Papingo at the foot of Astraka: two settlements

Papingo lies at the foot of Astraka and consists of Megalo Papigo and Mikro Papigo, two settlements about two kilometres apart.

Settlements beneath the towers of Astraka

Five distinctive towers of Astraka rise above the settlements. The mountain backdrop and the two separate village centres together shape Papingo’s landscape. Getting to know the area means taking into account both the names of the individual settlements and the mountain rising above them when finding your way around.

Paths to Ovires Rogovou and the Astraka Refuge

Paths from Megalo Papigo and Mikro Papigo lead to the natural stone pools of Ovires Rogovou, which are filled with water from the Rogovou stream. The paths to the pools and the route to the Astraka Refuge have different starting points: the described route to the refuge begins in Mikro Papigo. From the church, it follows the central paved village path.

The route from Mikro Papigo to the Astraka Refuge is part of National Hiking Trail 03. For planning, the specific route through the village is particularly important; you should check the current condition of the paths locally. Certified hiking guides also work in the Papigo area and can accompany visitors along the paths of Mount Tymfi or on the route to Drakolimni (Dragon Lake). This means that, in addition to exploring individual paths independently, guided tours are another option, without any particular schedule being implied.

The broader view of Zagori also helps put the hiking landscape into perspective: the collection of hiking routes for Zagori comprises 32 routes. Seven of these are considered mountain hiking routes because they are long and run at high altitudes. These figures describe the collection for the travel region; for your day in Papingo, choosing a specific destination remains key.

Local festival in Megalo Papigo

A local festival is held in Megalo Papigo every year around the feast day of the Prophet Elijah on 20 July. It usually begins on the evening of 19 July and lasts two days. If you are in Papingo during this period, you can take this recurring tradition into account when planning your schedule; the dates and duration given describe the usual timing and length.

Information Centre and village square

The Papigo Information Centre is near the village square, in a stone building that was formerly an elementary school, next to the Church of the Taxiarchs. Its location offers a specific landmark in the village, while the building itself once served a different purpose. In June 2004, all visitors to the Information Centre could use a database developed by the Department of Biological and Technological Applications at the University of Ioannina.

When planning, you can consider the two settlements, the different starting points for the paths mentioned, and the usual festival dates separately. This makes it clear which details apply to the area as a whole and which are specific to Megalo Papigo or Mikro Papigo.

Discover more destinations: Elafotopos, Monodendri, Eleousa, Vovoúsa, Negades, Kapesovo, Vikos, Plikati.

Go to the main travel overview: Ioannina.