ashenSo the adventurer in you somehow found what about the Dragon Lake in Greece? If you are here, you must be curious as to what they are, how to get there and what they are all about. Keep reading and we will cover everything you ought to know before organizing a trip to a Dragon Lake in Greece. Journey with us to this gorgeous location in the Mediterranean region.
Mythology and Dragon Lake Facts
The Greek pronunciation is Drakolimnes for Dragon Lake and these are nothing but small lakes situated at the very top of Greek mountains. Although the explanation is that simple, the mythical stories behind these fascinating ecosystems are almost magical and seem to descend from another world. Now you’re probably wondering, “is it called Dragons Lake because there were Dragons involved “? Well, you are not wrong!
Before diving into the deepest of myths about these Lakes, let’s educate ourselves on the actual proven facts about them.
To start off, the most visited and beautiful Dragon lakes are Timphy, Smolika, Gistova, Verlinga and Fleges. The location is the alpine altitude mountaintops, some of the highest mountain peaks of Greece after Olympus. More specifically, Tymfi and Smolikas are the most famous Dragon Lake hikes that attract nature lovers from all over the planet. All of these lakes are scattered across the Epirus Mountain Range. Mt. Tymfi (2.497 m) contains Tymfi while Smolikas is in Mt.Smolikas (2,637 m).Tymfi lake is between the Aoos River and the Voidomatis whereas lake Smolikas takes the shape of a heart with a deep blue colored water, also said to be the deepest lake of all.
We introduced these two first because they are the most famous of the Dragon Lake hikes. And my word! What more could a nature loving adventurer desire than to throw themselves into hikes as adventurous as this? Can we camp here though, close to these tranquil waters? Let’s find out together.
The Myths
Okay now to the campfire stories. Just as you guessed, the word Drakolimnes originated because of Dragons. A famous mythical story about these lakes was that back in those times two enormous dragons, one black and the other white, were living on each of two mountain tops, Tymfi and Smolikas. As the folks say, these two got into a fight and started throwing gigantic rocks towards each other and that’s how the two lakes, Tymfi and Smolikas together with the dramatic rock placements formed. Natives of Smolikas say that their dragon won after it threw salt balls that killed Mt. Tymfi’s dragon. A local minority believe that the type of salamander present here are scaled-down descendants of these dragons.
The next famous myth is that a black ram and a white sheep came out of the respective lakes each time a dragon threw a stone. When a dragon threw into the Tymfi Lake, a black ram came and out and vice versa. They produced multicoloured sheep after mating and suddenly all these animals fell into the lakes and drowned.
There is also an ancient belief that the Smolikas Dragon Lake was haunted in the past. They say a great explosion shrank the size of this lake making it five times smaller. The water from the explosion drowned half of the nearby Kerasovo village. A few other tales mention how the tears of the dragons formed the other lakes. For example, an exiled dragon from the village of Grammos created Gistova’s Dragon Lake after it wept because it was let go despite its good nature.
The folk tales and myths unravel for on and on and what we just mentioned are the most popular. Maybe one day you can find out more for yourself and let us know in the comments. For now, let us proceed to the Dragon Lake hike. Let us hike to the mesmerizingly quiet, sunlight lit regions of Greece where you won’t even find much flora or fauna. That is how well they are separated from humans and how breathtaking this place is. Imagine waking up in the morning and having the lake view through your tent opening.
Dragon Lake Hike
As we mentioned in the beginning, the Dragon Lakes of Tymfi and Smolikas are the most iconic. So how to get there? How long does it take to arrive and what other attractions awaits you? don’t forget that we are also sniffing out for camping opportunities. Embark on the Drakolimni hike with us.
So as a general time duration, it takes approximately 4 hours to get to Drakolimni. The starting point of the trail is the village of Papigo or Mikro-Papigo. How to get to Papigo? Don’t worry, we will answer all those questions.First of all, Papigo is a village in Zagori municipality of the Epirus region of Greece.
Below are a few ways to get to Papigo
- Take the Rio Bridge if you are coming from Athens which is where most tourists come from. It is almost a 6 hour drive with a total distance of 495 km.
- Take the Kozani highway if you are coming from Thessaloniki which is about 312 km.
- If you are coming from loannina which is the closest, take the loannina-Kozani highway towards Metsovo-Aristi-Papigo.
Okay, so now we’ve reached Papigo. Now of course we need to rest a bit, because fatigue is not what we need right now. We will talk about lodgings later.
The Hike
Once the hike begins, you will first stroll through the village of Mikro-Papigo after which you will enter the forest. You can fill your flasks at a spring-fed fountain before entering the forest. As you progress, you will see that environment transforming into shrubs and bushes and as you ascend it all is a rocky surface. Now you will reach your first milestone, the Astraka Mountain Hut. So this is the lodging for hikers and backpackers and if you wish, you can choose to spend the night here.
Your eyes can feast on the magnificent views of the Towers of Astraka. These astonishing natural wonders depict the wonders that nature can create to safeguard itself and thrive. Please note that this hut is available only between May and October which are the peak months for hiking the Epirus region. It hosts up to 51 hikers. Do enjoy the traditional dishes of northwest Greece and replenish your glucose levels for the next part of the hike.
After about an hour of hiking from the hut, you will reach Dragon Lake. If you choose to hike during the summer, you are most likely to witness wild horses, mules and the brown bear. This area is home for wolves, chamois and roe deer among many more varieties of species. The winter as you can imagine is the opposite of this. Everything and everyone is quiet.
Now that you’ve reached Dragon Lake, you are sure to be swept away with the reflection of the sky on the calm waters and the mountains and hills surrounding the lake.
Can We Camp Here?
Yep, of course you can! Just need to have a little bit of experience on what to carry. Since this is a 5+ hour hike, carrying heavy weights is not going to be pleasant. Just make sure to carry your essentials (sleeping bags, food etc.) and please do not littre the area by the lake. Best time to visit Dragon Lake in Greece is between late May – early June instead of mid or late-summer as the mountain is less crowded.
Oh by the way, the lake is freezing even during the summer and if your body is cold adaptive, do enjoy a plunge. However, it is best to consult a local prior to the hike about a safe place to take a dip. There is also a place with thick grass and a small water spring nearby, if you prefer camping next to a spring which is convenient for sanitary purposes.
Where to Stay in Papigo?
There are plenty of guesthouses and hotels in Papigo that you can book online. However, what most hikers do is opt for a guesthouse run by local families eliminating the high cost issue of hotels. So you can choose to do the same. They are pretty decent for average lodging and provide you with a great opportunity to peek into the local life. Some of the popular choices include Pinocchio Mikro Papigo, Saxonis Houses & Saxonis Villaa and Papigo Astraka II.
Summary
Pretty sure that we covered everything there is to know about Dragon Lakes in Greece , except for maybe a ton of myths. If you plan to camp by the lake, please make sure to clean after you. If you want to avoid the crowd and be in solitude, you can choose the off season. Oh we almost forgot. The mountainous area of Epirus is also home to the stunning Vikos Gorge which also happens to be the second deepest gorge in the world. Every tourist visits this gorge before hiking the Dragon Lakes. Therefore make sure to include the Vikos Gorge in your itinerary.
