Winter Parnon – 3 villages for vacations
The winter on Parnonas is magical and especially the authentic villages of Kynouria are waiting for you.
KOSMAS is a mountain village in the municipality of South Kynouria. It is built in the south eastern part of Parnonas, at an altitude of 1,150meters, among fir forests.
The path through the fir and cedar forests is very exciting.
Also nearby is the historic town of Geraki (17km).
It has been officially designated as a traditional settlement.
The central square of the vil- lage, is covered with spectacular plane trees (planted in 1883), with picturesque cafes and taverns and magnificent views. In the center lies the beautiful church Agoioi Anargyroi.
Behind the sanctuary of the church there are three beautiful foun- tains which are constantly pouring their water.
The village houses are stone-built and the local traditional architecture. Around Kosmas there is a magnificent chestnut tree that forms a giant chest- nut forest – one of the largest in Greece – where you can enjoy your walk in nature.
Kosmas is also known for its local meats and honey. Its taverns offer good food and delicious roasts. In cafes you can taste wonderful topical sweets.
Agios Petros
Village in Parnonas full of green. It offers excellent accommodation with hotels, tavernas, shops with local products, it is a destination all year round, since it covers all the tastes.
The visit to Agios Petros can not be combined to the visit to the famous monastery of the area, the monastery of Malevis. Those who love climbing and nature will love it, since from the village start paths that end up in Mikri Tourla and Megali Tourla, the highest top of Parnonas, in 1936m far from the shelter, where you can stay for 6 hours.
Agios Ioannis Arkadias is a mountainous village built at an altitude of 725 m, 18 km west of Astros Kynouria.
Its contribution to the 1821 revolution was important, as he brought forth important personalities such as Panos Sariyannis and Anagnostis Papazoglou, as well as the inhab- itants of Astros, brothers Zafiropoulians (Ioannis Zafeiropoulos, Konstantinos Zafeiropoulos and Panagiotis Zafeiropoulos (Akouros), which played a key role in the preparation and during the revolution.
In 1826 the village was completely destroyed by the hordes of Ibrahim Pasha.
In 1845, the village became the base of the Kynouria District. From this village came Astros, which until 1961 was called Agiannitika Kalyvia, as well as some other settlements.
The village has many traditional fountains, such as Soularnari, Perdikoneri, Pigadaki, Moussa, Prodromou and others.
A little lower than the temple of the Baptist, there are 5 watermills surviving until recently and ground with Prodromos water. A few kilometers outside the village lies the Castle of Oria, built in 1256 by the Fran- conian ruler William II of Villehardouin, in order to subdue the Tsakones in the area.
Very close to the village, there are also the famous Bloodfalls.
The village has traditional buildings, guest houses, taverns and is planted with trees.