Away from the classic tourist destinations of Greece, there is a pearl waiting to be discovered: the Tzoumerka with its kayak rivers Acheloos, Arachthos and Kallaritikos offers top-class white water and much more. The magnificent mountain landscape with a lot of history and culture is ideal for families and mixed groups. The newly founded Arachthos camp is the perfect base camp for exploring the region.   

The town of Plaka

The mighty rock band of towering steep walls shines in the red reflection of the evening sun. Snow fields shimmer in the late light and blur the horizon line. The spectacle captivates the eye with its wild play of colors. Many hundreds of meters below, however, there is calm, the deciduous forest with all its shades is quiet. Even the Arachthos, pulling in large wings towards the sea, flows almost secretly through the gorge of the Great Canyon. No sound of roaring, roaring, rustling. You have to look closely to even see the tiny red roofs of the village of Plaka. The coolness of the evening settles over the valleys of the Tzoumerka. The day has found its peace.

It pays to pause, pull the car to the side and turn off the engine for a moment. Once you have crossed the Arachthos Bridge and made the switchbacks high above Plaka, you can hardly escape the tremendous panorama. Whether on that evening in May as described above or in the bright midday sun on a clear autumn day - the mountain landscape of the Tzoumerka has something magical about it.

Perhaps the most bizarre thing about this spot: Hardly any foreign traveler ever gets lost in the hidden idyll in the northern Greek Pindus Mountains. Is it the location on the edge of the major traffic axes? Or the rather restrained marketing of the regional tourism experts? When non-Greeks find their way to the Tzoumerka, it is mostly kayakers. Arachthos and Acheloos are among the most famous canoe rivers in Greece. The vast canyon of the middle Arachthos has been used by white water sports enthusiasts for decades. But even this species of aquatic adventurer, who generally loves to travel, mostly only knows the river, the small town of Plaka with its bars and two or three wild campsites.

The vacation paradise is almost unknown

The wild mountain landscape between the two great rivers of Northern Greece has so much more to offer. The rough summit region, which is often snow-covered until early summer, is a world of its own. Few people spend the whole year in the picturesque, but difficult to reach, mountain villages. If you want, you can go up high, even by car: Many of the gravel mountain roads can be explored without all-wheel drive and open up the deserted world of the high alpine pastures to travelers. Whether by the wayside or on the highest peaks: chapels, monasteries and churches in spectacular locations testify to the deep religiousness of the mountain people. The villages connected by historical mule tracks are a chapter of their own.

While many of the settlements built in exposed locations appear abandoned most of the year, history was written in the stone houses at other times. Kallarites, Syrako and Matsouki were veritable economic centers 200 years ago, local sheep farmers dominated the wool trade as far as Venice and even equipped the Napoleonic army with wool clothing. In the maze of winding streets, restored houses stand between ruins marked by the ravages of time. The settlements of the Tzoumerka often sit like eagle's nests above deep gorges, and panoramic hiking trails lead along rugged gorge walls and thundering waterfalls.

The local streams

The water of the countless, always clear streams collects in the gorges of Acheloos, Arachthos and Kalaritikos. The last two mentioned in particular account for the region's continued popularity among white water sports enthusiasts. Sculpture-rich, completely pathless canyons stretching over many kilometers, sediment walls shimmering in all colors, grottos surrounded by creeping plants, bubbling springs and gnarled giant plane trees - nature has created a miracle in the depths of the Arachthos Gorge.

The whitewater itself is a dream. The structure of the rivers is painted into the rock as if the creator himself had wielded a paddle. Each rapid is followed by a relaxation pool. The rocks are round, the water is clean and relatively warm. No portages, not even nerve-wracking sightseeing from the shore slow down the journey. On the other hand, the Arachthos is a playground like no other: surfing waves, deep, clearly defined eddies, currents of every difficulty make technical paddling between the blocks a pleasure. From very easy white water to a furious shot through the Kallaritikos canyon - everyone will discover their own favorite route here.

The first paddler campsite in Greece 

While the natural beauty of the Tzoumerka has been in the top league for a long time, outdoor holidaymakers are now finally looking forward to the perfect infrastructure. Just in time for Easter, the Arachthos Camp in Plaka welcomes paddlers and outdoor enthusiasts. The modern, lovingly built campsite has all the amenities that active holidaymakers want: modern sanitary facilities with showers spread across the site, barbecue areas and picnic tables, plenty of space on unmarked pitches, as well as a small cafe with reception and information -Point. 

Camp boss Nikos Manthos has been running the Hotel Teloneio for several years, which has an excellent reputation not only among paddlers. In a very warm atmosphere, guests will find first-class quality with a noble ambience and surprisingly moderate prices. The campsite complements the offer for holidaymakers who do not want to miss the campfire in the open air.

Modern mountain bikes can be rented at the camp. Nikos also organizes rafting and hiking tours in the Tzoumerka. Overall, Plaka is the perfect base camp for groups of different sporting ambitions. The central starting point on the river enables a wide variety of tours to the sights of the region. The sports program on offer leaves nothing to be desired: whether guided hiking tours, ambitious bike tours or rafting or kayaking through the most beautiful gorges in the country - everyone has a chance in the Tzoumerka.

Toros Outdoors uses the campsite in Plaka as a base camp for the Northern Greece camps in May. For a week we will take you to the most beautiful rivers and most idyllic spots in the region. In the evening we return to the base camp, so there is plenty of time for cozy camp life and letting your soul dangle. All information and dates here.

Some of the photos on this page were kindly taken by me Martin Schaefer made available.