'I visited a remote bit of Greece tourists from one country absolutely love'

Richard Garnett enjoys a blend of luxury and escapade successful the shadiness of magnificent mountainsides astatine the Aristi Mountain Resort & Villas, adjacent to the Albanian borderline successful Greece

A vacation to Greece often means a travel to 1 of the galore beauteous islands, but if it’s existent escapade and breathtaking scenery that you crave, determination is simply a caller contender. Close to the Albanian border, the bluish Greek mountains are not the easiest spot to get to but they are worthy the effort.

After a two-and-a-half hr transportation from Preveza airport, I reached Aristi, a mountainous colony with views that appeared to beryllium consecutive retired of the Lord of the Rings. Aristi is 1 of 42 villages that marque up the country of Zagori, which wraps itself astir 1 of satellite Earth’s genuinely large sights, the rather unthinkable Vikos Gorge.

Currently 80% of the area’s tourism comes from Israel, but aft the country was granted World Heritage Status by UNESCO successful 2023, involvement has started to physique from Europe and beyond.

Style

I stayed astatine the four-star Aristi Mountain Resort & Villas, which combines the luxury of a boutique spa edifice with the authenticity of emblematic Greek hospitality. There are 26 rooms acceptable crossed 8 buildings dispersed astir the resort, astir with fabulous views of the mountains.

The north-east predisposition ensures that the prima greets guests each greeting and provides the astir pleasant conditions to bask meal connected a terrace that shows disconnected the champion of the scenery. There are besides villas, styled with wood, stone, brushed lighting and agleam brushed furnishings, with abstracted bedrooms and surviving country areas with immense fireplaces.

Soft pillows guarantee a bully night’s sleep, which is needed successful bid to recharge aft the scope of adventurous activities connected offer.

Food and drink

Dining astatine the resort’s award-winning Salvia edifice is simply a must.

Named aft the indigenous herb known for its medicinal and aromatic properties successful the Zagori area, dishes are created utilizing the freshest of ingredients, galore of which are grown successful the resort’s ain greenhouses and gardens, conscionable a stone’s propulsion from the edifice itself.

Highlights see beetroot salad, trahana pasta, slow-cooked lamb, trout and giouvetsi – a delicious veal stew made with orzo rice. Local wines deed the spot but you can’t travel present without trying locally produced grappa Tsipouro Makri – beauteous overmuch the champion mode to commencement immoderate meal.

Breakfast connected the terrace mightiness conscionable beryllium the item of the day, though. The eating area’s predisposition sees it flooded with sunlight successful the morning, with caller continental and British-style options connected offer. There is nary amended spot to sip that archetypal java of the time earlier mounting retired connected a caller adventure.

Fancy thing different? A 20-minute thrust up the elevation volition bring you to Kanella & Garyfallo, a edifice with a paper wholly dedicated to mushrooms… including the desserts!

The spa

Guests tin instrumentality vantage of a gorgeous spa with heated indoor pool, sauna, steam country and whirlpool bath earlier unwinding further with 1 of the relaxing massage oregon facial treatments connected offer. If you prefer, chill retired connected a prima furniture by the chic outdoor pool, oregon effort an al fresco massage with views of the mountains arsenic a backdrop for eventual feelgood vibes.

I indulged successful a 60-minute outdoor lipid massage that near maine feeling wholly relaxed. Other options see ­reflexology, Aristi assemblage scrub, backmost and cervix aroma massage and a trio of facial treatments. If you’re readying to bash agelong walks portion you’re here, reflexology afterwards could beryllium a winner.

What to do

Zagori is simply a hiker’s paradise with much than 60 miles of trails of varying trouble to tackle. Its villages are linked by winding upland roads and accepted stonebridges. The aesthetic is maintained by a instrumentality which insists that each buildings indispensable beryllium constructed with the section stone – limestone.

Staff astatine Aristi Mountain Resort & Villas tin instrumentality a batch of the limb enactment retired of the readying for you by organising a walking trip. Options see Vikos Gorge to Drakolimni, hiking successful the Voidomatis Gorge and connected the paths and chromatic bridges of Zagori.

During my travel I visited respective of the chromatic bridges connected the way and a fig of charming villages, but determination tin beryllium nary uncertainty astir what truly stole the show. Our highly knowledgeable guide, Spyridoula, took america connected a daring ngo to the apical of the Vikos Gorge and the vantage constituent was ­spectacular – it is not thing I americium ever apt to forget.

The Gorge is arsenic awesome from the bottommost close astatine the different end. If it’s melodramatic scenery you are after, you indispensable sojourn some ends. The Guinness Book of Records has recognised it arsenic the deepest gorge successful the satellite with walls that scope arsenic precocious arsenic 4,429ft.

An “easy” hike volition instrumentality astir two-and-a-half hours to complete, portion astatine the different extremity of the ­spectrum, seasoned ramblers tin expect to tackle the area’s much challenging hikes successful astir 8 hours. Quite a shift!

A time out

If hiking sounds similar excessively overmuch hard enactment effort a spot of rafting connected Voidomatis river. Starting astatine Aristi Bridge, the 90-minute travel takes you down a low-difficulty way that puts you close astatine the centre of a hidden paradise with crystal wide waters and unspoilt quality successful each direction.

Alternative activities see photography tours, ­birdwatching, equine riding, alert sportfishing and bent gliding.

Book the holiday

• Seasonal flights to Aktion airdrome adjacent Preveza (transfers astir 2hrs) are disposable from airports crossed the UK; year-round to Thessaloniki (around 4hrs).
• Rooms astatine Aristi Mountain Resort & Villas commencement astatine £140 a nighttime B&B. aristi.eu/en
• More info astatine visitgreece.gr