Greece is a predominantly mountainous country, although globally known for its islands, seas, and vast coastline, 83% of its mainland consists of mountains and hills, making it one of the most mountainous countries in Europe. Mountains that offer a great variety of experiences for nature lovers and travelers, stretching from Crete and southern Peloponnese to Florina and Thesprotia.
The “small” size of Greece allows travelers to explore many of these mountains in a relatively short time, to see the unique features of each one, and to experience the beauty of the unparalleled Greek mountainous nature.
The most important mountain range in the country is the Pindus range, which forms the “backbone” of the mainland, and together with the Rhodope range, they form an imaginary “G” of mountain masses in the country. Looking at the geomorphological map of Greece, one can easily see that all the other major mountains in the country are essentially “extensions” of these two major ranges.
But what are the largest (and tallest) mountains in Greece? From Mount Olympus, whose peak is at 2,918 meters, to Taygetos, whose peak is at 2,407 meters, there are many Greek mountains worth mentioning in between, such as: Smolikas (2,637 m), Kaimaktsalan (2,524 m), Grammos (2,520 m), Giona (2,510 m), Tymfi (2,497 m), Vardousia (2,495 m), Parnassus (2,457 m), Psiloritis (2,456 m), Lefka Ori (2,454 m), and Tzoumerka (2,429 m).
With names derived from Greek mythology and the folk imagination of villagers who saw the great masses from below, the 12 tallest Greek mountains can captivate not only demanding nature lovers but also ordinary travelers who wish to “escape” far from cities and seas and get lost in the magic of the mountains. With the landscape varying from alpine to tundra and from shrubland (as found at high altitudes in the mountains of Peloponnese and Thessaly) to endless fir forests, with small villages scattered at the foothills and sometimes at higher altitudes of the mountain masses, countless crystal-clear springs, and hospitable local guides, the twelve tallest Greek mountains give new meaning to mountain tourism—and not just that.
Mount Olympus is the largest and tallest mountain in Greece, with its mass extending from the shores of Pieria in the east to the Thessalian plain in the west and Macedonia to the north, Olympus is rightly the king of Greek mountains. Home of the gods as characterized by Greek mythology, since the 12 gods—or the gods of Olympus—lived there, it hosted nymphs, fairies, and other mythical creatures at its foothills. And the truth is that with the way light penetrates its countless ravines and the sun often becoming one with the shadow and morning moisture rising from its “pores,” it’s not hard even for the modern eye to be deceived and see in the Olympian nature images that resemble otherworldly forms, incongruous in urban daily life. Olympus is the second tallest mountain in the Balkans after Rila in Bulgaria, and in 1938 it was declared the first National Park of Greece, with the Greek Ministry of Culture later designating it as an archaeological and historical site due to its scattered monuments.
Smolikas is the second tallest mountain in Greece after Olympus. It is located in the northern part of the Ioannina prefecture and the western part of the Grevena prefecture, and it is also part of the broader Pindus range that occupies the entire western Greece. From Mount Smolikas, tributaries of the Aliakmonas River, such as the Venetikos and Greveniotikos, originate, while on its slopes there are many mountain villages, such as the well-known Samarina and Smixi, villages famous for their crystal-clear waters. In Smolikas, we also find its namesake Dragon Lake, which is globally known for its beauty and the many mountaineering and hiking routes it offers around it.
Kaimaktsalan (or Voras) is the third tallest mountain in the country and is located in the northern part of the Pella prefecture, in northern Greece. It extends to the borders of the Florina prefecture and continues north, spreading beyond the Greek borders. At its highest peak at 2,524 m, there is the chapel of Prophet Elias, which is a monument to Serbian fallen soldiers of World War I, as Kaimaktsalan was part of the “theater of operations” during both World Wars and the Civil War, with its inaccessible slopes serving as an ideal base for guerrillas. In the winter months, the famous ski resort operates in Kaimaktsalan, offering thrilling experiences to winter sports enthusiasts, with Athenians and Thessalonians flocking en masse for snowboarding and skiing.
Grammos ranks fourth on the list of the tallest mountains in Greece, with its highest peak, Tsouka Petsik, at 2,520 m. It stretches along the Greek-Albanian border, occupying the northeastern part of the Ioannina prefecture, the southwestern part of the Kastoria prefecture, and a portion of southeastern Albania, also being part of the broader Pindus range. Like Kaimaktsalan, Grammos played a significant role as a site of military operations during both World War II and the Greek Civil War, which is why the National Reconciliation Park, aimed at explaining the past, is located at its foothills. Many water streams originate from Grammos, the most significant being the Aliakmonas, which is the longest river in Greece.
Giona is the tallest mountain in Central Greece and the fifth tallest in the country. It stretches across Phocis between the mountains of Parnassus and Vardousia, forming part of the southern extension of the Pindus range. Its highest peak is Pyramid at 2,510 m, and it features the largest vertical rock face in the Balkans, the Plaka of Sykia, with an elevation difference of about 1,100 m. Its accessibility from almost every side of Greece makes it particularly approachable, while the nearby villages with rich historical and recreational elements, such as Delphi, Arachova, and Galaxidi, add a “cosmopolitan air” to its mountainous nature. In antiquity, Giona was known as Aselino Mountain.
Tymfi ranks sixth among the tallest mountains in Greece and is a mountain in Epirus in the Zagori region. It rises between the Aoos River and its tributary, the Voidomatis, with its highest peak, Gamila, at 2,497 m. On the plateaus of Tymfi, there are picturesque alpine lakes with rich local legends surrounding them. The most famous is Dragon Lake, which, with its rare beauty, attracts hundreds of thousands of hikers and travelers of all kinds throughout the year. The southwestern slopes of the Tymfi mountain mass reach the renowned Vikos Gorge.
Vardousia is located in the northwest of Phocis, with a small part of the mountain extending into Phthiotis. It is a complex of mountains that includes the southernmost end of the Pindus in Central Greece. It is the seventh tallest mountain in the country and the second tallest in Central Greece after Giona. Vardousia consists of three peak complexes: the northern, western, and southern, where the northern is characterized by smooth peaks, the western presents many steep and independent peaks, while the southern, which is the tallest, forms a vertical and long ridge. The highest peak of the southern part is called Korakas and reaches 2,495 m. It is accessible from both Thessaly and Arta and is famous for its particularly picturesque road route through military-type bridges, caves that never became tunnels, dams, and arched stone bridges.
Parnassus is a mountain in Central Greece, ranking eighth on the list of the tallest mountains in the country, with its highest peak, Liakoura, reaching 2,457 m. It spans the prefectures of Boeotia, Phthiotis, and Phocis, and its name derives from the mythical hero Parnassus, son of Poseidon and the nymph Cleodora, who built a city on the mountain. According to Greek history and mythology, at the foothills of the mountain was the most famous oracle of Ancient Greece, the Oracle of Delphi, which to this day, Delphi, the “navel of the earth,” attracts the interest of thousands of tourists from around the world. Like Giona, Parnassus is even more strongly influenced by the “air of cosmopolitanism,” with Arachova becoming a winter destination for Athenians and Thessalonians, many of whom call it the “winter Mykonos.”
Psiloritis is the tallest mountain in Crete, with its highest peak at 2,456 m, ranking ninth on the list of the tallest mountains in Greece, while it has four other peaks over 2,000 m. Access to the peaks is relatively easy and can be done from several paths, with the most famous route being from the Nida Plateau at an altitude of about 1,400 m. On Psiloritis is the Idaean Cave at an altitude of 1,495 m, which is a place of great archaeological significance and a cave, and according to Greek mythology, it is where Zeus was raised by the Curetes (demons who laid the foundations for the noble social coexistence of humans) and the nymph Amalthea, whose famous “horn,” with which she called Zeus, symbolizes prosperity and abundance.
The Lefka Ori mountain range, also known as the White Mountains, is located in western Crete, mainly extending into the Chania prefecture, and completes the top ten tallest mountains in the country. Its highest peak is called Pachnes and reaches 2,454 m—just two meters below the peak of Psiloritis. However, above 2,000 m, the mountain boasts more than 50 bare peaks with a main feature being an internal high plateau that stretches between them at about 1,900 m. There are several routes to reach the peaks of the mountain, but the Lefka Ori is a unique and demanding mountain mass that mainly caters to experienced hikers and is worth exploring from end to end.
Tzoumerka, or Athamanika Mountains, is a large mountain range in western Greece, which is also part of the broader Pindus range. They occupy parts of the prefectures of Ioannina, Arta, and Trikala and rank eleventh among the tallest mountains in Greece, with their highest peak, Kakarditsa, at an altitude of 2,429 m, located between the villages of Melissourgoi, Matsouki, and Athamania in the northernmost part of the range. The range is divided into two sub-sections. The northern section, where Kakarditsa dominates, and the southern section, which mainly belongs to the Arta prefecture, with its highest peak, Katafidi, at an altitude of 2,393 m. A wild and imposing place, with hospitable residents and intense wild nature, Tzoumerka hosts some of the most picturesque villages and settlements, such as Pramanta, Syrrako, and Kalarrytes. The artificial dams and “caves” encountered by travelers on their “otherworldly” road network are impressive.
The dozen of the tallest Greek mountains is completed by Taygetos, a mountain range that dominates central Peloponnese. Its characteristic pyramid-shaped peak has a height of 2,407 m and is called Prophet Elias after the chapel built there. The name Taygetos comes from Taygete, according to Pausanias and mythology, one of the Atlantides, who, filled with shame from her unwilling union with Zeus, ended her life by falling into a ravine of the mountain. Majestic and imposing, Taygetos, which during the years of the 1821 Revolution was also called Agiolias the Distant, is characterized as the Dome of Morea, with its “apron” touching the beautiful city of Kalamata, amidst olive groves and fruit trees.
Focus Keywords: Mountains, 12 tallest Greek mountains, Greek mountains
