Explore Lake Kremasta Attractions in the Greek Mountains
Explore Lake Kremasta attractions in the “Switzerland” of Greece, where dramatic landscapes meet impressive bridges and rich local history. Evrytania in Central Greece hosts the country’s largest artificial lake, surrounded by gorges, rivers, viewpoints, and villages in the Pindus Mountains. Escape the crowds, and discover the fascinating heart of Greece.
In the morning on my second trip to the area, my balcony window at Lake Kremasta Hotel opened onto a bright vista of blue and green. Warmly illuminated fir and oak forests and olive groves extend down the hill to the brilliant turquoise lake. Across the water, forested hills and mountains are occasionally dotted with terra cotta rooftops and accented by rocky cliffs. In the distance, mountains fade into ever lighter tones of blue gray as they meet the clear blue sky.
Top Lake Kremasta attractions: the lake, its bridges, wildlife, and history
My group began a day of exploration on the crown jewel of an area full of hidden gems, Lake Kremasta (or Lake Kremaston). A young entrepreneur who grew up there, Panagiotis Makris, was our boat captain and guide to Lake Kremasta attractions. He offers Lake Tours and other activities on the lake. As Makris explained, Kremasta was created in 1965 when the largest hydroelectric dam in the Balkans was completed, flooding the area. Makris told us the story of that lake where four rivers meet, its famous bridges, and the people whose villages were lost in the waters. In spite of those losses, he pointed out, the result was a clean haven of natural beauty and biodiversity.
We motored over sparkling teal ripples and passed beneath the 700-meter long, 100-meter high Episkopi Bridge, the 4th largest in Greece. According to the boat’s sonar reading, we paused 49 meters above the ruins of a submerged Byzantine monastery. As Makris explained, all was not lost in the flood. Paintings from the monastery are preserved in the Byzantine and Christian Museum in Athens. The Culture & History Center of Evrytania in Karpenissi also offers a virtual visit to the monastery.
Continuing our lake tour, we approached the 12-meter 17th-century Manolis Bridge in the Agrafiotis River with cautious respect for its age. We admired the stonemasonry of this historic single-arch structure, which is partly or completed submerged as water levels rise each winter. (A virtual reality film in the Culture & History Center shows how the bridge was constructed.) Leaving the caves in the Acheloos River gorge and the award-winning Tatarna Bridge for another visit, we passed a trout farm and stopped near a cormorant nesting site. A few birds rose into the air, then dipped down to skim above the water. We relaxed in sun or shade, rejoiced in the lake’s exhilarating breeze, and treasured its sparkle, shine, sights, and stories.
Hidden gems near Lake Kremasta: viewpoints, bridges, and mountain villages
Back on land, we left the lakeside in a Lake Tours van to venture across the Episkopi Bridge into Evrytania’s neighboring regional unit of Aetolia-Acarnania. Near the village of Psilovrachos, we descended stone steps in single file to cross a sometimes-wobbly suspension bridge over a narrow gorge full of fallen rock. Safely reaching the other side, we ascended more stone steps to one of the lookout points that offer spectacular views of Lake Kremasta and the endless, densely forested slopes around it.
On our next drive, we passed through the Tricheriotis River gorge, with its shallow stream snaking through a wide, largely summer-dry riverbed, below striking vertical cliff walls. The van then climbed near Mount Chelidona (1974 meters altitude) to the Tsagkaralona viewpoint. There, 1000 meters above sea level, we found a covered, spring-fed fountain and stone tables, benches, and chairs. Beyond the evergreen forests below us, Lake Kremasta stretched out, fading into far-off peaks that merged with the pale blue sky in a grand tableau.
For lunch, we headed to the quiet, picture-perfect village of Fidakia. We strolled past stone houses covered in sloped red-orange roofs tastefully arranged along stone pathways bordered by colorful geraniums, roses, dahlias, and hydrangeas. Productive grapevines shaded the walkway. Fig trees diffused the scent of their growing fruit. And walnuts grew on large trees on the way to a traditional stone threshing floor at the top of the hill.
Eating and relaxing near Lake Kremasta
At Oichalia Taverna in Fidakia, owners Christos and Georgia Leris welcomed us warmly. Christos had left this village in 1960 and emigrated to the USA, returning later to open restaurants in his homeland. In addition to salads, appetizers, meats, and his specialty, a green nettle soup, the taverna serves traditional dishes such as zucchini flowers stuffed with rice; a savory pie made with grated squash; and a soft local cheese called katiki. Plus his own delicious cheesecake for dessert. We ate on a glassed-in balcony overlooking forests. In the wintertime, the cozy corner by the fireplace with lace-curtained windows beneath exposed wood beams would be most appealing.
Leaving Fidakia, we drove past giant fir trees, ferns, and wildflowers, again admiring the scenery from above Lake Kremasta. We stopped at a rustic riverside spot by the Megdovas (or Tavropos) River to enjoy a peaceful break with fresh watermelon. Tree-stump seats, log tables, and a swing hanging from a tree that reaches out over the water invite relaxation. Below plane and alder trees, the feathery green equisetum, one of the most ancient plants on earth, still thrives. We waded in shining, cool water and listened to the current rush and gurgle over river rocks as the breeze shifted the leaves, and the evening sun sank behind the hills.
Back at Lake Kremasta Hotel as evening descended, I gazed at the delicate pastels of water and sky, the darkening greens and blacks of forested slopes. Later, I watched the full moon rise, illuminating clouds, outlining mountaintops, and lending the lake a gentle glow.
Where to stay and eat near Lake Kremasta
Right above the lake, there is currently one accommodation choice, fortunately a very good one: the new Lake Kremasta Hotel in Neochori. This is a 3-star hotel (almost 4-star) with amazing scenery, comfortable beds, generous amenities, breakfast, and a jacuzzi overlooking the lake. The hotel offers maps, brochures, and a booklet full of information about natural, historical, religious, cultural, and sporting attractions, hikes, and itineraries around Lake Kremasta. The hotel’s website provides daytrip suggestions with useful map points for some of the best places to visit around Lake Kremasta. The manager can also recommend guides for various activities.
There are several options for tasty, fresh local food and traditional appetizers and dishes. For example, a village taverna (Apostolis) across the street from the hotel presents lakeview tables beneath giant plane trees. In the nearby village of Agios Georgios, Ee Thea (Η Θέα, meaning The View) features tables with an absolutely stunning view of the lake. Perhaps an hour’s drive from the hotel in the picturesque village of Fidakia, Oichalia Taverna offers a choice between an enclosed balcony with forest scenery and a cozy traditional interior.
What to bring for sightseeing at Lake Kremasta
Weather-appropriate clothes and comfortable, sturdy shoes for rugged terrain, including shoes suitable for walking through water in a rocky riverbed if you wish to explore one, and a bathing suit for a dip in the rivers in warm weather. A walking stick can be helpful in rocky areas, and a small backpack will be useful.
Important: there are very few gas stations around Lake Kremasta, so if you are driving it is a good idea to fill up your gas tank in Agrinio or Karpenissi.
How to get to Lake Kremasta
From Athens, there are two main driving routes, and you can use both, in a large circle, for variety. The driving time—approximately 5 hours, plus stops—may be about 25 minutes longer via Lamia. However, in the last hour of driving the roads are somewhat better coming from this direction. So one option is to head northeast out of Athens, then northwest, on the E75 highway toward Lamia, then turn inland (west) toward and beyond Karpenissi. The highway is excellent to Lamia, smaller but good to Karpenissi, and still smaller but not bad to Neochori. Part of this route runs along the North Euboean Gulf, past Kamena Vourla, a beach resort with plenty of tavernas and warm sulfur springs.
The other choice is to drive west of Athens to Corinth, with its souvlaki and ice cream shops and famous deep canal. Continue along the northern edge of the Peloponnese peninsula, near the Gulf of Corinth and its resort towns. You’ll cross the magnificent Rio-Antirrio Bridge (with a costly toll) before Patras, landing near the town of Nafpaktos with its hilltop castle and fortressed little port (a worthwhile detour, even for an overnight stop). After the bridge, you can continue heading northwest toward Agrinio on the excellent highway. Or take a slower route on smaller winding roads going northwest from Nafpaktos to enjoy forest, mountain, and gorge scenery, and stop for a rest at Lake Trichonida before reaching Agrinio. From Agrinio, as you turn inland, north and east toward Lake Kremasta, the road varies in quality.
Both routes include toll roads and views of water, olive groves, and forested hills and mountains.
From the Preveza international airport, the inland drive takes 2.5 to 3 hours.
Expect a lot of winding roads in the mountains, some poorly maintained (and bumpy), with a single lane for the last ten minutes before the hotel.
source: https://greekliquidgold.com/explore-lake-kremasta-attractions-in-the-greek-mountains/