Greece Unexplored: Travel Guide to Trikala Korinthias (2024)

Are you a huge fan of quaint and beautiful European villages? The one that makes you believe that fairy tales exist? Trikala Korinthias, or Trikala village, is one of them, and you do not want to miss this village when you are in Greece. In this post, you will find the complete guide to visiting and exploring the Trikala Korinthias village.

Trikala Korinthias surprised me as I had never heard of this place before. In fact, I had only seen pictures of Greece with pretty blue roofs and white buildings. I was introduced to this magnificent part of the country during a FAM trip.

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Greece Travel Resources

Peloponnese region: Travel Guide to Trikala Korinthias
Second largest city: One Day in Thessaloniki
Greek Islands: Places to see on Heraklion Hop On and Hop Off Bus, Nea Kameni Boat Tour: Hike on an Active Volcano, Mykonos Solo Travel Guide
Bucket List Stays: Pera Alonia Guest House in Trikala Korinthias
7-night Idyllic Aegean Cruise: 5+ reasons to take Idyllic Aegean by Celestyal Cruises
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Rental Cars and Discover Cars are the best rental companies to hire cars at lower prices.

About Trikala Korinthias in Greece

Situated on the slope of Mount Kyllini (also known as Mount Ziria) in the Peloponnese region of Greece, Trikala Korinthias / Trikala Corinthia is a village comprising three settlements. It is a village where the ancient Myseos civilisation was built in the 10th century.

Belonging to the Municipality of Xylokastro-Evrostini, the name Trikala means three beauties that refer to the three settlements:

• Ano (Upper) at a height of 1100 metres – Only a couple of people stay in the upper region of Trikala village.
• Mesaia (Middle) at a height of 1000 metres.
• Kato (Lower) at a height of 900 metres – Most families stay in the lower region of Trikala village. Many cafes and restaurants are located in this region as well.

With spectacular landscapes, warm people and beautiful animals, the Trikala Korinthias is truly one of the most amazing places I have been to. There is also another theory of what the three beauties (derived from the name) refer to. These speak about the wine, oxygen and water in the region, which are pure and pristine.

• Note that Greece has another place by the same name as Trikala, a city northwest of the country.
• Did you know that Greece’s official name is the Hellenic Republic, which is one of the most interesting Greece Facts?
• You must have heard, “You know you are Greek when you can text in Greek using the English keyboard”. Greeks have one of the best senses of humor. Another interesting thing about Greece is that over the years and centuries, many quotes have been written about Greece and Greeks. And some of these are inspiring and unique to the country.

It is believed that around 100 years ago, Trikala Korinthias was used as a summer destination, but due to urbanisation and locals moving to bigger cities, the village lost its charm. In early 2000s, the families living in the village decided to revamp and reconstruct the buildings giving it a new life. Today, the village is enjoyed even during the winter as a ski destination.

Fun Trivia: Locals say that around 50 years ago, doctors in Greece used to advise asthma patients to visit and live in Trikala Korinthias so they could inhale pure air and get cured of asthma.

Best time to visit and number of days required

Even though Trikala Korinthias can be visited throughout the year, the best time is during the autumn, spring and summer seasons.

• Autumn – September to November.
• Winter – December to February.
• Spring – March to May.
• Summer – June to August.

You need at least 2 to 3 days to enjoy Trikala Korinthias village. The small village offers plenty of things to do to its visitors.

How to Get to Trikala Korinthias?

By Air

The closest airport is Athens International Airport, and there is connectivity to the airport from all around the world (directly or with stop overs).

By Road

The village of Trikala Korinthias is around 150 kilometres from Athens City, and the journey by road takes up to 2 hours. The fastest way to get to the village is by hiring a self-drive car or by hiring a taxi.

By Public Transport

• Train – The closest train station to the village is at Kiato, and Kiato is around a 30-minute drive from the Trikala Korinthias. Operated by Trainose SA, the Hellenic train journey is around 1 hour 20 minutes from Athens.
  • Once you reach Kiato, you can hire a taxi to reach the village, and the cost is approximately USD 120 for one way.

Places to stay in Trikala Korinthias

Trikala Korinthias has plenty of cute guest houses and homestays which are run by the locals. And each one of these accommodations is charming and lovely.

I stayed in the Pera Alonia Guest House of Kato (Lower) settlement of Trikala Korinthias and I am in love with that property. With great views of Mount Ziria, the guest house is surely one of the best.

Click here to check for prices on Booking.com

The other guest houses that you can consider are:

• Paliokastro Guest House (Kato (lower) Trikala)
• Enarhi Xenonas Guest House
• Xenonasnikol Guest House
• Aypitos Guest House
• Petradi Guest House
• Helydorea Zen Country House

Places to Visit in Trikala Korinthias

Monastery of Saint Vlassios

Situated in the Ano (Upper) part of Trikala Korinthias is this beautiful monastery for Saint Vlassios. It is a Greek Orthodox Monastery that was initially founded in the 14th century. The current monastery dates back to the 17th century.

• Open only for a few hours during the day (mostly in the afternoons between 1 and 4 PM), the visitors are required to dress appropriately.

Cave of Hermes

Viewing from the monastery of Saint Vlassois is the Cave of Hermes or Hermes Cave. Located at an altitude of 1750 metres on Mount Ziria, this cave is supposedly where the Greek God Hermes was born.

Ziria Ski centre

The Ziria ski centre, ideal for kids and beginners who want to ski and learn skiing, is just around 2 hours from Athens and is a very popular destination during the winter season. It is a small and operational ski centre with great views and ski trails.

• Note this ski centre does not have any accommodation facilities, and the guests are required to stay at Trikala Korinthias Village where the guest houses and homestays are.

Lake Dasiou

A hidden and spectacular gem in the Korinthias region is Lake Dasiou. With an altitude of 1600 metres, this lake is shallow and ideal for swimming activities. It is also quite popular for a picnic during lovely sunny days. Note that the lake is frozen during the winter season.

Things to do in Trikala Korinthias

Even though Trikala Korinthias is a village, it has so many things that it can offer to its visitors. Ranging from adventurous activities to relaxed vibes, the village has it all.

Go Skiing

During the winter season, the village is famous for skiing. With ski trails that are suitable for kids and beginners, skiing in this area is a very popular thing to do.

Take a Buggy ride

One of the fun activities to do at the Ski centre is riding these snow buggies. I had so much fun just driving them on muddy roads and terrains. If you are adventurous, you can also ride them on steep hills.

• Note: The driving in Greece is on the right side of the road.

Off-roading with Four wheel drives

The area has a lot of off-roading terrains and places, and what better way to enjoy than driving the four-wheel drives for off-roading. You can hire these four-wheel drives from the ski centre.

Hiking to Saint Vlassios’ waterfall

The village has many hiking trails perfect for all hikers, including beginners and experienced hikers. The one that I hiked was to the hidden waterfall called the Saint Vlassios waterfall. Originating from the monastery of Saint Vlassios, this waterfall is an offbeat and

Swimming at Lake Dasiou

During the spring and summer seasons, swimming at Lake Dasiou is a very popular activity. With clear and blue waters, swimming in the lake must surely be on your list.

Horse riding

The horses in the village are extremely good-looking. There are horse riding centres where you can ride and learn horse riding. We visited the Orinesdrastiriotites Horse Riding Centre at Rethi in Corinthia.

Note that I do not like to ride animals, including the horses. And hence I did not ride any horse but I had a chance to pat, take pictures and interact with them.

Drink herb tea

The tea made from the mountain herb (a scientific name Sideritis Scardica) is very popular in the region. Known to naturally heal the cold and flu, this tea is adored by locals. The herbs are boiled, and the extract is taken as tea. I had an opportunity to taste it, and even though it has a strong flavour, I really loved it. This tea is usually taken along with honey to sober the strong flavour.

Get some love from the stray animals

There is nothing more affectionate than the cuddles from the animals (especially from cats and dogs). The village has many stray animals, which are super friendly and cute. Definitely give and take some love from these strays.

Places to eat in Trikala Korinthias

When you are in Greece, be prepared to eat a lot, especially their cheese. The Greeks believe in feeding their guests, similar to what we Indians are. Our Indian families prepare special and delicious food for their guests and that is exactly what happened when I was in Greece.

Irrespective of which café or restaurant I visited in Trikala Korinthias, there was so much of food and we were served the food with so much of love. The cafes and restaurants that I tried in the village are:

• Café Alfavitario – Located in the Kato (Lower) area of Trikala, this café has a wide spread of breakfast.
• Café Kibotos – Situated in the Ano (Upper) area of Trikala, this café is another great place for breakfast and delicious food.
• Katafygio Gefseon – Located in the Mesaia (Middle) area of Trikala, I highly recommend visiting this restaurant as the food here is absolutely beautiful and tasty.
• Platanos – Located in the Kato (Lower) area of Trikala, this place is perfect to wind down the day with some great food and drinks.
• Fysi restaurant – Located right opposite to the horse riding place Kentroippasias, this restaurant has both indoor and outdoor seating with views of farms.
• Mangiare bake house – For tasty pies and any bakery items, this bake house is a perfect stopover.

My warm memory of Trikala Korinthias

I had an awesome time at the village. The hospitality and the locals are just too amazing. With beautiful smiles and greetings in Greek to the love of stray animals, I received so much of affection. However, one incident made me very emotional that I cried. It was just too much of kindness for me.

Trikala village has a lot of stray animals (cats and dogs). And they are very friendly and adorable but they do not have permanent homes (unfortunately) and live on the streets. The villagers have hand built a small house so that the stray animals can take shelter at night and during the rainy days. How lovely is that!

Safety for Solo Female Travelers

As I have mentioned plenty of times in the post, the people of the village are extremely friendly and nice. They are really warm and give you a lot of affection. So I can vouch that this village is one of the safest places to travel for solo female travelers. However, be cautious at night as the village does become isolated after sunset.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ) – Trikala Korinthias

Q: Where is Trikala Korinthias located?

Trikala Korinthias is a village located in the Municipality of Xylokastro-Evrostini in the Peloponnese region of Greece.

Q: How can you get to Trikala Korinthias?

Trikala Korinthias village is just about 2 hours from Athens. The best and fastest way is to either hire a taxi or self-drive to the village. However, if you do not have a car of your own, you can take a train that runs hourly to Kiato and then take a taxi to the village.

Q: Where can you stay at Trikala Korinthias?

The village, divided into three settlements, has plenty of guest houses and homestays. You can book them on Booking.com.

Q: What is the best time to visit Trikala Korinthias?

The best time to visit the village is during the autumn, spring and summer seasons.

Q: How many days do you need for Trikala Korinthias?

You need 2 to 3 days just to explore the village.

Q: What to do in Trikala Korinthias?

The village provides plenty of things that can be done:

• Visit ski centre for skiing, buggy ride and many other activities that the ski centre offer.
• Hiking to hidden gems such as waterfall.
• Visit the monastery.
• Drink the mountain tea.
• Swim in the lake.
• Try various cafes and restaurants.
• Walk around the village.
• And many more.

Q: How safe is Trikala Korinthias for solo female travelers?

The village is very safe for solo female travelers as the people are very friendly and approachable.

Closing Notes

Trikala Korinthias is totally worth adding to your itinerary when you are visiting Greece. It is an offbeat and different side of the country that is raw and pristine.

Do you have more questions about the village and the area? Email me on Solopassport@gmail.com so I can get back to you with answers.

Note: This familiarisation travel was courtesy of Greece Tourism, Region of Peloponnese, TBEX, Municipalty of Xylokastro-Evrostina. Special thanks to our guides Ionna and Maria who tried their best to make this travel special for all of us. They were just too awesome.

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