bottom of river gorges for flat stretches that you’ll miss once you start the steep climb back up to the village.
Animals on the Menalon Trail
Every single one of the best hikes in Greece will have you looking at plenty of different animals along the way. This country is full of shepherds who spend their days with hundreds of goats and sheep as well as the dogs that come along with them.
Many villagers still use mules to transport goods from village to village along the trail, and you’re likely to come across one or two while on your trek. Whenever you come across a mule, simply step to the side of the trail and wait for them to pass. They have the right of way, and are incredibly easy to spot. They’re often wearing loud bells and you can hear them coming down the trail for hundreds of meters, giving you plenty of warning.
Not only will you see the agricultural animals, but there’s a range of different wildlife you can expect to come across. The Peloponnese has loads of different geckos, lizards, tortoises, birds of prey, martens, and hedgehogs that you’ll see if you’re paying attention.
One of the biggest dangers to be aware of is the shepherd dogs that you’ll see all around the country. These dogs’ sole job is to protect sheep and goats from the threat of wolves in the area. This means that they can be highly protective of their homes and flock.
Some people choose to carry pepper spray with them in case of a bad interaction with one of these dogs, but for the most part if you keep your distance and treat them like the working dogs that they are, you won’t have a problem. Just be stay aware and don’t be afraid to ask the shepherd who is likely to be around if there’s anything you need to do differently.
The Eight Sections of Hiking the Menalon Trail
| Overview of all eight sections of the Menalon Trail | ||
| Section | Average Walking Time | Distance |
| 1: Stemnitsa-Dimitsana | 5 hours | 12.5 km |
| 2: Dimitsana-Zygovisti | 2 hours | 4.2 km |
| 3: Zygovisti-Elati | 5 hours | 14.9 km |
| 4: Elati-Vytina | 2.5 hours | 8.5 km |
| 5: Vytina-Nymphasia | 2 hours | 5.6 km |
| 6: Nymfasia-Magouliana | 3.5 hours | 8.9 km |
| 7: Magouliana-Valtesiniko | 2.5 hours | 6.6 km |
| 8: Valtesiniko-Lagkadia | 5 hours | 13.9 km |
| *Information collected from the Menalon Trail’s website | ||
Section One: Stemnitsa to Dimitsana
Average time: 5 hours
Distance: 12.5 km
Altitude Loss/Gain: -600m / +500m
The official start of the Menalon Trail is in a small village named Stemnitsa. Stemnitsa is the “village of goldsmiths” and has served as the junction for many trails and hiking routes over the ages. Because of this convergence, Stemnitsa is one of the largest and most populated villages you’ll encounter on the entire hike.
That makes this a great spot to spend your first night before starting your journey. There are plenty of accommodation options and several tavernas that are likely to be open any time of the year.
This first section is easily considered the hardest and the most popular section along the entire trail. There is a significant level of elevation change as well as stunning views that people come for.
The path here takes you past the Prodromos Monastery, through the gorge of the Lousios River, across the river, and up to both the new and old Philosophou Monasteries. The Old Philosophou Monastery’s ruins date back to 963 AD and were inhabited until the new monastery was built in 1691. Both are worth visiting and spending some time around to learn about the history of the region and the monasteries.
Afterward, you will make your way toward Dimitsana, a small village known for its water-powered mills and Open Air Water Power Museum, a combination of a gunpowder mill, tannery, and grain mill turned into an outdoor exhibit. This museum has a lot to learn about the history of the area and the old traditional ways of living. It costs four euros to enter and has a nice small cafe to grab a snack from.
This section ends right in the center of the village, a perfect spot to stop and eat or rest for the night.
Section Two: Dimitsana to Zigovitsi
Average time: 2 hours
Distance: 4.2 km
Altitude Loss/Gain: -0m / +200m
The second section of the trail is also the shortest. Even so, this section still takes you along ravines, past springs, through plateaus, and provides fountains full of water along the way.
This section of the trail also has the highest point of the trail after you head out of the Lousios valley to the outskirts of a fir forest. The small church, Agios Paraskevi, offers great views of the area with a clear view of the different villages nestled amongst the trees.
One of the best landmarks along this section is the Lygkos Cave, a small cave that was used as a hideout for a notorious thief. An interesting, but curious choice in the ways of living to have to hide away in a cave with all of your stolen riches.
The short jaunt in between villages comes to a close at the Immortals Memorial, a recognition of Theodore Kolokotronis, the leader of the 1821 Independence war.
While this section is much shorter, it can easily be combined with Section One or Section Three to make it a part of a longer day. If you’re just out there to enjoy a longer holiday, use the short section as an excuse to spend more time in the cafes and tavernas of Zigovitsi.
Section Three: Zygovisti to Elati
Average time: 5 hours
Distance: 14.9 km
Altitude Loss/Gain: -350m / +420m
As the longest section of the trail with 420 meters of elevation gain, the walk from Zygovisti to Elati will take you past plenty of beautiful scenery while also providing a decent challenge for most hikers.
The track runs down a ravine behind the Agios Ioannis church and the Pera Vrisi fountain to another rural church, Agios Georgios. Here you can find a spring right next to it that usually has running water in most parts of the year.
You follow the trail along to the Bourniades Spring, another great spot for water, before making your way uphill to the Bilali Pass. This is a historic intersection of ancient paths that villagers and shepherds took to walk from Radou and Stemnitsa.
After this mountain saddle, you descend before climbing again immediately over the saddle between Pliovouni and Fragovouni, where you could hop off for a short detour and hike up to the peak of Pliovouni (1643 meters), the highest point along the trail.
Slowly you descend and make your way down toward the small dirt roads and walking paths past more fountains until you finally reach the small settlement of Elati.
Section Four: Elati to Vytina
Average time: 2.5 hours
Distance: 8.5 km
Altitude Loss/Gain: -1250m / +150m
Section four takes you from one of the smaller settlements along the way to the head village of the region where you can find just about all of the provisions and facilities that you might need after a couple of days of hiking on the trail.
This walk takes you along the upper part of the Mylaonsta river bed where high riparian vegetation surrounds the path. Plane trees are highly common along the route, indicating that there is a lot of water in the region. As you get closer to Vytina, you’ll recognize that it is the larger village of the region because of the easy access of water.
While this section isn’t very long, it’s worth planning a stop in Vytina so that you can utilize all of the provisions in the large village. It’s like that there will be plenty of tavernas open to eat at and get fueled up for the second half of the trail.
Section Five: Vytina to Nymphasia
Average time: 3.5 hours
Distance: 8.9 km
Altitude Loss/Gain: -310m / +110m
Heading out of the main village means starting off with just shy of a kilometer on asphalt. This will take you to the trailhead for a footpath leading to Mavra Litharia, a huge boulder made of limestone on the Mylaon riverbed. The stream cut this boulder in half over time creating a short but impressive gorge to walk through.
You’ll take the stunning Tzavarenas bridge across the gorge, which has served as the historical connection between Vytina and the western villages, and still stands strong. From there, you climb to the small village of Nymphasia.
Section Six: Nymphasia to Magouliana
Average time: 2.5 hours
Distance: 8.5 km
Altitude Loss/Gain: -140m / +500m
Section six stands out as different from the very beginning. You enter an Oak forest and can feel like you’ve walked into a different world. The path leads you across the Kernitsa Bridge and up to the Kernitsas Monastery, one of the oldest of its kind in the entire region.
The trail weaves along footpaths and dirt roads through a dense fir forest until you arrive at Sfyrida Hermitage, where you can fill up on water before taking on a steeper climb in the second half of this section. After that, you get an easy and level walk through the countryside until you find yourself in Magouliana.
Section Seven: Magouliana to Valtesiniko
Average time: 2.5 hours
Distance: 6.6 km
Altitude Loss/Gain: -220m / +110m
The walk from Magouliana to Valtesiniko is a short, but mostly downhill trek that makes it easy to pair with other sections.
From Magouliana (the village of loggers) you go uphill for a short bit before making your descent into the valley where you will find the Mana Sanatorium, an old abandoned sanatorium where you can take a rest.
As soon as you enter Valtesiniko (the village of woodcarvers), you’ll notice that it has plenty of restaurants and accommodation options. Overall, this section is easily added to section six as the walk is pleasant and ends in a village with great provisions.
Section Eight: Valtesiniko to Lagkadia
Average time: 5 hours
Distance: 13.9 km
Altitude Loss/Gain: -700m / +500m
For the final section of the trail, you start up at an impressive stone school that provides a stunning view over the northern plains. From here, you climb up to an ancient Byzantine fortress built at 1250 meters.
After the fortress, you walk widened paths through a dense fir forest as you climb and then descend to Kria Vrisi, a fountain next to a restaurant/BnB that is typically closed throughout most of the year.
The next climb takes you along a small forest road and to the entrance of Grilas meadow where you will walk among walnut trees until you reach an impressive series of Rapi Watermills.
Finally, the Menalon Trail comes to a close at the war memorial in Lagkadia, the village of stone builders. You’ll find that this village has everything you need to celebrate the completion of your hike, exactly as you should.
Best Ways to Break Up the Menalon Trail
Unless you really want to take your time, you’re likely to combine some of the sections of the trail so you can complete the hike in four or five days.
Some of the villages along the way will have what you might need, and this is a great way to section off the trail and figure out how you might want to combine sections and spend more time in the villages with more provisions and accommodation.
Zygovisti, Nymfasia, Magouliana, and Elati are all tiny villages that don’t have much in the way of restaurants, shops, or places to stay. It’s possible to find some spots to sleep if you plan ahead and make sure you’ve secured a spot to sleep when you arrive.
Here are two ways that you can combine sections of the Menalon Trail so that you can get it completed in either four or five days of hiking.
Five-Day Hike Itinerary
Day One: Stemnitsa to Dimitsana (12.5 km)
Day Two: Dimitsana to Elati (19.2 km)
Day Three: Elati to Nymfasia (14.1 km)
Day Four: Nymfasia to Valtesiniko (15.5 km)
Day Five: Valtesiniko to Lagkadia (13.9 km)
Four-Day Hike Itinerary
Day One: Stemnitsa to Dimitsana (12.5 km)
Day Two: Dimitsana to Vytina (27.6 km)
Day Three: Vytina to Valtesiniko (21.1 km)
Day Four: Valtesiniko to Lagkadia (13.9 km)
Another option for your hike is to take a taxi to and from the larger villages to hike the trails. This is a great option if you want to stay in the same place along the way and not need to “move out” every day.
Choosing a Guide for Hiking The Menalon Trail
There are plenty of reasons to hike the Menalon Trail with a guide rather than doing the hike on your own.
Traveling to a new country can be difficult and making the arrangements for a place to sleep each night from afar can be incredibly difficult. A lot of the lodging options along the Menalon aren’t easily found and booked on Air BnB or any other website. Normally you need to call and book the room in advance and that can be difficult with a time difference and language barrier.
A good guide will be able to take care of all the logistical pieces so you don’t need to think about it before the trip or along the way.
Even though the Menalon Trail is well marked, it can be helpful to have someone who knows the way regardless of the signs. That can also mean knowing the way through the villages where you may be spending time looking for the best tavernas, rather than simply having someone show you what the best is and which one is most likely to be open.
Trekking Hellas is by far the best option for taking a guide with you on the Menalon or on any walking holidays in Greece. They are located all across the mainland and some of the islands so you know that they have a thorough knowledge of the entire area. Their guides are all warm and welcoming, making sure that you get the best experience possible on your holiday in Greece.
What to Pack to Hike the Menalon Trail
As mentioned before, the Menalon Trail is a village-to-village trek, which makes it a great option for those who don’t feel like carrying and entire kit of gear. You can sleep in villages along the way, which means you don’t need to carry a tent, sleeping bag, or sleeping pad.
By planning your trip well, you can guarantee that you have food available for breakfast and dinner along the route every single day, leaving you only lunch and snacks to carry. Anyone who has completed other long distance treks knows that food is the heaviest of all the gear you take along the way.
But, there are plenty of things that you’re going to want to be sure you don’t leave behind. Hiking the Menalon Trail is still difficult on its own right, so you want to be prepared for a solid hike that can still bring its own set of challenges for which you should be ready.
Hiking shoes
Solid hiking shoes are important for any overnight or day hike that you may go on no matter where you are in the world. The Menalon Trail has a huge variety of terrain, so you need shoes that will be the most comfortable for you while also providing the right support.
A good set of trail runners or lightweight hiking boots are a great option for this trail as you’ll want some level of breathability and, depending on the time of year, you’re unlikely to need waterproof shoes.
Backpack
A good backpack that you’ve tried and found that you’re comfortable in is the best backpack to take on the Menalon Trail. Something that’s around 40L in capacity will be more than enough so you can carry a change of clothes, snacks, and water with you on the hike days.
Clothes
What you choose to wear on the trail will fully depend on the time of year you visit. For the most part, hiking in lightweight pants and a t-shirt will serve you well. There are plenty of stinging and biting insects that you won’t be able to avoid as well as some prickly bushes and plants that thrive in the dry environment. Proper protection from these hazards will help you enjoy the trek a bit more.
Although Greece is fairly dry throughout most of the year, it can rain a lot in the fall and spring. You may consider a lightweight rain jacket to bring along. All of your clothes should be the same as for other hikes as well, lightweight, breathable, and quick-drying. Merino wool is by far the best material available but can add a lot to the overall price tag.
First Aid Kit
If you’re hiking with a guide, make sure you ask if they’re bringing their own first aid kit for the group. If you’re on your own, be sure you pack one.
You won’t need a huge first aid kit as you’re always decently close to a village that will have transportation available in the case of an emergency, or a pharmacy for some of the smaller things.
Make sure that you have the medicines that you may need along the way as well as some basic over the counter medicines for any bites or stings that you might collect along the way.
Water
There are plenty of opportunities along the trail to fill up, so really all you need is a good system to carry water. Bottles or a hydration pack that can carry around 2 liters should be more than enough per person unless you’re hiking in the peak of summer when the weather is the hottest.
Most of the water you find along the way in the fountains will be potable. If you want extra security, some kind of water treatment is a good idea to have as a backup.
Tech Options
Any hiking holiday in Greece can usually be done without any tech, but there are still a few good things to think about before starting your hike.
- Google Translate – This tech is getting better and better over the years and can serve as an easy way to help navigate the language barriers that you’re guaranteed to come across. For the most part, a lot of Greeks speak English, but in the villages many people won’t be fluent or won’t speak any English at all. People are all friendly and happy to talk with you even through Google Translate, but you may need that to communicate effectively at times.
- GPS or Online Maps – While there are plenty of maps on the Menalon Trail, bringing along your own paper map is a great way to ensure that you’ll have the ability to navigate even when your GPS runs out of battery or struggles to find a signal.
- A lot of these paths are in isolated regions that will often have phone service, but it isn’t guaranteed. You can use apps like Wikiloc that has the necessary GPX tracks, but it isn’t necessary.
Cash
An easy thing to forget, but an important thing to bring along. A lot of the small villages in Greece prefer to operate in cash and often won’t have the option to pay with a card. This is also great when you run into small fruit vendors in the villages where you can get some of the best fruit of your life, but it’s likely only to be bought with cash.
There are reliable ATMs in Stemnitsa, Dimitsana, Vytina, and Lagkadia, so you aren’t totally without an option along the way. It’s good to have a bit on hand, but know that you’ll be able to get some more out in the middle of the hike as well.
When the Hike the Menalon Trail
Thanks to its positioning in Greece, the Menalon Trail could really be hiked at almost any time of the year. It operates like most of the other parts of the country where the summer tends to be the high season and winter is the low.
That being said, the shoulder seasons (spring and fall) tend to be the best time to take on the trail or do any long hiking holidays in Greece. There are far fewer people around in these times, but you still have stunning views. In the fall, the plane trees, oaks, and other deciduous trees sparkle the landscape with color. In the spring, you see splashes of vibrant colors everywhere with an abundance of wildflowers.
In the winter, you’ll find that a lot more of the shops and restaurants in the villages will be shut because they tend to be seasonal. If you’re okay with limiting your options, hiking in the winter is possible. There is often some snow at higher altitudes in January and February, but you that will only give you a more unique experience.
The best way to check the weather averages is to base your searches in Vytina. Find the weather throughout the year for that village, and the surrounding areas will be almost the same.
Getting to the Menalon Trail from Athens
If you’re flying to Greece, you’re most likely flying into Athens. Getting to Stemnitsa can be challenging, but is far from impossible. The Greek public transit system has its challenges, but is typically reliable throughout the year.
The best way to get to Stemnitsa to start your hike is to take the metro from the Athens Airport to the nearby Kifissos bus terminal. From there you can easily catch a bus to Tripoli or Lagkadia, depending on the day of the week. It’s best to get to the bus station and talk with someone there about what routes are running on each day of the week.
From either of these villages, you can grab a taxi to get to Stemnitsa without much difficulty at all. Ask around and someone will have a phone number for the local drivers that will come grab you and take you where you need to get.
Where to Stay Along the Menalon Trail
There are a lot of options for accommodation while hiking the Menalon Trail, but it’s always best to plan ahead and book your hotels ahead of time.
In the peak season, many of the lodging options will be fully booked as these areas can be quite touristy for different parts of the year. By using Air BnB or finding hotels online, through calling around, or by using a guide, you can make sure that you have a place to stay at the end of each day.
Another option that some people prefer is to wild camp. While this is technically still illegal in Greece, a lot of the locals are happy for you to do it, so long as you’re being respectful to the land. Ask around town about the general opinions for wild camping as well as for some recommended spots. If you find a tucked away spot, set up later on in the day, and don’t make a huge ruckus, you’re most likely going to go unnoticed and without much of a problem.
There are a few official campsites along the route, but they are few and far between so they can’t be relied on. Some campsites in Greece also require a reservation to be booked ahead of time, and you might find yourself around a lot of RVs or campers in small cabins rather than sleeping in tents.
The variety in the options is one of the best things about the trail. It’s made hiking the Menalon Trail one of the more accessible trails for novice and intermediate hikers looking to extend their day trips into more of an excursion and adventure possible.
FAQ
How long is the Menalon Trail?
In total, the Menalon trail is 75.2 kilometers. The trail is, however, divided into eight main sections. This makes it incredibly easy to plan and organize a trip around the best villages that have the easiest accommodations and provisions when necessary. Each of these eight sections varies in length from 5.6 to 14.9 kilometers with varying ranges of elevation gain and loss.
How many days does it take to walk the Menalon Trail?
This is totally up to you! You can make it so you hike a huge distance each day and crush it out in three or four days, or you can really take your time and do a section a day for an eight-day trip.
How hard is the Menalon Trail?
The overall trail is rated as moderate, but each section is also rated alone. In general, the trail is of moderate difficulty, but the options to take frequent rests in villages and not carry a lot of the typical backpacking gear you would normally have makes the trail a bit easier than other trails rated as moderate out there.
What is the best section of the Menalon Trail?
Of course, this answer is totally up to you and your preferences, but the most popular section is the first. It provides a solid challenge, is easily accessed, and has two villages on either side with decent provisions. There are a lot of great views on the way from Stemnitsa to Dimitsana and you’ll find a lot of interesting history along the way as well.
Making the Menalon Trail Your Next Big Trip
There’s no doubt about it. The Menalon Trail is an absolute must for anyone looking to add another long-distance trek to their bucket list. It’s an accessible trail that doesn’t hold back when it comes to stunning views and local culture.
While the trail isn’t an isolated path in the middle of nowhere, it takes you through an area rich in history and modern living where you can see the way the past has influenced the lives of people living there today.
This trail guarantees a unique experience with a bit of physical challenge, met with friendly faces and good food at the end of every challenging day. There’s no doubt about it, the Menalon Trail can be exactly what you’re looking for to create the best hiking holiday in Greece.
