By the time I almost got back, a dog suddenly popped out of nowhere and started following me. 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. I’ve tried to dip my feet but I could not last more than a minute. He was insane considering that the water was icy cold. I lied down on the grassy field its side to take a rest and I saw someone went for a dip in the lake. The view from the surrounding hills over the lake and of the rolling hills and mountains in the distance was also wonderful. The calm lake’s surface beautifully reflected the blue sky. One hour later, located on a basin surrounded by hills, I finally reached the lake. The landscape from here onward was only dominated by rocks and short grass that can tolerate the harsh mountain conditions. Astraka mountain refuge View from Astraka mountain refuge Onward to the Dragon’s lakeįilled from my modest but wholesome lunch, I continued my hike, aiming for the Dragon’s lake. “Thank you very much, Penelope!”, I said to myself. I myself did not spend the night there, but decided to enjoy my packed lunch gifted by Penelope while enjoying the surrounding mountain scenery. Situated on the shoulder of two mountain peaks, it offers beds where hikers can spend the night on. Forest turned into bushes and tall grass, and later turned into just rocky surface as the elevation increased.Ībout halfway through the hike, there was a mountain refuge of Astraka. The path first took me through the smaller sister village of Mikro-Papingo, before entering the forest beyond into the nature.

The hikeīrightened by Penelope’s kindness, I departed for my long hike. She held my hand wishing me luck on my trip today and to have a good time, and even said a blessing for me. Knowing my plan to hike to the Dragon’s lake, Penelope let me take extra food to go from the served breakfast for free. Their kindness throughout our stay really struck us and left a long-lasting memory for both of us. It is a highly recommended place to stay owned by wonderful and amiable mother and daughter, Penelope and Billie. We stayed in a beautiful traditional guesthouse To Rodi. It was not so difficult in such a small village like Papingo. Arriving in Papingo from Vikos gorgeĪfter completing the Vikos gorge hike, we emerged from a small path into the street of Papingo and immediately searched for our lodging. Similarly, Monodendri is also best reached by car as the bus service from Ioannina is patchy at best. Many travelers reach Papingo or Mikro-Papingo after walking through the Vikos gorge from Monodendri in the south, like what we did. There is supposedly an infrequent bus service from the larger city Ioannina to Papingo, but I cannot vouch for its accuracy or reliability.

These two villages are located next to each other, separated by a stretch of road which can be walked in 20-30 minutes.ĭue to their remote location, the most convenient way to reach these villages is by car. 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.

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. 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.Ĭheck out also my hike through the mighty Vikos gorge in the Vikos–Aoös national park. Well, the reality is definitely less epic than that. I mean, it seems like stuffs from the fairy tales: a dragon living high up in the mountain waiting for unsuspecting visitor. 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.Įnticed by its inviting name, I decided to give it a try. 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.

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. During my trip in Greece in mid-October with a good friend of mine, we visited the Vikos–Aoös national park in northern Greece.

Dragon landscape lake