Smolikas | Drakolimni & peak 2.637m

A unique two-day hiking experience in Smolikas with an overnight stay at the Smolika Mountain Refuge and final destination the drakolimni and the Smolikas peak at 2,637m. The dense forests of black pines, beeches, firs and rombolas & the alpine meadows that we will cross until we reach the drakolimni are considered to be among the most beautiful – wild areas of Greece.

_accommodation

The mountai refuge of Smolikas is a stone building with rooms for 6 people. It is located at an altitude of 1750m, at the foot of Mount Smolikas, at the location ‘La Nane’, surrounded by a dense white pine forest (robolo) and is a station for the mountaineering path O3. After sunset the interior of the shelter is illuminated with oil lamps and the absolute absence of light pollution offers a magical spectacle to the sky.
The common areas include the hall with stove, fireplace and two large dining rooms, a shower, and separate men’s/women’s WC. he shelter operates an organized kitchen for all meals of the day, while many of the meals are cooked in a traditional wood oven!

The excursion takes place with a minimum required number of entries of 10 people and a maximum of 30 people.

hiking | Drakolimni & peak of Smolikas (2.637m) | 22km | medium/demanding difficulty | ages: 16+

On our three-day excursion, we depart early on Saturday morning to the village of Paleoselli (1080m altitude), from where we will start the walk to the Smolikas refuge (1750m altitude). The hike takes place on a path and a forest road and is of moderate difficulty (about 4 km).

On Sunday morning, after having breakfast, we start for the climb with the first destination being the Drakolimni. We hike through a forest of pine trees and we reach the Drakolimni after 1.5 to 2 hours. For those who wish and have the required physical condition, we continue to the second highest peak in Greece, the peak of Smolikas at 2,637m. After admiring the unique view, we will make our way back to the refuge, where its hospitable managers will be waiting for us for food, company by the fire and rest.

On Monday (Holy Spirit Day), after breakfast we will take the path to Paleoselli where the bus will be waiting for us to take us to Konitsa. In Konitsa you can choose between a leisurely stroll through the village or an even more beautiful route to the Stomio Monastery, next to the Aoos River. In the afternoon we will start for the return, arriving in the evening in Thessaloniki.