The Vikos Gorge is a gorge in the Pindus Mountains of northern Greece. It lies on the southern slopes of Mount Tymfi, with a length of about 20 km, depth ranging from 450 to 1600 m and a width ranging from 400 m only a few metres at its narrowest part. Vikos is listed as the deepest gorge in the world by the Guinness Book of Records among others.
Drakolimni (“Dragon Lake”) is the name of several alpine lakes in northwestern Greece Epirus region: the ones in mountain Tymfi and Smolikas are the most widely known. According to local folktales the lakes used to be inhabited by dragons who fought each other by throwing pines and rocks and thus created the peculiar landscape and gave their names to the lakes.
The first lake resides at an altitude of 2050m above sea level, on the mountain range of Tymfi, in Vikos–Aoös National Park. It is overlooked by the nearby peaks of Ploskos and Astraka. At 5 hours walking distance from the village of Papingo, the lake is a popular trekking destination in the Vikos–Aoös National Park. The lake is inhabited by a species of alpine newt, called drakakia by the locals and, according to local sources, the newts’ resemblance to small dragons gives the lake its distinctive name.
The alpine newt (Ichthyosaura alpestris) is a newt of the salamander order Caudata (or Urodela) in the class of amphibians. It was formerly known as Triturus alpestris. Inside the lake there were hundreds if not thousands of these little salamanders. They are not dangerous and although in the photo bellow might look big, are rather small little creatures. Bellow a photo of the “Drakakia” (Alpine newt).
Complete Thru-Hike review of Mount Tymfi (Pindos) in the following links:
Mount Tymfi (Pindos) Thru-Hike Part 1 – Kapesovo – Mezaria Gorge – Vikos Canyon – Mikro Papingo
https://olympusmountaineering.wordpress ... o-papingo/
Mount Tymfi (Pindos) Thru-Hike Part 2 – ASTRAKA REFUGE – ASTRAKA PEAK
https://olympusmountaineering.wordpress ... traka-peak
Mount Tymfi (Pindos) Thru-Hike Part 3 – Dragon Lake (Drakolimni)
https://olympusmountaineering.wordpress ... rakolimni/
Mount Tymfi (Pindos) Thru-Hike Part 4 – GAMILA – STOMA – MEGAS LAKOS -TSEPELOVO – KAPESOVO
https://olympusmountaineering.wordpress ... -kapesovo/
This is a great option for everyone that would like to hike in Greece. Should anyone might need any further and/or additional information, i will be glad to share maps, GPX tracks and more.
