Tuesday 7th May 2024 – Megalo Papigko, Greece

 

We wanted to visit to the Zagoria region, north of Ioannina and famous for the Vikos Gorge, claimed to be the deepest gorge in the world. I had identified a viewpoint over the gorge which was accessible by a road. The route was very picturesque and took us via the pretty village of Monodendri. We came to a junction where both roads went into the mountains but, unfortunately, I chose the wrong one. It took us into the old village with its narrow roads. All went well initially but it was a bank holiday and lots of people were coming to the village for lunch. I got to the point where I had cars behind me and the cars coming towards me left no room for the motorhome. There then followed about 20 minutes of manoeuvring to allow the cars through so that I could perform a hundred-point turn so that I could beat a not-so-hasty retreat.
We decided to give up the idea of the viewpoint and headed instead for Megalo Papigko. The journey took us over two passes with monuments to the Greek forces who repelled the Italians in WWII only to be overrun later by the Germans. We also crossed the narrow bridge over the Voidomatis River to a very popular beauty spot where beaches gave access to the river for swimming and paddling. It is also the end point for some of the white water rafting trips that take people down the Vikos Gorge. This is a very beautiful road and the highlight came shortly after the river as we climbed further up to the mountains and passed the end of the Vikos Gorge with the village of Vikos perched on the cliffs.
Arriving in Megalo Papigko, we parked in a relatively flat part of the main car park where it is acceptable to wild camp with the motorhome. So early in the season, all was quiet but in the summer the village would be very busy with people escaping the heat. The village is has a wonderful setting with a backdrop of high cliffs and mountains. We had a gentle wander through the narrow streets before returning to the van to prepare the evening meal.
Photos: At the entrance to the Zagoria National Park is a monument to the women who walked over the mountains to supply the soldiers during their struggle against the Italians and Germans; One of the many views that we had on our drive; The Voidomatis River with some very brave souls who were bathing in the freezing cold waters; The Vikos Gorge; The car park where we camped for the night surrounded by that beautiful scenery; Traditional stone-roofed houses in Megalo Papigko.