The Menalon Trail
The Menalon Trail
5
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Monday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tuesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Thursday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Friday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Saturday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Sunday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
About
The Menalon Trail is a long mountain trail of 75 Km in Arcadia. The trail crosses 9 villages and uses parts of an infinite trail network, which were then rearranged in a serial structure and sign posted systematically by a large group of volunteers from Eastern Gortynia and the participation of Club of Mountaineers and Ecologists of Arcadia (SAOO) under the coordination of the 10 volunteers trained by the ERA team (the funding of the signage and expenses were covered by local businesses and associations). The design and creation of the information and orientation signs was made by Society for the Environment and Cultural Heritage with the funding of the Leventis Foundation. The mapping of the area, the construction of the web and mobile applications as well as the software application to plan the signposting was undertaken by the AnaDigit cartographic company. The certification control costs were covered by the Municipality of Gortynia.
Suggested duration
More than 3 hours
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
62 reviews
Excellent
51
Very good
10
Average
1
Poor
0
Terrible
0
Ameur M
Montreal, Canada5 contributions
Jul 2022 • Solo
I have lots in four continents, and I find that the Menalon trail was well designed, with changing landscape, connection to culture and people, and ease of navigation/logistic. If you have the time to do the whole thing I highly recommend doing the whole thing but if you just do a part then the Stemnitsana-Dimitsana section was really nice for the monasteries.
I did it in 5 days in July. The heat was bearable since I left early morning, stopped mid-day, and walked again from 2-3 pm until the next village.
I did (1) Stemnitsa-Dimitsana, (2) Dimitsana- Zygovisti -Elati, (3) Elati - Vytina - Nymphasia ; (4) Nymphasia - Magouliana - Valtesiniko; (5) Valtesiniko - Lagkadia.
Day 1: Stemnista is a cute village, Dimitsana has everything you need. In Stemnista I asked the B&B owner and he helped me arrange transfer of my stuff to Lagkadia. Lots of culture in the trail with several monasteries. Really interesting! A monk explained the history of the monastery to me (in perfect French). I had snacks for that day
Day 2: Long day, I ran out of water. I usually carry 2 liters and refill during the day but on that day 3 liters would have been necessary since some water streams/sources are dry in July. I did not stop in Vytina. In Elati there is no guesthouse, so I rented an apartment from a local person. I got the contact by emailing the Menalon trail people. Elati has one taverna - shout out to John the 13 years old son of the owner for speaking good English! Great, hard hiking day, beer tasted great!
Day 3: Nice walk in the valley. In Nymphasia I stayed at the Nymphasia Resort Hotel, 20 minutes from the village. I stayed 2 nights, did not do much, ate a burger, went to the swimming pool, and had a massage because I'm worth it haha! The staff is great and will work hard to make you happy (including yogurt for supper brought to your room). Shout out to the receptionist guy who seems to work every day from 7 am until midnight, and still found the energy to worry that I was "relaxed ok"!
Day 4: Great hike in forest and open scrub. Stopped at the ermitage and was able to toll the bell several times as I was the only one. Neat experience! Had lunch in Magouliana before the main square. The taverna was busy and people all said hi and smiling. Nice, welcoming experience! That day was particularly hot as the afternoon walk is in open land (not forest) so take you time. Valtesiniko is my favorite village: small, authentic, beautiful, clean, well organized. The priest kind of walks around the village entering cafés and tavernas saying hi! Moussaka was great! From the top of the village you can see the mountains stretching and the churches down below lighted in blue and white. Shout out to the owners of Thea Valtesiniko who were super welcoming and caring.
Day 5: Wonderful walk in varied fir forest. Felt elated walking and stopping in the deep forest moss. I had snacks as this day there is no village between start and end. The weather was nice and the walk easy. Towards the end of the walk I was sad it was already over! There was a bus back to Tripoli at 8 am the day after. (Check schedule at your hotel).
I did it in 5 days in July. The heat was bearable since I left early morning, stopped mid-day, and walked again from 2-3 pm until the next village.
I did (1) Stemnitsa-Dimitsana, (2) Dimitsana- Zygovisti -Elati, (3) Elati - Vytina - Nymphasia ; (4) Nymphasia - Magouliana - Valtesiniko; (5) Valtesiniko - Lagkadia.
Day 1: Stemnista is a cute village, Dimitsana has everything you need. In Stemnista I asked the B&B owner and he helped me arrange transfer of my stuff to Lagkadia. Lots of culture in the trail with several monasteries. Really interesting! A monk explained the history of the monastery to me (in perfect French). I had snacks for that day
Day 2: Long day, I ran out of water. I usually carry 2 liters and refill during the day but on that day 3 liters would have been necessary since some water streams/sources are dry in July. I did not stop in Vytina. In Elati there is no guesthouse, so I rented an apartment from a local person. I got the contact by emailing the Menalon trail people. Elati has one taverna - shout out to John the 13 years old son of the owner for speaking good English! Great, hard hiking day, beer tasted great!
Day 3: Nice walk in the valley. In Nymphasia I stayed at the Nymphasia Resort Hotel, 20 minutes from the village. I stayed 2 nights, did not do much, ate a burger, went to the swimming pool, and had a massage because I'm worth it haha! The staff is great and will work hard to make you happy (including yogurt for supper brought to your room). Shout out to the receptionist guy who seems to work every day from 7 am until midnight, and still found the energy to worry that I was "relaxed ok"!
Day 4: Great hike in forest and open scrub. Stopped at the ermitage and was able to toll the bell several times as I was the only one. Neat experience! Had lunch in Magouliana before the main square. The taverna was busy and people all said hi and smiling. Nice, welcoming experience! That day was particularly hot as the afternoon walk is in open land (not forest) so take you time. Valtesiniko is my favorite village: small, authentic, beautiful, clean, well organized. The priest kind of walks around the village entering cafés and tavernas saying hi! Moussaka was great! From the top of the village you can see the mountains stretching and the churches down below lighted in blue and white. Shout out to the owners of Thea Valtesiniko who were super welcoming and caring.
Day 5: Wonderful walk in varied fir forest. Felt elated walking and stopping in the deep forest moss. I had snacks as this day there is no village between start and end. The weather was nice and the walk easy. Towards the end of the walk I was sad it was already over! There was a bus back to Tripoli at 8 am the day after. (Check schedule at your hotel).
Written 1 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
LesleyHK
Hong Kong, China519 contributions
Jul 2022
We were looking for a 3 hour (ish) hike to explore the Louisos Gorge and see the Monasteries.
We were recommended to take the car to Ancient Gortys, walk along to Prodomos Monastery, follow on to the old Filosofu Monastery and then to the 'new' Filosofu Monastery.
It took around 1.5 hours one way, although depends how long you spend at the Monasteries/ taking photos etc. You then need to return the same way, which while it's always nice to have a round trip we thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing and you always see things differently coming back.
If you do intend to visit the Monasteries please remember they have dress requirements and it's important to be respectful. Men and women need to have legs covered and women need to have shoulders covered. Both Monasteries we visited had clothes/sarongs you could borrow, which was fine.
Prodomos also has refreshments and you can refill water bottles at both too.
We loved it and would recommend!
We were recommended to take the car to Ancient Gortys, walk along to Prodomos Monastery, follow on to the old Filosofu Monastery and then to the 'new' Filosofu Monastery.
It took around 1.5 hours one way, although depends how long you spend at the Monasteries/ taking photos etc. You then need to return the same way, which while it's always nice to have a round trip we thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing and you always see things differently coming back.
If you do intend to visit the Monasteries please remember they have dress requirements and it's important to be respectful. Men and women need to have legs covered and women need to have shoulders covered. Both Monasteries we visited had clothes/sarongs you could borrow, which was fine.
Prodomos also has refreshments and you can refill water bottles at both too.
We loved it and would recommend!
Written 31 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
MountainAfrica
Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa34 contributions
Sep 2021
I completed the Menalon Trail in 5 days, with hindsight I should have added an extra day but I had a time constraint. The trail is extremely well marked and coupled with the downloaded Topoguide there is very little chance of wandering off the trail and getting lost. There is such a wonderful variety of terrain, views, villages, history that this trail is one of the most memorable of the many that I've done over the years. The logistics of getting there is a bit difficult but I ended up getting to Tripoli from Athens by bus and then hiring a taxi to the start at Stemnitsa. From the finish at Lagkadia I was collected by family but I believe that there is a bus from there to Tripoli. I never made any prior accommodation bookings but on arrival at each village I was fortunate to find somewhere to stay. Note that I hiked late September and in peak season finding accommodation will not be that easy.
A fantastic trail well worth doing!
A fantastic trail well worth doing!
Written 25 November 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Simon W
Hawkesbury Upton, UK16 contributions
Oct 2021
A wonderful walk - highly recommended. We staying in Dimitsana and took a taxi to Stemnitsa, and walked back along the trail. The section is 12.5km and a combined ascent of 700m (although it felt more). The walk is about 5 hours plus stops. Setting off it the morning we were above the clouds which gradually cleared during the day. Basically the walk takes through the gorge starting at 1000m and dropping to 500m and then back to 1000m. The trail is extremely well way-marked, as are many Greek paths, pretty hard to get lost, and we did not take a map. We were lucky with the weather, there was torrential rain just after we return and I imagine it could get very hot in the summer months.
Written 24 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
rebekka2001
Lod, Israel90 contributions
Jul 2021
We hiked just section 4 between Elati and Vytina. Few things to know before you hike: if you hike in summer better do it early in the morning. Download an android app which works offline, it will save you time and energy, don't 100 %rely on signs. For section 4 stay in Vytina (we stay in Art mainalon hotel), take a taxi to Elati, main Square about 13-15 euros. You will be tired , so when your hotel is in the main street, it helps. One more comment about the route, it is not easy, so don't take kids with you, maybe adolescents will be o.k.
Written 1 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Marcel
Arnhem, The Netherlands2 contributions
Aug 2020 • Solo
I did the whole trail from 14-08-2020 till 21-08-2020. It's a great hike! A large part leads you through fir forests. The villages are small and beautiful. You need definitly a walking stick. Mind that there is only an ATM in Stemnitsa, Damitsana, Vytina and Lagkadia. At many accomodations you can only pay with cash. In summer the bus leaves from Lagkadia to Tripoli at 15.00 h. The Menalon trail map helps you to understand the courses of the trail.
Written 25 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Dear The_Dutch_hiker,
We really thank you for the time spent to write your review here on Tripadvisor about the Menalon Trail.
We are happy that you visited our certified trail and that we met your expectations.
The trail is created by connecting, through small traditional paths of the area, 9 villages.
The notification about the walking stick is really useful and we really thank you for mentioning it. We also have it on our site of the things everyone has to do in order to be ready for this unique experience. It is true that the available ATMs are only in Dimitana, Vytina, and Lagkadia but most of the accommodations accept payments with credit cards if you had pre-booked something through the internet and not ad-hoc. Maybe on the spot, you found places listed as Vacation Rentals which, by the law, are not obliged to be entrepreneurs so there is no obligation for cc acceptance.
Concerning the means of transport, there is a bus that leaves from Lagkadia and we have numerous local taxi drivers as well to help you from one village to the other or towards Tripoli, Athens or Kalamata airport.
We thank you again for your review and we hope to see you soon to the new trails we now create and live the Mythical Trails in general...
Written 28 August 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Rivsh S
5 contributions
Sep 2019
i traveld whit giannis. a nice guid. he took us for a nice wallk over the melnia wallk. He knows all the trails in the area. It's worth a stroll through the villages along the river that connects them. On the way to see monasteries hanging. You can also ask him for a bike ride. jonh942003@gmail.com.
Written 12 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
LizD
Melbourne, Australia11 contributions
Jun 2019
I hiked the trail solo in the last week of June and it was fantastic. I did it in four sections and walked to a village with accommodation every day. I want to share that it is possible because I couldn't find any other reviews where people did it this way before I went. (I’m a 35 year old female, pretty confident hiking).
Tip: FOLLOW THE SIGNS. They are frequent so if you haven’t seen one for a while, consider backtracking. They are visible but it only takes a minute to miss a turn into the forest. Sometimes the trail has to be changed due to conditions, so there are handwritten notes on the little signs.
My recommended alternative shorter adventure would be to walk day 1 and day 4 and spend more time relaxing in the villages.
My route:
Day 1: Stemnitsa to Dimitsana
Short day, about 5.5 hours including stopping to explore old monasteries.
Day 2: Dimitsana to Vytina (via Zygovisti and Elati)
It is admittedly a big day, up to 10 hours, but if you are reasonably fit and experienced and set off early it's achievable.
Day 3: Vytina to Valtesiniko (via Magouliana)
This is a long pants day, lots of scrub. Took about 8 hours with stops.
Shout out to my hosts at Petra & Elato Hotel and to the family that runs Taverna Vasilikos (Ταβέρνα Βασιλικός), they were so friendly and made me a superb pizza.
Day 4: Valtesiniko to Lagkadia
Definitely one of the nicest scenery days, and some of the best walking. About 5 hours. Glad for my leftover pizza.
Tip: FOLLOW THE SIGNS. They are frequent so if you haven’t seen one for a while, consider backtracking. They are visible but it only takes a minute to miss a turn into the forest. Sometimes the trail has to be changed due to conditions, so there are handwritten notes on the little signs.
My recommended alternative shorter adventure would be to walk day 1 and day 4 and spend more time relaxing in the villages.
My route:
Day 1: Stemnitsa to Dimitsana
Short day, about 5.5 hours including stopping to explore old monasteries.
Day 2: Dimitsana to Vytina (via Zygovisti and Elati)
It is admittedly a big day, up to 10 hours, but if you are reasonably fit and experienced and set off early it's achievable.
Day 3: Vytina to Valtesiniko (via Magouliana)
This is a long pants day, lots of scrub. Took about 8 hours with stops.
Shout out to my hosts at Petra & Elato Hotel and to the family that runs Taverna Vasilikos (Ταβέρνα Βασιλικός), they were so friendly and made me a superb pizza.
Day 4: Valtesiniko to Lagkadia
Definitely one of the nicest scenery days, and some of the best walking. About 5 hours. Glad for my leftover pizza.
Written 11 August 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
abanimates
5 contributions
Mar 2019 • Couples
We hiked the Menalon Trail in March from Stemnitsa to Vytina over four nights. We could have maybe made it three, but we wanted a day in the middle to rest (which we did in Dimitsana in the Amanites Guesthouse, which I highly recommend). It was a beautiful trail but in March be warned - it can get quite warm in places but also quite foggy, rainy, and cold! We started off in the beating sun, but eventually on the Dimitsana - Elati route we ran into snow several feet deep! The first leg, going along the gorge and the monasteries was beautiful. We saw turtles and donkeys as well along the way. Nearing Dimitsana, we ran into some flooded areas of the trail and had to climb around and get our feet quite wet for a bit of it due to recent spring rain. There were some marked detours but we did lose the trail at one point and regained it later on. Dimitsana itself was a lovely quiet town, a great place to rest off the first day and we were lucky to see it snow-covered in the morning. The museum in town was unfortunately closed because of the holidays, but as we walked past it, it looked interesting. After resting, we did two legs in one day from Dimitsana to Zygovisti and then on to Elati. Because of recent snowfall, this third leg started out okay but quickly became a challenge as we had to walk up and down steep snow-covered icy trails which we hadn't quite been prepared for. Luckily some proper hikers were ahead of us, so we followed their footsteps and were fine. They had hired the services of a Menalon Trail guide, which you can do by email or calling the number for the trail (I recommend this if there's any sign of inclement weather). In Elati we stayed at Vanna's House (the contact you can also get from emailing Menalon trail), who provided a beautiful dinner and breakfast in their lovely self-built farmhouse. From there we did the last leg at a leisurely pace to Vytina. Vytina is a bigger town which probably gets more tourists, but we didn't feel as welcome there as in the earlier few towns along the trail - but it's a gorgeous town nonetheless.
The whole trail is pretty clearly signposted, however due to aforementioned inclement weather (rain and snow), it might be not so easy to find during early spring. The only time we walked near other people was during the first leg, as there are people going between the monasteries. In the snow covered areas, we saw hints of other travellers, but for the most part the whole trail felt like it was just for us!
To get to the trail, we took a bus from Athens to Tripoli (€16.50 each) and had been planning on taking a local bus from Tripoli to Stemnista, but we found there was a holiday on that day, so we had to pay for a taxi (€40). On the way back to Athens, we took a bus from Vytina back to Tripoli which carried on to Athens. I found there wasn't so much clear information on getting to/from Menalon trail that you can find online... But it's not really a big problem because, unless there's holidays, you can probably make it to and from Athens OK.
The whole trail is pretty clearly signposted, however due to aforementioned inclement weather (rain and snow), it might be not so easy to find during early spring. The only time we walked near other people was during the first leg, as there are people going between the monasteries. In the snow covered areas, we saw hints of other travellers, but for the most part the whole trail felt like it was just for us!
To get to the trail, we took a bus from Athens to Tripoli (€16.50 each) and had been planning on taking a local bus from Tripoli to Stemnista, but we found there was a holiday on that day, so we had to pay for a taxi (€40). On the way back to Athens, we took a bus from Vytina back to Tripoli which carried on to Athens. I found there wasn't so much clear information on getting to/from Menalon trail that you can find online... But it's not really a big problem because, unless there's holidays, you can probably make it to and from Athens OK.
Written 30 July 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Eliane L
Boisotkade, The Netherlands30 contributions
May 2019 • Couples
We did two hikes:
Steminitsa-dimitsana: great hike with both mountain views and lush forest. We visited two monasteries on the way which were really worthwhile. About halfway there’s a bridge with a river which is a good place for a dip. It took us about 5 hours. We passed some people on the first half of the trip and none thereafter.
Vytina, small loop, direction of Elati and back: most beautiful part nature wise, authentic Greek tranquil landscape with olive trees, old bridges and rivers.
I really recommend using the app “AllTrails” - this shows all the possible pathways and tracks your location live. The trail itself is really well marked, except for a small bit around the water museum (close to Dimitsana). I’m adding the local information on the route in the photos.
Steminitsa-dimitsana: great hike with both mountain views and lush forest. We visited two monasteries on the way which were really worthwhile. About halfway there’s a bridge with a river which is a good place for a dip. It took us about 5 hours. We passed some people on the first half of the trip and none thereafter.
Vytina, small loop, direction of Elati and back: most beautiful part nature wise, authentic Greek tranquil landscape with olive trees, old bridges and rivers.
I really recommend using the app “AllTrails” - this shows all the possible pathways and tracks your location live. The trail itself is really well marked, except for a small bit around the water museum (close to Dimitsana). I’m adding the local information on the route in the photos.
Written 26 May 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Zbigniew S
Kielce, Poland
Would it be possible to have our 2 backpacks transported between each of the stage towns?
I'm wondering if I need hiking boots to do the trail in the last week of September or if I can get by with trail runners?
S R
1 contribution
Hi,
A few years ago we walked the Menalon trail in 3 days. This year September we want to do the beautiful walk again, but take a bit more time. Therefore we look for a place to stay in Elati. This is difficult to find. Does someone have a tip?
Thanks in advance,
best regards,
Sandra
Passport815458
5 contributions
Hi
Where are the closest place to take A PCR Covid 19 test ?
We are thinking of going for 5 nights to the Menalon but we have to take a test after 3 nights (and then come back to continue the trek) in order to take our flight back
llutz1
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates4 contributions
How much is a taxi from Tripoli bus station to Demnitsa, and is it possible/practical to wild camp along the trail? Also how much would a taxi be from Lagkardia back to Demnitsa (in case I decide to rent a car from Athens since the bus seems very confusing and complicated, with bad timings)?
Drorit
Tel Aviv, Israel
If I plan to do the Melanon trail at August, what temperature should I expect during the day?
RevMakers
Greece1 contribution
Dear Escape53382134777,
Expected weather in the area of Vytina during the month 08/2020 is 14-28 C since it is on the plain. At night the temperature drops close to 10 degrees so the sleep is pleasant. Another fact is that it is in the mountains and the path is mostly in the forest so the weather is even cooler. A jacket is needed for the evening and definitely a waterproof anorak because many times in the heat of the afternoon it rains in the forest.
Ceduna
Stockholm25 contributions
HI I wonder what the weather would be like doing this trail in lae March?
RevMakers
Greece1 contribution
Dear Ceduna,
The month of March is one of the strangest months in Greece.
The one day may have 25-28 degrees and sunny and the next 2 days to be rainy and 15-20 Celcius degrees. The only thing you have to think about is to be prepared for both scenarios. The best solution is to have the usual equipment needed with you plus a waterproof jacket, anorak so nothing may stop you. the signs are visible from far away so there is no way to lost your trail. We wish you emjoy it.
meggsyrose
Perth Australia51 contributions
Would you consider walking this trail early August or would it be too hot?
RevMakers
Greece1 contribution
Dear meggsyrose,
It is not so hiking friendly in August but not dangerous to be hiked since you are prepared, with fresh water with you, some towels to refresh your self from sweating and for sure in good health so you avoid any issues around. You know your limits better than us so it is up to you. We already know many people who will do it during the month of August, before or after their seaside holidays in one of our islands.
Tzvika Hartman
1 contribution
Hello, we are planning to do the trek at the beginning of November. Is it ok weather-wise? Thanks!
RevMakers
Greece1 contribution
Dear Go43911914368,
The best period for Menalon Trail is May-September, since this period the waether is stable, with no strange changes. In November, you may face some days with rain and little fog but the trails is well signed, with all the precautions taken so you may enjoy it in November as well. It is up to you to be well prepared so you feel its beauty by all means. In my opinion, with a nice pair of hiking shoes and a waterproof jacket you will be ready. Just prepare yourself also by purchasing the new detailed map and after the section you will choose to taste the traditional recipies in one of our tavernas, with local products and made with real love...
yellow
Nijmegen, The Netherlands9 contributions
Hello!
What are the possibilities to arrive and leave the trail by public transport?
Thank you
yellow
pancakealley
Oxford, UK29 contributions
It is possible but takes a lot of planning and maybe some extra stops. You can take a bus to tripoli and from there another bus to stemnitsa or dimitsana but they don’t run very often and are not well coordinated. It is easier to use taxis if you don’t have your own transport
It is worth getting in touch with the menalon people directly via their website tho, they will be able to help with this and buses may have improved since we did it last year!
The Menalon Trail (Stemnitsa) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go
Frequently Asked Questions about The Menalon Trail
- The Menalon Trail is open:
- Sun - Sat 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM