Menalon Trail 1 (or Mainalon) is my top favorite hike of the 8 total, well-signposted trails of the magical Arkadian mountain.
The Menalon Trail 1 stretches between the stone mansion of Dimitsana and the silversmith Stemnitsa, two traditional and historical villages in the central Peloponnese.
Between the two villages, trail 1 crosses deep fir forests, millennia-old monasteries, a deep gorge with the Lousios River, and valleys crisscrossed by streams off Lousios.
According to mythology, the Menalon nymphs hid the baby Zeus from Cronos, hoping the river’s rapids would muffle his cries and save him from his enemies.
Why Hike Menalon Trail?
Greece is not well known for its hiking and mountaineering trails, even though Greece is an ideal hiking destination offering paths of unique beauty and cultural interest.
Menalon trail, in particular, offers stellar scenery, excellently signposted trails and a welcoming and supportive local community.
The Menalon trail is 75.2 km in total, was certified by ERA (European Ramblers Association) in 2015, and was named a Leading Quality Trail.
It connects nine villages – Dimitsana, Stemnitsa, Lagkadia, Zygovisti, Elati, Vytina, Nymphasia, Magouliana, and Valtetsiniko – that support each other, creating the traditional character of this superb trail.
The Menalon trail combines tradition, stunning landscapes, a multitude of cultural attractions, and excellent trail marking.
Finally, you will love the ancient mule and shepherd paths where mules are still around, as the monasteries use them to carry things for them.
The trails are locally called ‘The Paths of Culture in Arkadia’ and are of varying difficulty.
The accommodation in the villages is superb and affordable (a great example is Mpelleiko Stone Mansion in Stemnitsa), you can use the taxis, and from old-looking small groceries you can buy fresh walnuts, sweet chestnuts, dried herbs for tea, and local honey.
The Menalon trails are:
- Dimitsana – Stemnitsa – 12.5 km, 4/5
- Dimitsana – Zygovisti, 4.2 km, 2/5
- Zygovisti – Elati, 14.9 km, 4/5
- Elati – Vytina, 8.5 km, 3/5
- Vytina -Nymfasia, 5.6 km, 2/5
- Nymfasia – Magouliana, 8.9 km, 3/5
- Magouliana – Valtetsiniko, 6.6 km, 2/5
- Valtetsiniko – Lagkadia, 13.9, 2/5
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My Latest Video on Menalon Trail
In this post, you will find information about how to get to Dimitsana, technical info about the trail, a short YouTube video, a Google map, where to stay in the area, historical information, precaution tips, and what to wear while hiking in Greek warm weather!
Technical information for Menalon Trail 1
- Trail: Dimitsana to Stemnitsa (and not the other way around, as is usually done because I find it is slightly easier that way)
- Distance: 12.5 km
- Elevation: 413-1032, ascend 893, descend 784 meters
- Moving Time: 5 h
- Level of Difficulty: Moderate to difficult (3/5)
- Trail type: One-way
- Terrain: A bit of road, forest trail, gorge, stone path, steps, and some sections you have to walk in the stream.
- Best time to hike: All year round. If the same or the previous day has rained, DO NOT enter the deep part of Lousios as it has sudden bursts of water that can be very strong and dangerous.
- Participation Requirements: Not for families with young children; teenagers with limited experience will find it very hard. Not for new hikers. A couple of points might be hard for people with acrophobia. In summer, it can get very hot, so you’d better carry 2-3 liters of water per person and many salty snacks.
Menalon Trail 1 and Lousios Gorge
We set off from Dimitsana, a beautiful village built on a mountain slope at 950 meters.
Dimitsana is the center of the region and attracts many tourists, especially weekenders from Athens.
We were a group of about 30 hikers and were going to hike the Menalon Trail 1 as a day hike.
It was such a pity that I had to leave and could not stay overnight in a traditional stone mansion such as the Methexis Boutique Hotel.
Leaving Dimitsana behind us, we walked the asphalt road towards the Open Air Water Power Museum, where abandoned pre-industrial facilities have been craftily restored and use the water power to work.
Inside the museum, there was a flour mill, a traditional cauldron, a tannery, a tanner’s house, and a gunpowder mill. It is open daily except Tuesdays from 10.00-17.00.
We took the path starting from the end of the facilities of the museum to the dirt road where the trail begins.
There was a lot of water but not high enough to wet our shoes, so we descended relatively easily.
Soon we got into the forested area passing by bridges where the Lousios River was roaring several meters below.
The trail was beautiful, mostly under trees and almost impossible to miss; there were frequent signs.
The scenery around me was changing all the time, forest, gorge, crossing bridges, and every turn was a surprise to me.
Just 2.5 km from Dimitsana, we reached the Monastery of Panagia Philosophou, founded in 963 CE. That makes it one of the oldest monasteries in Greece.
We were welcomed by monk Raphael, who showed us around and offered us loukoumi, a traditional Mediterranean sweet made of a gel of starch and sugar often flavored with rosewater, mastic gum, bergamot orange, or lemon.
Mine was rosewater-flavored and super yummy! We had our lunch break here and I had a quick visit to the Catholicon, the monastery’s main church, before we started the descent to Lousios Gorge again.
Philosophou Monastery behind us, we now started hiking a steep downhill made of hundreds of stone steps (my knees didn’t like it at all), crossing a few areas with olive trees, and passing by a narrow path with an almost vertical cliff on our left.
I could hear the Lousios River some 100 meters below but although I do not suffer from acrophobia, I avoided looking at it.
Soon, the uphill towards our second monastery started, to Prodromos or John the Baptist Monastery. It was probably founded in the 8th century CE in the area of a possible sanctuary of Panas god.
There is a sign at the entrance of the monastery that states that it was founded in 1126 CE, as the previous dates have not been confirmed.
During the Greek War of Independence against the Ottomans, it was used as a base for the Greek army, which tried twice to conquer it but failed.
The Monastery is built inside the rock, having used an existing large cave. Like most monasteries in Greece, it is closed between 1 pm and 5 pm so I didn’t have the chance to explore the interior. Perhaps some other time.
The uphill was inside a forest with yellow leaves, one turn more beautiful than the other. At some point, I heard hooves behind me and saw a chubby young mule running the trails toward the monastery.
As soon as we reached the monastery, there were 2 more staring at us! I am not very familiar with equine, so I wasn’t sure why they were looking at me. Did they want a carrot or did they want to kick me off their grounds?
Thankfully, nothing dramatic happened, and we went on to our next destination, which was 600 meters from the monastery to the church of Savior’s Transformation, where there is a great observatory point for the Lousios Gorge.
From there, Stemnitsa is a 5km constant steep uphill (or 9 by car). If you do not feel like hiking the last bit, right outside the church, there are mobile phones of taxi drivers who can come and pick you up and transfer you to Stemnitsa or Dimitsana or any other of the villages.
The Menalon Trail 1 ends 500 meters outside of Stemnitsa.
In Stemnitsa, a very traditional and beautiful small village, we had a rewarding meal and regretfully got on the coach back to Athens.
When is Best to Hike Menalon Trail?
In the Menalon Trail region, everything is open all year round!
In winter, the villages sparkle with Christmas decorations, and hiking may become more challenging with some rain, fog, and snow or may not, as we hiked in bright sunshine in late December (check out the YouTube video).
In spring, nature is glorious with numerous colorful wildflowers, buzzing bees, and butterflies everywhere.
Summer can be a bit hot, but the Lousios River is there for you to dive. In the fall, the leaves turn into beautiful brown, red, and yellow colors and are wonderful to hike.
FAQs
How to Get to Dimitsana from Athens
Dimitsana is 203 km away from Athens. You can take the public buses leaving daily from Kifisos KTEL station to Tripoli town. In Tripoli, you will have to change buses to Dimitsana but not on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Those 2 days, the bus goes up to Karkalou, a tiny village 7 km from Dimitsana.
Alternatively, you can rent a car, which is the easiest and most convenient solution for exploring an area.
If you don’t like driving, you can also Book a guided 7-Day hiking Menalon with hotels and transfers included.
Where to Stay for Menalon Trail 1
If you intend to do the whole Menalon Trail then you can change your accommodation a couple of times to be closer to your starting points.
You should stay for 2-3 days in Dimitsana as it is a great base and it is quite a lively village compared to the other, much smaller settlements.
Great properties to stay in Dimitsana are:
- Methexis Boutique Hotel (mid-range, family-friendly), a classy hotel with great views of Dimitsana and the valley
- If you prefer a more traditional apartment, then you will love Despotikon Dimitsana Guest House (budget, family-friendly).
- In Stemnitsa, my favorite hotel is Mpelleiko Stone Mansion, a beautiful guesthouse overlooking the town and the valley.
How Long Does It Take to Complete the Menalon Trail?
The duration varies, depending on your hiking speed and the number of stops you make along the way. On average, it takes about 5-7 days to complete the entire trail.
Can I Camp along the Menalon Trail?
Camping along the trail isn’t allowed because they’re focused on conserving the area. Plus, there are plenty of hotels to stay overnight, so you’re covered for accommodations.
How do I Get to the Starting Point of the Menalon Trail?
You can access the Menalon Trail from several points, including the villages of Stemnitsa, Dimitsana, and Lagkadia. These villages are reachable by car or public transportation from major cities like Athens and Tripoli.
Hiking Peloponnese
Peloponnese has some spectacular hiking trails, often charmingly combining nature and culture. The most popular ones, besides the Menalon trail, are:
- Doxa Lake – Dourdouvana Summit, hard, circular, 13 km, 8-9 hours
- The archaeological site of Mystras, an easy, 4 km
- Manganiari Spring – Mount Taygetus Refuge – Profitis Ilias Peak, 13.5 km, hard, rocky
- Vlachokerasia river trekking, 12.7 moderate inside a forest
- Voidokilia Beach Hike
What to Pack for the Menalon Trail
These are some of the essential items I recommend you have with you if you are going to hike the Menalon Trail:
- Hiking shoes/boots (worn-in) & moisture control socks
- Hiking clothes (fast dry)
- Mid-layer tops (eg. fleece)
- Hat for warmth or shade
- Waterproof jacket
- Walking Sticks (essential)
- Good sunglasses & Sunscreem
- Hiking backpack with good dry back protection
- Personal bottle of water (2-3 lt)
Practical Tips for Menalon Trail
- You need a walking stick for Trail 1, there is a lot of water and the uphill and downhill can be steep.
- All the accommodations and the vast majority of shops/businesses accept payments with credit cards.
- Keep in mind that there is only an ATM in Stemnitsa, Dimitsana, Vytina, and Lagkadia.
- Getting around the Menalon trail: You can use the many local taxi drivers to drive you from one village to the other or towards Tripoli, Athens, or Kalamata airport. There is a bus that leaves Lagkadia for Athens.
- Do you prefer a guided tour of Menalon Trail? Book a day hike in Menalon and Lousios Gorge, snacks included.
Mobile Numbers of Taxis in Menalon Trail
If you worry about your luggage, they can proceed by using the local and very experienced taxi drivers to drive you around the villages as you hike the Menalon Trail.
Discuss with them in advance how much they will charge you. If you are happy with their services, you can leave them a tip.
Menalon Trail Map
Find here Menalon Trail 1 Google Map to get to all the places mentioned in this post.
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Did you hike on Menalon Trail1? Please let me know your thoughts on the Menalon Trail in the comments. I’d love to hear whether I managed to get it onto your bucket list! Till next time, Evgenia
Looks very interesting and a lot different from my normal experience in Greece. Should we try it? Making a schedule for big trip around Peloponnese in 2024!
I love Peloponnese, it is a beautiful place to live and hike. Yes for a big trip to the Peloponnese!! 😀
This was our first visit to Greece and we used Evgenia’s website to decide where to hike and where to stay. It was great.
We spend 3 nights in Athens and Evgenia arranged a tour guide for us.
Then we spent 4 days in Demitsana in the Pelopennese, hiking different parts of the Menalon Trail. We took taxis to a town and hiked back to Demistana. It was nicer to have a home base and our stay at our hotel was perfect. Demistana has lots of restaurants and stores as well.
The best views were the Stamnista to Demistana trail, through the gorge and past two (at least) monastaries. There were cliff hanging dwellings and mules grazing along the path. We climbed way down the gorge and crossed the river 2 or 3 times and then climbed back up before reaching Demistana. Took a bit over 5 hours, cause I got lost in the last km!
Then we went to Elati and hiked back to Zygovisti to see Maria in her Tavern, shortening the return hike to Demistana. Next day we did the leg from Demistana to Zygovisti as it was raining, and Maria welcomed us again.
We spend one day before the fireplace at our hotel as it pelted rain all day and then went to the gunpowder museum. Final day, we visited the oldest library in Greece in Demistana.
Then we headed back to Athens and caught the ferry to Sifnos. We stayed at Apollonia, which as Evgenia says, most of the trails start from. It was ideal. We stayed five nights and hiked everyday. We did the Kastro to Faro trail, then climbed AG Andreas, then went to the port at Kamares and finally the highest mountain, Profitis Elias. All the trails on the map were well marked. It was off-season in Sifnos, so lots of places were closed but we found two good restaurants for dinner and a couple for cocktails and snacks. And lots open at the port in Kamares.
We referred to Evgenia’s website to plan our trip and booked hotels through her blog. And we asked her lots of questions that she was pleased to answer.
Eric, thank you so much for the amazing review. I am very glad that I helped with my suggestions and that you had a great time hiking in Greece 🙂
hello; we are planing to visit this area next month. we want to hike only for one day. please give us the best plan you can think of only for one day. thank you so much
Hello Shahahr and thank you for your comment. All the trails in Menalon are great for a day hike. But it all depends on where you will be staying the previous night. Regards, Evgenia