“You see this little thing?” says Giorgos Rousopoulos, my guide. “It’s the start of human civilisation right here.”
He held up the “little thing” in question between his thumb and forefinger. “Flint stone,” he told me. “Notorious for making weapons with edges as sharp as a knife. But also creating sparks. Strike one against the other and you have… fire.”
We were an hour into our “ice-age” walk in Zagori, northern Greece, part of the Vikos national park. Every few minutes I had to stop to try and take in the epic scale and drama of the scenery around us.
It was autumn and the ancient forest we were hiking through was a riot of burnished orange, golds and reds.
Bare craggy peaks rose above us while the crystal clear water of the Voidomatis river flowed below.
Emma Cook took the path less travelled, but certainly not less beautiful, to Zagori, Greece
Giorgos had described this place, deep in the Vikos Gorge, as a geologist’s playground and it’s easy to see why. Close to the Albanian border, it felt like a world that time forgot.
“Each layer of rock around here reveals millions of years of geological activity, shaped by the last ice age and beyond,” he explained.
There is also evidence of human activity here, in cave sites dating from 17,000 years ago. Nowadays, however, humans are remarkably absent – we hadn’t passed another walker all morning, just one of the reasons why the area’s wildlife is so diverse. We were sharing territory with bears, wolves, boar, deer and wild goats, along with more than 30 species of bird.
Locals call the gorge ‘the Greek Dolomites’ – Aristi Mountain Resort & Villas
Locals call this part of the Zygos gorge “the Greek Dolomites”, but unlike the Italian version, not many people in the UK have heard of it. Eighty percent of Greece is mountainous – something French, Austrian and Germans hikers appreciate more than the English.
Yet despite its remoteness, it’s surprisingly easy to reach. Preveza is a three-hour flight from the UK, and from there it’s a 90-minute drive along sweeping, sandy coastline, followed by a steep ascent into the mountains.
But two hours into our uphill hike and it felt like we were a million miles from civilisation. I was acutely aware of the Voidomatis flowing past us over rocks and boulders – and that soon I would be rafting along it, paddle clutched tightly in hand. Giorgos assured me the river was the quickest and most enjoyable way back down, but I was struggling to match his enthusiasm.
Nevertheless, when we reached the top I dutifully peeled off my walking gear, climbed into a wetsuit and life jacket, and lowered myself onto the edge of the rubber raft. A guide and two more hikers did the same, and off we went, pulled immediately into the current.
Rafting along the Voidomatis river is a popular activity in Zagori – Aristi Mountain Resort & Villas
To my astonishment, however, I felt my terror evaporate the moment I dunked my oar into the bubbling water. The guide patiently showed us how to paddle in unison, and we quickly fell into an easy rhythm, drifting along, pushing ourselves off the rocks for momentum and gliding down the occasional mini-rapid.
All was calm and gentle: every so often we’d rest our paddles and drink in the silence, the forested slopes rising on either side, the turquoise green of the rock pools glimmering, punctuated by the briefest flash of a bright blue and orange kingfisher skimming low across the water.
I was perfectly relaxed, until our guide asked cheerfully, “Now, are we ready for the dam?”
We smiled nervously.
“When I say ‘jump’, move into the middle of the raft away from the edges,” she said, and – checking we were all in position – began to manoeuvre us towards the dam’s ominous edge. The sound of rushing water grew ever louder as we were sucked closer, and then suddenly the moment of truth was upon us.
“Jump! Oars up!”
Crouching on the raft floor, we dropped down the waterfall, tossed from side to side, feeling every bump along the way. It was utterly exhilarating, even for someone as adrenaline-averse as me. There were screams of delight, mostly mine, as we were spewed – out soaking wet – into calmer water below.
Aristi Mountain Resort is the perfect place to relax and recuperate
Back on dry land, and still humming with adrenaline, I was glad of a chance to relax and recuperate in the cosy embrace of the Aristi Mountain Resort, a collection of pretty stone buildings perched high among the peaks. Its rooms were subtly luxurious (all natural stone walls, Persian rugs and dark wooden shutters), and after a few hours trotting between the indoor pool, sauna and steam room, I was ready for an early supper.
We enjoyed a tasty winter salad of roasted pumpkin, beets and warm Metsovo cheese, sourced from the resort’s farm and greenhouse, and washed down with a glass of local rosé – surrounded by views of the mountains.
The views while dining at Aristi Mountain Resort are unparalleled – Aristi Mountain Resort & Villas, Greece
The next morning, we set out for Vikos, a traditional village with breathtaking views from its pretty square. All the villages in this area were thriving trading posts during the Ottoman period, connected by a series of ancient stone bridges and cobbled pathways known as skalés. Nowadays they make ideal hiking trails, offering a network of walks for all abilities.
We followed one of them from Vikos, down steep steps to the source of the Voidomatis river, then onwards to the tiny village of Kipi, ghostly and abandoned except for its wild cats and a charming guest house, which stays open for hikers year round.
After pausing to admire the magnificent views from 14th-century Monastery of Agia Paraskevi, perched high over the valley on the edge of a cliff, we ended our day with a meal at Kanela & Garyfallo, a busy restaurant in the village of Vitsa which specialises in mushrooms. Vassilis Karsoupas, the chef, became obsessed with them while studying biochemistry as part of his degree, and now has a whole team of foragers and also grows his own.
Our writer was certainly well fed on her trip to Greece – Aristi Mountain Resort & Villas
We feasted on sharing dishes – casseroles, tarts, risotto – each one tastier than the last, and though I declined the offer of mushroom schnapps, I couldn’t resist trying the caramelised chanterelles with ice cream for dessert. All delicious, and not a moussaka in sight.
Rather like Zagori itself, this is a side of Greece you don’t often hear about. As Giorgos says, “up here, we can get forgotten” – though with sights and tastes like these, it can’t be long before they’re discovered. Go now, and enjoy this sleepy region’s fragile spell, before it’s broken at last.
Essentials
EasyJet flies from London Gatwick to Preveza from £166 return; Aristi Mountain Resort & Villas has rooms from £140 B&B, based on two sharing. Tours with Trekking Hellas can be booked through Aristi Mountain Resort and Villas.
