Last Updated on 05/22/2025 by Lindsey
The Mikro Papingo to Papingo hike is a highlight reel of everything the Zagori village region is known for: cobbled streets, stone houses, traditional architecture, stone bridges, lush forest terrain, a swimming hole, and of course the Voidomatis River. While the hike itself will only take you a couple of hours, depending on how long you dawdle at the rock pools, you can turn it into a day trip by lingering in the Papigo villages, two of the best-preserved villages in the Zagori region.
The villages draw a fair amount of tourists, so this Zagorochoria hike will likely be more crowded than others.
As I always say, if you want to avoid the crowds, start early โ or book an overnight stay in Papigo and begin your hike in the late afternoon.
Here is a step by step description of the Papigo hike with rock pools so you can follow along.
Your hike begins in the Mikrรณ Pรกpingo parking lot, where you can leave your car. Walk toward the large square with plane trees. You’ll see a church on one side. Walk through the gate to the left of the church, down the street.
Where the street curves, past Hotel Dias, you’ll see two hiking signs.
Follow the rightmost sign, which leads toward Kรณkkino Lithรกri and the Vรญkos Gorge.
After a few minutes of walking, you will enter a paved footpath, which passes several stone buildings before a gentle climb takes you out of the village.
From here, you’ll want to follow the A19 – T19 Pรกpingo – Kรณkkino Lithรกri hiking signs, which are yellow.
Paths lead up and down, offering views of hill villages and imposing rock formations.
Half an hour into your walk, you will reach the river bed. You can enjoy the water here for a few minutes, or wait for the Papingo rock pools at the end of your hike.
The trail continues along the river bed to a junction. Stay to the right for Megรกlo Pรกpingo.
The trail zigs and zags along the riverbed before branching off, leading up in a moderate climb. Plenty of viewpoints along the climb offer views of Vikos Gorge and the Astrรกka rock formations.
From the top of the hill, it’s a couple of minutes walk to a gravel road. When you reach the road, go right to continue on toward Megรกlo Pรกpingo.
Soon, you’ll enter into the village.
To return to Mikrรณ Pรกpingo and your car, look in town for yellow signs to the Avragรณnio trail. Follow the trail left and downhill. Switchbacks take you downhill, across a dry riverbed, and into a forest. Within ten minutes, the trail will cross the asphalt road.
When you reach the road, go left. Shortly, there will be a trail on the right leading to Mikrรณ Pรกpingo. Walk past it for now.
Stay on the road until you see a sign marked Ovires. This is where you will find the rock pools.
Enjoy the pools for as long as you like, then retrace your steps by walking back in the direction you came until you reach the trailhead.
From here, pick up the mail trail. You’ll cross a stone bridge over a small river.
On the far side of the bridge, stay to the left. Follow the trail to the road, where in less than ten minutes you’ll enter the village of Mikrรณ Pรกpingo.
Zagori Villages Stone Bridges – Why They’re So Special
Zagorohoria is considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its traditional architecture, including its stone bridges.
You’ll cross over some of these bridges as you hike so you might be wondering โ what makes them special?
- The Zagori stone bridges and cobblestone walking paths date from the 18th-19th century.
- These bridges were once the only link between remote villages in the Pindus Mountains, and were built to connect the villages for trading purposes.
- Roads connect the towns and let you can explore the Zagori region by car โ but walking Zagori trails connects you to the past
- The bridges represent the unique cultural heritage of the area and draw tourists to the region. They’re carefully maintained now, in keeping with UNESCO heritage guidelines.
When is the Best Time to Visit Zagori
I visited Zagori in September. This was a perfect time to go.
The weather was warm but not hot or humid. The summer tourists road had largely gone home. There were locals, retired folks, and digital nomads traveling while working remotely โ but we largely had the area to ourselves.
Spring is another good time to visit Zagorohoria Greece. If you come between April and early June, you can see the wildflowers blooming.
By mid-late June the summer crowds begin to arrive. The Pindus Mountains are cooler than Athens, so it makes a nice place to escape the summer heat and wildfires โ not to mention the crazy crowds on Greek islands like Santorini.
Summer in Zagori is lovely, but crowded. If you have to visit in peak months from late June through August, make your hotel reservations in advance since there aren’t a lot of places to stay in the Zagori villages.
Megรกlo and Mikro Pรกpingo are two of the most well-preserved Zagori villages, so this hike really gives you a sense for what makes the Epirus region of northern Greece so special.
Do yourself a favor and spent a day in the Zagori cultural landscape, or better yet several days. Spending a day in Zagorohoria was the highlight of my Greece trip โย and I would return in a heartbeat!
Looking for more things to do in Zagorochoria? This companion post has a day trip itinerary of the Pindus Mountains and Zagori region from Ioannina.
