Agoriani
Imagine a mountainous resort with gourmet restaurants, trendy bars, boutique hotels with fireplaces and heated spa pools and a slight difficulty in finding parking. That is Arahova, the “Mykonos of the Winter” and Agoriani is its closest and most popular neighbor, after the sanctuary of Apollo in Delphi.
The setting
Only 25km away from Arahova, on the back side of Mount Parnassus, Agoriani is built emphitheatrically at 850m altitude, among firs and plane trees. It is exactly what you should expect to see on a Greek mountain at the center of Greece. Totally built in stone, with its characteristic tile roofs, built to push the snow away, and with stone paved streets leading you through beautifully cared courtyards.
How to get there
The trip from Athens to Agoriani is about two and a half hours. However, if you are in the area of Central Greece, Agoriani is only 30 min from Arahova, 40 min from Delphi, and one hour from Livadeia. The traditional village of Agoriani, is surrounded by firs, with stone houses and smoking chimneys, little tavernas with delicious local products and beautiful walking paths surrounding the mountainous area around it.
What to expect
Agoriani might be a typical mountainous village but at the same time it is everything you would not expect. Although on Sundays, it is a little crowded, as visitors come to see the favorite mountain of the Athenians, Agoriani retains its authenticity. Here you will not find souvenir shops and over loaded “country style” restaurants and cafes. The residents have a genuine hospitality, the dishes are home-made and the nights are a local favourite – without excluding the visitors, as they are more than welcome in the kafeneia (traditional Greek cafes).
The Village
The favourite spot in the village, is the central, stone-paved square with its twin giant planes. There you will find a variety of tavernas and cafes, where Greek coffee, spoon sweets and refreshments are served on little tables outdoors when the weather is fine.
From there, you can follow the path by the little river that leads to the beautiful waterfall. The crystal clear water’s sound accompanies you throughout your ascent, helping you find your way, as it rushes from a height of 20 meters and continues until it reaches the square.
What to do in the area
When you are full of walking through the village streets and tasting delicious flavours in the tavernas, you can enjoy some activities in nature. You can walk from Agoriani to Delphi following the famous E4 European path, that passes through the most beautiful part of the forest.
You can ski or snowbard at the ski-center that is only a few kilometers away and you can even explore some unique caves, such as Korikion Andro or Pan’s Cave, that the ancients Greeks used as a temple.
