Aristi and the Zagori Area

Part of Pindos - the largest Mountain range in Greece - Zagori is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful areas in the North-West part of Greece. The overall Zagori area consists of 46 villages known as Zagorohoria = Zagrori + Chorio (Xωριό: village in Greek). Aristi Village is one of them, a beautiful and traditional destination in the wild.

Arriving in Aristi

Despite its unique beauty and apart from the local population, only a few foreign travelers know about this destination. After all, Greece is mostly known for its summer islands. Visiting Aristi will be the perfect opportunity to embrace a slower pace and also a traditional way of life, living in harmony with nature.

You could visit Aristi at any time of the year and you will still be amazed but its wild beauty. Considering the location, you will need a car to reach this beautiful village. Apart from the last part of the drive, where you drive in a higher altitude and mountainous area, the way to Aristi either from the larger cities in Greece (Athens or Thessaloniki) or the nearby city of Ioannina is relatively easy.

Things to Do

Vikos Gorge

Without a doubt, one of the most popular destinations in Zagori is the Vikos Gorge. You can either visit some of the popular spots that offer unique views of the gorge or arrange a day to hike the gorge.

A suggested way for hiking is to begin from the villages of Monodendri and Koukouli and then end at Vikos Village. Vikos Gorge is a miracle of nature and by Guinness book the deepest gorge in the world. It is home for many endangered species of the flora and fauna. If you choose to hike, plan for 7-8 hours and it is a low level of difficulty.

Hiking from Aristi Bridge - Kleidonia Bridge

This is an easy hiking tour of unparallel beauty between two stone bridges that overarching Voidomatis River. You can start the hiking from the Bridge of Aristi, the hiking path has signaling (red/yellow arrows) allowing its path. As you will walking mostly on soil and stones, it is good to prepare appropriate shoes.

The beginning and end of the hiking path are made with a stone trail. The overall distance is about 4 km, so it will require about 2,5 to 3 hours for this hike. What makes this hike so beautiful is that you walk along the Voidomatis river, with its turquoise water surrounded by old trees, a view that is breathtaking.

At the end of the hike, you will reach the Bridge of Kleidonia, a beautiful stone bridge. It would be wise that you arrange how you would like to return if not hiking the way back. As this is a popular hike in the area, many of the local resorts offer a guided tour or after your request a pick-up service in either of the two bridges in case you would like to hike at your own pace.

Stone Bridges

The overall area of Zagori has rich history and one of the things you will notice is that apart of the traditional houses with the characteristic stone roof, it has also more than 100 stone bridges. If you find the local architecture intresting or you simply like to admire some magnificent structures from the past then you are in the right place.

You could allocate a day to visit some of the beautiful stone bridges nearby. If you prefer not to drive you can also arrange the tour with some local drives and guides.

According to the locals the bridges in the Zagori area, apart from the obvious reason to connect the different locations there were also a sign of power between different villages. For this reason, in some cases, although it would have been easier to built the bridges in a narrower part of the river stream, the builders in chose to do the construction in a wider part, using multiple archs and more complex constuction as as way to dispay their skills and wealth of the particular village they came from.

Local Monasteries

There are several monasteries in Zagori, two that make a very nice impression were the monastery of Spiliotisa close to Aristi village and the monastery of Agia Paraskevi in Monodendri village.

Monastery of Spiliotissa

In close proximity from Aristi Village there is the Monastery of Spiliotissa. The walk to reach the Monastery is so picturesque, especially in Autumn when going through the colorful tree leaves.

Monastery of Agia Paraskevi

What makes the monastery of Agia Paraskevi very special is that is literally hanging from the cliffs above the canyon. The place serves also as a starting/ending for the Vikos Gorge hike.

Other Activites

The list of things to do could go on and on, here are some further ideas to keep in mind:

• Rafting or Canoe-Kayak in the river of Voidomatis

• Hiking Drakolimni of Tymfi

• Visit Scala of Vradeto

• Horse Riding

• Due to the magnificent scenery, it is an excellent place for Photography

• Bird watching, the area has more than 140 different bird species throughout the year.

Things to Know

Plan for at least 4 days, depending on the time of the year some of the activities suggested here might not be available.

The area is famous for hunting in Greece, you can try some special food in the local restaurants, such as local mushrooms, wild boar and others.

You can try some rustic pie in the villages of Zagori.

Reach your hotel or resort for special arrangements with regards to transportation or other needs.

It will be useful to have some food and refreshments packed for the late afternoon/evening hours as it might be difficult to reach convenient stores or they will be closed.