Valia Calda is one of the most beautiful mountain areas in Greece. It is located in the northwestern part of the country, in an isolated area.
Valia Calda is part of the Pindus range, the mountainous backbone of Greece. It is home to rich fauna and flora, including brown bears, wolves, foxes, and wild hogs, as well as to beech trees and black, white, and red pines.
It is a Protected National Park and one of the most untouched forests in Greece.
There are numerous trails in this area, ranging from easy to difficult. Valia Calda is also the site of the “Ursa Trail” running competition, which takes place every year in several lengths, from 10 km to 100 km.
The longest one follows, to a large extent, the same path as the one presented below.
That’s why you are often going to see a sign similar to this one.
The Arkoudorema is a beautiful trail, part of the European E6 trail, most of it in a forest, and close to shallow streams (at least in the summer) which one has to cross several times.
Name Tip: Valia Calda means “warm valley” in the local Romanian-parented language.
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Post Information
In this post, you will find information on a hike passing from Flega Peak and finishing at the Vovousa Refuge.
There is also information about where best to stay and how to get to Valia Calda from Athens or Thessaloniki.
In addition to the hike, I suggest that you also visit the beautiful Vovousa village, which is crossed by the Aoos River.
Technical information for the Valia Calda hike
- Trail: almost 20 km long, including four river crossings, mainly downhill.
- Signpost: Follow the red marks
- Elevation: From 1.960 m to 2.170 m, then down to 1.050 m.
- Elevation gain: 680 m, Elevation loss: 1.580 m.
- Total Time: 10.30 hours, including pauses and time to change before and after river crossings.
- Level of Difficulty (3/5): Moderate, mainly due to the river crossings, its length, and a few steep slopes, especially near the stream crossings. When the ground is wet and even more so when it is also covered by autumn leaves, it can become slippery, so do not forget your hiking poles.
- Terrain: Short alpine part, mostly forest trail, large pebbles, and rocks in water streams.
- Best time to hike: May to early November as during winter there will be snow and during spring the water streams will be difficult to cross. At the end of spring/beginning of summer, you will see a multitude of flowers.
- Towards mid-October to early November, you will see the yellow-orange-red leaves of the deciduous trees. However, the microclimate of the area, with its many streams and the lake of Aoos Springs, as well as the dense oak forests in the lower areas, increases humidity. As a result, there is very often fog in the fall. We hiked in early June.
- Participation Requirements: For experienced hikers only.
- Gear: It is necessary to have suitable gear for stream crossing. Either bathing suits and special shoes, or clothing and footwear that will be changed after each crossing. Depending on the water level, a rope might be necessary to help the less experienced or fit hikers. It is highly recommended to use hiking poles.
Hiking Valia Calda: The Trail
We drove from Athens in our own cars to our base, the stunning village of Vovousa. Vovousa is the only Greek village that is divided into two by a river, the Aoos.
We stayed at the Vovousa Refuge, a luxurious establishment, at least compared to the other Greek Alpine Refuges. It has a restaurant offering a wide choice of meals. It is located less than 3 km south of Vovousa, on the Flabourari-Vovousa road.
Next to the refuge, and on both sides of the road, there is plenty of grassland to set up a tent, should you prefer a more frugal accommodation. The Refuge would be our ending point.
Our starting point was some 50 km or 1.45’ by car away from the refuge. You will therefore need to find a way to be transported to the trailhead as we did. Ask at the refuge. They might be able to suggest suitable solutions.
The exact starting point was near the wooden emergency refuge north of the Aoos artificial lake, at the end of a dirt road.
Those who want to make it harder can start walking at the intersection of the dirt road and the asphalt road.
In fact, we met a group of hikers who had camped near the Aoos artificial lake and started their ascent of the dirt road in the morning. I suggest that you avoid it, as a dirt road is never the most enchanting part of the hike.
In early June, the field was full of green grass and small flowers. There were a few trees. Some of them were burnt by lightning.
After some 4.7 km of gentle ascension, we reached the highest point of the hike (2.170 m). Starting our descent, we met the twin alpine Flega lakes.
Further down, we entered the forest area where one finds mainly beech trees and black pines, as well as red and white pine trees.
At an altitude of 1.520 m, before half the distance, we crossed a small stream without the need to change.
The first crossing with Arkoudorema (i.e. Bear Creek) comes at an elevation of 1.250 m, at 8.5 km from our starting point. This first crossing was accompanied by a shower.
This is one of the most humid parts of Greece, so do not forget your rain gear.
The water was quite cold and very shallow, impossible to swim even if you wanted to.
The second crossing was not far from the first one. The other two were at some distance. In general, after the first kilometers, in the alpine zone, the path is quite shaded as it is mainly in the forest area.
Just when we thought we were done with the crossings, we found this last one.
As we were already tired and we did not want to change again, we crossed the stream using a tree trunk and a rope laid just a few metres downstream. Be careful: You have to lean on the rope (in the downstream direction) rather than pull it close to your body, see photo below.
And that was the end of our very long but fascinating trail in Valia Calda!
Here is the Wikiloc record named “Valia Calda with Arkoudorema crossings” and here you can find a leaflet in English of all the trails of the Pindus range.
Where Best to Stay in Vovousa of Valia Calda
We do not recommend free camping as this is one of the three areas in Greece where the brown bear lives (Pindus, Prespes, and Rodopi).
Vovousa Refuge is a good choice if you like to stay with other hikers. If you prefer a more private accommodation, Kerasies Guesthouse is ideal.
5 km from Aoos Gorge and Valia Calda National Park and 45 km from Vasilitsa Ski Centre and Metsovo, Kerasies serves as a convenient base.
How to Get to Valia Calda
You can not reach Valia Calda using public transport. You will definitely need a rental car. If you are driving from Athens, there are 2 routes you can follow depending on what other areas you would like to visit in Greece:
- National Road of Lamia-Trikala-Meteora route (431 kilometers, tolls €17.75) or
- Through the Patras-Arta-Ioannina-Metsovo route (478 kilometers, tolls €39.15).
Time: approximately 5½-6 hours on either of the two routes you choose – the second one is longer but the road is better.
If you are traveling from Thessaloniki, it is 219 kilometers via the Egnatia Odos. Time: 2½-3 hours.
What are the Most Popular Hikes in Greece?
Hiking in Greece offers a diverse and captivating experience, thanks to the country’s versatile and mountainous terrain.
From the rugged mountains of the Pindus range and Vikos Gorge to the north to the Menalon Trail in the Peloponnese to the coastal trails overlooking the Aegean and Ionian Seas, Greece presents a hiker’s paradise. I also love Nisyros and Santorini island hikes and hiking at the impressive Meteora Monasteries. You can read more about those hikes here.
The country boasts well-maintained paths that wind through ancient olive groves, dense forests, churches, monasteries, ancient ruins, rivers, and charming villages, providing hikers with a unique blend of natural beauty and cultural richness.
Essential Greece Traveling Tips
- ‘Hello’ and ‘Thank You’ in Greek: “Ya sou” and “Efharisto”
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- Cheap Flights to Greece
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- Map of Athens Metro
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- Booking.com: I use Booking.com because I can get the best deals on hotels and apartments, free cancellations, and great prices!
- FerryScanner to book ferries to the Greek Islands
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- Get Your Guide: For all your day or multi-day tours and city guide needs, I use Get Your Guide
