Mount Erymanthos is only 25km south Patras, the largest city of the Peloponnisos, and overall Greece’s third largest city. Despite its proximity to the urban core, Erymanthos is one of the most remote feeling mountains in the country. In ancient times the mountain was believed to be a sacred haunt of the goddess Artemis, the goddess of the hunt. It was also believe that a giant and ferocious wild boar roamed the grassy slopes of the mountain. The legend is that the great hero Hercules was sent here to tame and capture the wild boar, one part of his twelve labors. Hiking in Erymanthos one can easily imagine the mythology of this ancient hunt. The grassy slopes and fields beneath the two summits of Olonos and Mouggila are prime habitat for the wild pig. Today, however, we visit the the mountain searching for a different kind of prey.
Taygetos is a mountain massif that stretches 100km from north to south, and contains the highest point of the Peloponnisos, the summit of Profit St. Ilias. The slopes of Taygetos have been inhabited by humans since the Mycenaean era, over 3000 years ago. Savage is the best way to describe the terrain of Taygetos. In ancient times, the city of Sparta, which sits at the base Continue reading Taygetos, Peloponnisos
Mount Kyllini, commonly referred to as Ziria, is the second highest summit of the Peloponnisos. Is is the closest alpine peak to Athens, only one and a half hours by car. The ancient Greeks believed that the Olympian god Hermes was born in a cave near the base of the mountain. In fact, in ancient times, a temple dedicated to the god was built on the summit. Ziria was also the birthplace of the seven Pleiades, daughters of the Titan god Atlas. After their birth, the sisters moved up into the heavens, where they formed the constellation of stars that bears their name. The mountain today has a small ski center on the lower slopes, next to the cave of Hermes. The basic infrastructure in place for the ski center makes Ziria an ideal destination for quick day trips from Athens, for mountain enthusiasts of all ability levels.
