Lefkada walking vacations

Even in a country that is world famous for the beauty of its beaches, Lefkada is a stand-out among the other Greek Islands. But while it’s hard for anyone to resist the siren call of its golden sands, walkers here will also relish the chance of exploring the Ionian island’s spectacular mountainous interior, where an extensive network of trails takes you through forests of ancient oak, elm and cypress, fertile plains strewn with wildflowers, and deep valleys peppered with waterfalls.

Not well-known yet, and all the better for that in our opinion, Zagoraphoria is a beautiful, tranquil region of northwestern Greece, where a cluster of 46 stone-and-slate villages is tucked into the Pindos mountains. With their arched stone bridges and churches, these communities represent superb examples of traditional architecture. They are also culturally unique, some of the last remaining vestiges of Greece’s mountainous tribes.

Walking here is a natural complement to walking in Lefkada and so frequently shares itineraries. It’s best to hike with a guide for a more rounded introduction to the region’s myths and customs. Its most impressive natural feature is the incredible Vikos Gorge, utterly pristine and a true hiker’s delight with deep ravines, stone paths and bridges across flowing rivers and streams.

Annie Antonatou from our Greece walking specialist Mystic Blue:
“The Zagori area is known to hikers because of the famous Vikos Gorge, but few visitors realise that there are also many other superb hiking trails here, deep gorges, ravines, streams and flowing rivers, stone paved paths, staircases and bridges, lush forests, breath-taking alpine lakes. All of this terrain connects some of the most beautiful and well-preserved villages in Greece. What makes the “ agorohoria", the 46 stone villages so special is that they are not only exquisite examples of traditional stone architecture, but of a still living tradition, full of myths, customs and social expressions of a culture nearing extinction; of the mountainous tribes of Greece.”