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At 2.407 meters, Mount Taygetost is the highest mountain in the Peloponnese and a personal favorite of mine. Named after the nymph Taygete and devoted to the god of the Sun, Helios, Taygetos is destined to provide a mystical experience.
But it is the peace and quiet of the mountain, disturbed only by an occasional distant sound of goat bells, and the striking views across uncountable peaks of this 100-kilometer-long mountain range that remain with me a long time after I left.
Many hiking trails are crossing the mountain including the challenging 2-day traverse of Pentadaktylos ridge or the ascent to Profitis Ilias peak through the beautiful Vyros Gorge above Kardamili.
However, the classic (and probably easiest) ascent route to Taygetos’ highest peak starts at Manganiari Spring on the eastern side of the mountain and climbs to the top via the Taygetos Refuge.

Getting to Manganiari Spring from Sparti
To get to the starting point of the trail at Manganiari Spring follow the Sparti – Githio road for about 10 kilometers. When you reach a small village called Trapezanti watch out for a sign pointing to the right towards Paleopanagia.
In Paleopanagia, you’ll see the first signs for the Taygetos refuge (Katafygio Taygetou). From here, the narrow mountain road climbs up through uncountable turns for another 9 kilometers until it reaches its end at Manganiari Spring.
Maps, signposting & difficulty
The trail from Manganiari Spring to Profitis Ilias is covered by the Anavasi map of Taygetos. However, the scale of the map is too large to provide any useful information for this particular hike and the trail is marked so well that a map really isn’t necessary in this case.
The path is marked by red signs and wooden poles with a few tables along the way with information about the destination and approximate hiking time. It was by far one of the best signpostings I’ve seen around the Greek mountains and very easy to follow. In any case, you can check out the recording of our hike on Wikiloc HERE.
The trail itself isn’t technically difficult. It starts as a comfortable, well-trodden forest path and later turns into a rocky trail, nothing too difficult to handle for an average hiker.
That being said, with almost 1500 meters of altitude gain, the climb (and especially the following descent) is very challenging physically if done in just one day!
It can be done as a two-day hike, too, with an overnight stay near the refuge or at the summit. For this, you would have to carry camping equipment and plenty of water as the refuge is normally closed. But based on our latest experience I must say it is absolutely worth it!
During our latest excursion to Taygetos, we climbed to the top of the mountain in the afternoon, spent the night in a bivouac at the summit, and returned back to Manganiari Spring in the morning. This way, we got to enjoy an amazing sunset as well as to see the magical pyramid phenomenon during sunrise.
To enjoy the overnight stay at the summit, it is crucial to watch the weather forecast carefully for windless nights and to bring proper equipment. Even on an early summer day with temperatures rising to 30 degrees, it was extremely cold at the top once the sun dipped behind the horizon.
You’ll need to bring at least 3 liters of water as well, as there are no springs along the trail. We are talking about the summer months here, of course! During winter, the ascent of Mount Taygetos becomes a serious mountaineering quest requiring all sorts of skills and equipment.
Update: Recently, Anavasi published a new Map and guide of Mount Taygetos and it is awesome! Not only is the map much more detailed thanks to its 1:25.000 scale but the attached guide contains detailed information about 18 (!) hiking trails in the larger area of Mount Taygetos including route profiles and plenty of beautiful pictures.

Manganiari Spring to Taygetos Refuge at Varvara
The trail to Profits Ilias Peak starts at a place called Manganiari Spring at an altitude of 980 meters. It passes through a beautiful forest of firs and pines providing welcomed shade on hot summer days.
There is a large parking space at the end of the asphalt road, two springs with running water, a couple of stone benches and pick-nick tables as well as a few information tables pointing out the fauna and flora of the area.
We spent a night here in order to start our hike early in the morning. Arriving late, we pitched our tent on a tiled pavement near the first spring and spent a very uncomfortable night trying to find at least a slightly comfortable sleeping position on the hard surface.
However, in the light of the next morning, we discovered a much better camping spot in the forest above the road, right before a small creek running across.
During summer, Manganiari Spring is the last water source on the way to the top so make sure to take enough for the whole hike.
The trailhead is marked by a wooden sign pointing towards the Taygetos Refuge and Profitis Ilias summit. The time estimate towards the refuge was one and a half hours but it took us at least two.
I didn’t find this section of the trail too challenging considering that it is a steady climb with an elevation gain of approximately 500 meters. For my boyfriend, however, this was the most tiring part of the climb.

The hike from Manganiari Spring to Taygetos refuge can be omitted altogether as there is an 8-kilometer-long dirt road leading all the way up to the refuge. This way, you can make the climb shorter and considerably easier.
We drove up to the refuge in our tiny Peugeot 106 a few years back and it was a hair-raising experience! But it is worth mentioning that we completed the drive on a rainy night which made navigating through the many sharp turns and potholes very challenging.
During our last visit, we saw quite a few regular cars parked at the refuge and were informed that the road was being fixed. It is still an unsurfaced forest track requiring a lot of caution.
Either way, I loved hiking through the sweet-scented forest while getting first glimpses of the rugged peaks of Mount Taygetos bathing in the beautiful morning light.
The Taygetos Refuge (1550 meters) is run by the Mountaineering Club of Sparti and opens only upon prior arrangement so don’t expect to buy any refreshments here.
But it is a pleasant place to take a break before embarking on the main section of the climb. It is a crossroads of a few other marked trails including the E4 long-distance path.





Taygetos Refuge to Prifitis Ilias Peak
The climb from Taygetos Refuge to Profitis Ilias summit takes around 3 hours and has an elevation gain of about 850 meters. Initially, the trail continues ascending gently through the forest but soon enough it leaves the trees behind and climbs straight up over a rocky slope.
The combination of steep climb and unexpectedly hot weather for late September made this the most difficult part of the climb for me. Thankfully, it didn’t take too long before the path flattened a bit again and continued its steady climb through the grassy meadows of Mount Taygetos.
A cool breeze and stunning views opening up all around as we climbed higher and higher made the tiring ascent all the more enjoyable. However, it also resolved in slacking on reapplying sunscreen which made for some painful burns later on! Don’t make the same mistake!
Right before reaching the Portes col on the ridge of Mount Taygetos, we passed through a place called Plakes. This is possibly the most impressive section of the climb with limestone plates creating a natural “pavement”.
At Portes, the views towards the western side of Taygetos open up with the Messinian Bay and the rugged peak of Chalasmeno becoming its main stars.
The trail running to the top of the pyramid of Taygetos can be seen for the first time, too, making the summit seem just a stone’s throw away.
The final ascent to the top is trickier than it looks from the col, though. The narrow trail is covered by small slippery gravel-like stones, especially at the upper part, making every step a balancing challenge.
But when it is over and you finally step your foot on the top and victoriously ring the bell of Profitis Ilias church all the suffering of the ascent is forgotten!













The views from the top are magnificent! On a clear day, you can admire the imposing ridgeline of Central Taygetos to the north, the glistering Messinian Bay to the west, the lower yet equally beautiful peaks of Southern Taygetos running down through the Many peninsula, the Laconian Bay, and even Mount Parnonas towering above Sparti to the east!
There is a small, roofless church of Profitis Ilias and a cluster of other stone-built structures scattered across the top. Among others, they serve as a shelter to those spending the night at the top in order to witness the famous shadow of the Taygetos pyramid at sunrise.
As tempting as it is to chill at the top of Mount Taygetos for hours enjoying the striking views, keep in mind that the descent is as hard (if not harder) as the ascent.
We managed to get back to Manganiary Spring just before dark with our muscles burning and knees aching after the long day on the mountain. But the amazing experience was well worth the effort!





Looking for more beautiful places to visit in Messinia? Then check out THIS post about the region’s beautiful beaches, castles, and waterfalls.
Helena this looks amazing! You really converted a northern Europe lover to hike in Greece 🙂 Thanks!
Thank you, I’m glad to hear that! You have to come to see for your self when this craziness is finally over!
Thank you so much Helena for your trip report(s). We would love to hike to the summit of Profitis Ilias in mid July this year, spending the night in Sparti and driving a rented vehicle to the beginning of the hike and back to Sparti later the same day. Is it possible to drive a normal sedan beyond Manganiari Spring? In other words, how is the road from Manganiari Spring to Katafito Taygetos? is it a sealed road or a dirt track that could ruin the car?
And now to something else. How far in advance would you recommend booking a meals and accommodation at the Spilios Agapitos Refuge on Mount Olympos (kind of a few days, a couple of weeks or a couple of months in advance)?
Kind regards, yuval
Hi Yuval, I’m glad you found the post helpful! We drove to the refuge of Taygetos 7-8 years ago and as far as I remember, it was pretty bad.
It is a dirt road that has around 7 kilometers and is full of turns. But we did it at night and in the rain which didn’t help the situation. 4×4 would definitely be a better choice if you are renting a car. For the Olympus refuge I would recommend to book it as soon as you can, it is pretty busy during the summer. From what I read they are opening next weekend, send them an email and ask! Have a great time in the mountains!! Helena
Thank you Helena for the useful information in your post. We were just up there (Nov 20, 2021). We drove all the way to the EOS shelter. The gravel road from Manginani Spring to the shelter is in good shape and we made it with a little Peugeot 108. The road from Manginani Spring to the EOS shelter is in good shape as of mid-November 2021. The road is steep and we needed to maintain speed on the steep grades, but it is not very rocky or rutted and out little car made it to the top without problem.
Thank you for the useful informatiIon, Helena.
The road from Manginani Spring to the EOS shelter is in good shape as of mid-November 2021. The road from Paleopanagia to Manginani Spring is paved. From Manginani Spring to the EOS shelter at 1550m the road is gravel and well maintained. We drove a small car (Peugeot 108) up to the shelter. The road is steep and we needed to maintain speed, but it is not very rocky or rutted and out little car made it to the top without problem.
Hi Helen, thank you for the info, this is really useful!! Hope you had fun! ☺️
Hi Helena!
Thank you for the useful information!
You wrote earlier that “the hike from the Manganiari spring to the Taygetos refuge can be completely abandoned, as an 8 kilometer long dirt road leads up to the refuge”.
We are preparing in the summer, and we would leave the departure from the source. (unfortunately, a lot of theft and vandalism have been reported recently…)
My question is, where does the road to the shelter start from the Mangariani spring? I don’t see the connecting road on the map.
Thank you in advance for your answer !
Best regards, Laci.
Hello Laci, I’m glad you found the post useful! The dirt road starts right before the spring. It doesn’t look like it’s connected to the asphalt road on Google Maps but it is in reality. You cannot miss it. Have fun! Helena
Helena, thank you very much for your answer ! Have a nice day ! Laci.