SamuelDuring my trip in Greece in mid-October with a good friend of mine, we visited the Vikos–Aoös national park in northern Greece. This area in Greece, in the province of Zagori, is one of the best area in Greece for hiking for its mountainous terrain and of course the presence of none other than Vikos gorge itself, the world’s deepest canyon.
There is an established hiking route in this area from the village of Papingo in the national park to the Dragon’s lake, or Drakolimni in Greek, somewhere up in the mountain. It’s a hike of about 10 kilometers with elevation gain of over 1000 meters, including a few hundred meters of descend, lasting for about three to four hours each way.
Enticed by its inviting name, I decided to give it a try. I mean, it seems like stuffs from the fairy tales: a dragon living high up in the mountain waiting for unsuspecting visitor.
Well, the reality is definitely less epic than that. But that doesn’t take away the natural beauty of this place tucked somewhere in the north-eastern corner of Greece, waiting to be discovered by the adventurous souls.
Check out also my hike through the mighty Vikos gorge in the Vikos–Aoös national park. The visit to both Vikos gorge and the Dragon’s lake can be conveniently combined to get the true taste of the natural beauty of this area.
Getting there
To do the hike to the Dragon’s lake or Drakolimni, the most obvious starting point is the village of Papingo or Mikro-Papingo, where the start of the trail is located. These two villages are located next to each other, separated by a stretch of road which can be walked in 20-30 minutes.
Due to their remote location, the most convenient way to reach these villages is by car. There is supposedly an infrequent bus service from the larger city Ioannina to Papingo, but I cannot vouch for its accuracy or reliability.
Many travelers reach Papingo or Mikro-Papingo after walking through the Vikos gorge from Monodendri in the south, like what we did. Similarly, Monodendri is also best reached by car as the bus service from Ioannina is patchy at best.
Arriving in Papingo from Vikos gorge
After completing the Vikos gorge hike, we emerged from a small path into the street of Papingo and immediately searched for our lodging. It was not so difficult in such a small village like Papingo.
We stayed in a beautiful traditional guesthouse To Rodi. It is a highly recommended place to stay owned by wonderful and amiable mother and daughter, Penelope and Billie. Their kindness throughout our stay really struck us and left a long-lasting memory for both of us.
Knowing my plan to hike to the Dragon’s lake, Penelope let me take extra food to go from the served breakfast for free. Such as sweet old lady. She held my hand wishing me luck on my trip today and to have a good time, and even said a blessing for me. A moment I would always remember.
The hike
Brightened by Penelope’s kindness, I departed for my long hike. The path first took me through the smaller sister village of Mikro-Papingo, before entering the forest beyond into the nature. Forest turned into bushes and tall grass, and later turned into just rocky surface as the elevation increased.
About halfway through the hike, there was a mountain refuge of Astraka. Situated on the shoulder of two mountain peaks, it offers beds where hikers can spend the night on. I myself did not spend the night there, but decided to enjoy my packed lunch gifted by Penelope while enjoying the surrounding mountain scenery. “Thank you very much, Penelope!”, I said to myself.
Filled from my modest but wholesome lunch, I continued my hike, aiming for the Dragon’s lake. The landscape from here onward was only dominated by rocks and short grass that can tolerate the harsh mountain conditions. One hour later, located on a basin surrounded by hills, I finally reached the lake.
The calm lake’s surface beautifully reflected the blue sky. The view from the surrounding hills over the lake and of the rolling hills and mountains in the distance was also wonderful.
I lied down on the grassy field its side to take a rest and I saw someone went for a dip in the lake. He was insane considering that the water was icy cold. I’ve tried to dip my feet but I could not last more than a minute. It completely numbed my feet.
Having enjoyed the scenery, silence, and fresh mountain air, I started to head back to the village of Papingo where my friend had been waiting. By the time I almost got back, a dog suddenly popped out of nowhere and started following me. At first I was a bit concerned, but it seemed quite tame.
The dog was maybe hungry, but I got nothing with me to feed it. It went all the way with me to Papingo, and back to the guesthouse where we had left our backpacks. Billie, the daughter of Penelope, was there when my friend, I, and the dog arrived there. Billie took pity on the dog and promptly gave it some water and snack, which the poor dog rapidly finished.
Billie then invited us for a cup of coffee as we waited for Lefteris, the owner of Guesthouse Ladia where we stayed in Monodendri, to pick us up from Papingo back to Monodendri. Billie told us about the hardship they and other Greek people had to endure.
She said that at least her family and other people involved in the tourism industry were not hit as hard as working people in the big cities. She also told us some stories about the area and about her family in general who are originally from Ioannina, a large city not so far from the Vikos area.
Time passed by slowly as we continued chatting in To Rodi guesthouse that balmy October afternoon. The sun already hanged low in the horizon, ready to hide behind the mountains.
Lefteris appeared when we were about to finish our cup of coffee, signaling the end of our stay in this beautiful area. We wished her and her family well and we bid Billie our farewell, as Lefteris’ car slowly drove away through the gate of To Rodi.
