Greek Waterfalls – Majestic – Dazzling – Stunning
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Our country may be small, but it is filled with beauty. Apart from our ancient civilization and beautiful beaches, our country is blessed with a landscape full of tall majestic mountains, dense forests, countless plains as well as impressive waterfalls. Some of them were created by geological events such as earthquakes, some are hidden from view in areas full of green, while others are located in fairytale, awe-inspiring scenery. The ideal time for people to visit the waterfalls is during spring, when there is plenty of water from the melting ice. Some of the tallest and less popular waterfalls are located in canyons and are difficult or even impossible to approach. Let’s explore some of them.
Water of Styx
From the steep shadowy cliff of Tartaros, located high on the Aroania Mountains, the water of Styx, known from antiquity, gushes from the spring to this day. According to myth, Styx was the daughter of Oceanus and Thetis. Hesiod writes that Styx used to live far away from the rest of the Greek Gods and her palace was built upon huge rocks with running water. Today the location is known as Mavroneri (black water) or immortal water. They are the springs of Krathi river at an altitude of 2.100 meters on mount Helmos. Within a landscape of unrivalled beauty, the waterfall can be accessed by people with climbing experience through a couple of rough trails.
Livaditis Waterfalls
This impressive Trachoni waterfall is located within a small ravine on the western part of mount Rodopi, north of Livaditis village in the district of Drama. Within a uniquely beautiful landscape that is very difficult to reach, the waterfall is nestled in the western foothills of mount Koula. The water falls from 45-meters high and comes from the small river of Mylopotamos, one of the secondary rivers of the larger river Arkoudorema. During harsh winters the water can freeze for days or weeks. This happens because it can not be reached by the sun. Once temperatures rise again, the ice breaks with a deafening noise and the water flows once more.
Edessa Waterfalls
The most famous waterfalls in Greece are located in Edessa. A total of 12 waterfalls are situated within a geological formation that has been shaped by the water and is called “the town’s eyebrow”. Two of them
are very tall and can be visited by people. The falls were formed during the 14th century as a result of some geological event that struck the area. Nowadays, the park is a big, lush area easily accessible by cobbled streets, surrounded by verdant gardens, restaurants and cafés. Most impressive among the park’s waterfalls is Karanos. A small cave that was formed over thousands of years is located beneath the fall. A little further down, the path leads to a smaller, double fall that is just as impressive.
Twin Waterfalls of Tzoumerka
The grand and lofty mountains of Tzoumerka are full of lush, thick forests, deep canyons, steep cliffs, wild rivers and some of the most impressive waterfalls in Greece. Rightly so the mountain has been characterized as the “capital of water”, with dozens of gushing springs. At the foothills of the Athamanika mountain range, two impressive twin waterfalls can be found, in close proximity near the settlement Kyropigi, part of the village of Katarraktis. Their white, foamy water pours over the steep enormous cliff in a ten-kilometer snake path that flows into Arahthos river. The left or northern waterfall is 100 meters tall. The water’s force, as well as the fall’s width make it unique and majestic. On stormy days the water can be heard and seen from a distance of 3 kilometers. People who managed to stand under it, as I have, had a unique experience trying to remain standing on slippery rocks, and strong winds as the water falls. The right or southern waterfall is about 125 meters tall and during the summer retains a small amount of water.
Twin Waterfalls of Souda/Theodoriana
Barely two kilometers away from the village Theodoriana, visitors park their cars to continue by walking on a beautiful trail. The trail is easy to tread and it is immersed in the soothing shade of large fir and other rare trees. After a short 15-minute hike we reach the waterfalls. The waterfalls are 15 meters tall, and the water flows from towering, bare peaks and plateaus before its splits to from the twin waterfall. The nearby landscape is one of the wildest in Greece, where trees give way to subalpine meadows.
Achladorema Fraktou Waterfalls
The virgin forest of Frakto is located near the Bulgarian border, in Drama’s northern-eastern district, and has been declared as a Protected Natural Monument. It is also known as the Virgin Forrest at Paranesti and in the past it was also called “Zagadenia” which means a fenced area. It is one of the few remaining unspoiled forests in Europe. Beginning our path from a factory within the forest, one of the area’s attractions, the three waterfalls that are formed by the ample running water of the river Achladorema. The waterfalls are always flowing and can be reached following the trails. The first and smallest of the three is just about 7 meters tall, the second, 700 meters down the road, is much more impressive with 18-meter fall. The third, a tiered, waterfall is about 70 meters tall and is very hard to get to. The Achladorema flows southward, into other rivers that follow a long course to join Nestos river.
Waterfalls of Iliochori (Balta di Stringa)
Three beautiful, successive waterfalls can be found in the dense forest near the village Iliochori, one of the less popular villages of Zagori. The one-thousand-meter stone paved trail starts in the village’s square, next to the huge sycamore tree, with a 10-meter circumference, that covers the church in the village. The path is well kept and easy to tread and after a 7-minute hike, we encounter the stone bridge of Antonis Petsos (1875). The trail traverses a verdant area and a stop for a breather at the chapel of Agios Athanasios is needed. The water from the large waterfall forms a pond with crystal clear water, which flows downhill to form a second, smaller waterfall. A unique and rejuvenating experience awaits those who are brave enough to delve into the icy waters.
