Planitero is a small mountain village nestled on the southwestern slopes of Mount Chelmos (Aroania) at an altitude of 700 m.
It is home to the beautiful Aroanios spring, and the starting point of multiple hiking trails leading towards the many peaks of Mount Chelmos or the nearby villages.
It is much quieter than the neighboring Kalavrita and its well-known ski center or the stunning Vouraikos gorge on the northern foothills of the mountain, but that doesn’t make it any less charming.
We very much enjoyed our day of hiking across the forested slopes above Planitero, discovering hidden streams, stunning viewpoints and beautiful nature waking up from its winter sleep all around us.
How to get to Planitero from Athens
The drive from the center of Athens to Planitero took us around two and a half hours and wasn’t too complicated. We followed the Tripoli highway until the exit at Nestani, where we turned towards Levidi.
We continued along the Tripoli – Patra regional road until we spotted signs for Kalavrita and the Cave of Lakes. Right after the small Kalavrita ZOO, we turned right and continued uphill towards Planitero.
We drove past the beautiful Aroanios spring, overflowing with crystal clear water at the beginning of spring and parked our car at the village square/playground. We continued on foot from here. You can find the driving directions HERE.
Maps, signposting & difficulty
At 11 kilometers in length and approximately 800 meters of elevation gain, this looked like a moderate hike on paper. In reality, it was much more challenging.
The trail was faint, sometimes disappearing entirely and the markings were faded and far apart.
We got lost many times during our hike, which led to many unexpected (and unwanted) shortcuts through the forest.
Keep that in mind if you decide to follow our Wikiloc recording (HERE). The area of Planitero is covered in the Anavasi Map of Mount Helmos as well.
The trail was marked by red paint and signs pinned to the trees, except for the section between Planitero and Elatofito, where the signs were yellow.
We had to pass multiple scree fields along the way as well, which only added to the challenge.
On the plus side, about halfway through the hike, we found a spring with fresh, cool water at Kefalovriso, which was a welcomed surprise on this unseasonally hot spring day!
From Planitero to Kalogiros Summit
From the village square, we headed northwest following the E4 long-distance trail. After about one kilometer of walking along a dirt road (and one completely unnecessary shortcut), we spotted a trail branching off to the right.
We joined the trail and for the next kilometer we climbed uphill through orchards and terrace fields. The trail was almost invisible at this point, and we had to pay close attention to the markings and our Wikiloc recording to stay on track.
But once we merged into a low bushy vegetation, the path became clearer and our ascent easier. What’s more, soon after we finally reached the forest and the much-needed shade.
For the next two kilometers, the trail climbed steadily through the forest towards the summits of Kalogiros with only a few confusing turns.
Once we came out of the forest, we spotted the summit, a cluster of rocks perched at the edge of a grassy pasture.
To be honest, I didn’t expect much from the 1.372 meters high, indistinct peak. But as soon as we climbed to the top of the rocks near the summit column, I realized I was wrong.
The views from the top towards the rugged summit of Chelmos’ Profitis Ilias, the snowcapped Dourdouvana, and the many smaller ranges of central Peloponnese were stunning, and we spent quite some time admiring the beautiful mountainous scenery.
Kefalovriso & Elatofito
From the summit of Kalogiros we returned to our trail running along the edge of the forest and turned right.
For the next kilometer or so, the path run slightly downhill across the forested slopes, crossing multiple slippery scree fields.
It became narrow and faint once again, and we needed to pay close attention to the sporadic signs and our Wikiloc.
Despite that, this was probably my favorite section of our hike, thanks to the beautiful mountainous views and pristine nature all around.
At the end of the valley, we come across a small stream running down the grassy slopes (Kefalovriso). We filled our water bottles here and took a much-needed break in the shade of the rocks nearby.
From Kefalovriso, we continued on the other side of the valley, ascending slightly at first but soon turning downhill towards Elatofito. This section of the trail run mostly through the forest, and the trail was clearer and easier to follow.
After about 2 kilometers, we reached Elatofito, a tiny village with a lovely stream and amazing views across the surrounding mountains.
We descended through the village following a maze of unmarked footpaths until we came across another trail marked by yellow signs.
We joined the trail and embarked on our final descent to Planitero. The last 3 kilometers between Elatofito and Planitero were easy. The trail was clear compared to the previous sections of the hike, and the markings were sufficient.
The path zigzagged through the forest for the most part, with occasional views opening up towards Planitero and the imposing rocky summit of Profitis Ilias towering above us.
