Nature, firs, meadows, lovely villages, hotels and stone built guest houses, rivers, stone bridges with waterfalls, taverns with delicious food are some of what you will find in Elati, Pertouli and the surrounding villages in the Koziakas mountain range of the prefecture of Trikala. An area you can visit in winter – summer for a few or more days. The road network that connects them is in excellent condition and remains open even in the winter, when enough snow falls. So, the sights and points of interest are all across the area, the activities on the mountain will rejuvenate you and the accommodations will relax you. The numerous choices for accommodation in hotels, guesthouses, traditional rooms with fireplace, homemade food in tavernas and well-kept restaurants, the ski center of Pertouli and the many attractions of the area can guarantee that you will spend dreamy moments in one of the most beautiful and authentic areas of Trikala.
Hotels and guesthouses in Elati, Pertouli and the surrounding villages.
Stone-built hotels and warm guest houses complement the mountain scenery, offering warm and comfortable accommodation for a pleasant stay. Most rooms in the hotels in Elati and Pertouli have a fireplace and immense views. The prices you will find start from 35 euros to 70 euros per night. Most hotels are located in Elati, but you will find other hotels in villages like Pertouli and Neraidochori. Few hotels can be found in villages such as Stournaireika, Vrontero, Chrysomilia and Pyrra. Check out the availability and rates in hotels in Elati, Pertouli and Neraidochori.
1 The Stone Bridge in Pili. It is located at the entrance of the mountains and bridges the Koziakas and Itamos mountains. An attitude made by the majority of those who are about to ascend and not only. It was built by Agios Vissarion in 1514, it is 65 meters long and 13 meters high. In the area of the bridge there is also a café-bar with tables inside the shop and out for when it has a better time overlooking the river and the bridge. Try to climb up the bridge and gaze at the view. Also from the bridge if you cross it starts the path that leads you to the church of Porta Panagia (1.283). Easy path, ideal for afternoon relaxing walks.
2. Pertouli fields – The alpine parts of the area with green meadows in the spring and grazing meadows in winter from the snow at 1,200 meters altitude. In Pertouli fields there is also the Pertouli ski center with slopes for children and adults, chalets for hot drinks and companies for renting equipment. The ski resort of Pertouli is the most easily accessible center in Greece since you can park right at the base of the ski resort. In Pertouli’s meadows you can also do other activities such as horse riding, archery, snowmobile and mountain bike.
3. The stone bridge of Palaiokaria. In general the area has several stone bridges, but the bridge of Palaiokarya is characteristic. What makes it special is the waterfall just behind the bridge. The bridge of Palaiokarya is one of the most popular attractions for those who visit the nearby villages. It is also a good picnic solution as you will find a wooden table and wedding photography, the landscape is idyllic. Near to Paleokarya there is village Ropoto, which in the last few years the soil has been receding and many houses are tilting. Typical tilt is taken by the church of the village. Ropoto is one of the few ghost villages in Greece. Also worth seeing is the stone bridge of Hatzipetro in Neraidochori, which is located if you come from Neraidochori to the river. It is also important that the Vlachostrata pass, from the bridge of Hadjipetrou, that is the old national one that was passing the animals from Epirus to Thessaly. A beautiful part of the route is preserved from the bridge to the fountain Ftelia. We walked Vlachostrata and introduced it to you in the article Walking in Vlahostrasta.
4. The church of Agia Paraskevi. It is located between the villages of Neraidochori and Pyrra. Its location makes it one of the most characteristic points of the area, since if you follow the path next to the church, it will take you to Tsiouka after 1-2 minutes of walking. There you will find rocks that you can sit over and see Pyrra after you are just above the village. The church of Agia Paraskevi was built in 1795, has been renovated, as does its surrounding area, and within it you will find the Hidden School that operated during the Ottoman domination. If you want to drive more there is also the church of Agios Nikolaos after a few kilometers just below a large rock.
5 If you are in Elati or Pertouli and want to take a long walk further, we recommend a special monument of the area that everyone has seen and is the church with its 13 domes. It is the Church of Exaltation of Holy Cross at Doliana. Doliana is a village located in the slopes of Pindos, near Krania and Polythea and to reach the monastery follow the road from Elati to Pertouli-Neraidochori-Desi and continue passing by villages such as Agios Nikolaos, Tzourtzia and after the bridge of Tzourtzia many visitors swim in the waters of Aspropotamos in summer) and the road that leads you to the monastery moves beside the waters of Aspropotamos before you reach your destination. Do you want a more extreme route? Then at 3 rivers area turn left to Haliki and Anthousa and from there the road leads you to Baro’s neck which is probably the tallest road in Greece since the altitude of the route reaches 1,900 meters. This road connects the prefecture of Trikala with the prefecture of Ioannina with access to some of the most beautiful picturesque villages of Ioannina, such as Kalarrytes and Matsouki. A challenging route if you decide to do it, you should have enough patience as the road can have stones from the landslides and snow if you go winter-spring. A demanding route that offers beautiful views of the surrounding peaks, fog and plenty of air as the altitude is high and the weather is more intense!
6. Gardiki and surrounding villages. Surrounded by the surrounding mountains and at an altitude of 1,050 meters is Gardiki, the village that gathers most of the inhabitants who fill the village in the summer. However, in the winter the village remains empty. Its name owes it to the Vlach name “Gardisty”, which is a corruption of the Latin word “gardu” meaning “fortress”. Religious monuments include the recently restored church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary (1700), the church of Prophet Elias (1913), Agios Athanasios (1893) and the Monastery of the Virgin Mary (1830).
7. Hiking. In the area there are hiking trails and paths to many peaks. One of them is to the Koziaka Shelter. A beautiful path to the shelter at an altitude of 1,750 meters. The shelter can accommodate up to 35 people and the peak of Koziakas is located at the altitude of meters 1.901 meters at Chatzipetros peak. The start to the shelter can be either from the opposite of the Pertouli ski resort or from Elati. More beautiful is this from the village of Elati. Also other routes you can take is the route to the peaks of Avgo, Loupata, Mavropoyli, Neraida, Prophet Elias, Hatzi etc.
8. Cafeterias and food. The majority of the cafes are located in Elati, being the most developed tourist village in the area. The majority of cafes are in Elati where you can have hot or cold beverages (coffee, chocolate, tea, greek on the cake) in beautiful cafes with warm places located in Elati, Pertouli and Neraidochori. Also in these villages you can taste delicious meat in the taverns of the villages. Beyond the taverns within these villages you will find 1-2 on the road.
9 Climbing the climbing field of the Pili. It is one of the best climbing fields of Greece with routes even with a negative inclination. Access to the climbing field of the Pili is done if you park your vehicle in the area after the Kondylis bridge, located a few meters behind the stone bridge of the Pili. Alternatively, if you want something simpler, there is the climbing field of the Red Rock located in Elati.
10. Waterfalls. The largest waterfalls of southern Pindos are in Desi. The little one has a height of 30 meters and is located in the “Gura Batimari” location, while the big one is 100 meters high. Both are located at the western edge of Mount Halibuton. In the small waterfall there is the cave of Lego, a cave of 70 meters.
