belleelene

The seaside town of Loutraki used to be all the rage in the 90s. A bustling summer resort that offered the option of both the sea as well as natural hot springs. Half of Attica’s residents probably own or know someone who owns a summer house there. Nowadays, most people visit for the casino, much like Mont Parnes. But for hikers, Loutraki holds an entirely different charm

Geraneia is a mountain range in Corinth, located north of the Isthmus. It includes several notable peaks, such as Pintiza and Makryplagi, which is the highest summit at 1,369 meters. According to mythology, the name comes from the word for cranes (geranoi). During the great flood of Deucalion, Megaros, a son of Zeus and founder of Megara, managed to survive by swimming toward the peaks, guided by the cries of cranes flying above.

Geologically, the landscape is shaped by long-term tectonic activity, featuring steep slopes and rocky coastlines. The unique terrain is closely tied to the nearby Sousaki volcano, which sits at the edge of the Aegean Volcanic Arc. This underground geothermal activity is the direct reason Loutraki possesses its famous thermal springs, as the mineral waters are naturally heated by the volcano’s magmatic dome.

As a protected Natura 2000 site, the mountain is a rich habitat for dozens of animal species and roughly 950 types of plants. The flora changes with the altitude, shifting from dense Aleppo pine forests on the lower slopes to Greek firs near the summits, alongside rare endemic wildflowers like Centaurea megarensis.

On paper, the mountain is organized around three main color-coded routes: the Red Trail (a long 16km ridge route crossing from west to east), the Yellow Trail (a 7km vertical crossing from the Osios Patapios Monastery up to Pintiza and down to Pisia), and the Green Trail (a scenic 12.5km path winding through forested terrain).

For my trek, I decided to follow the trail from Pisia to Pintiza Peak. Geraneia is supposed to be an easy mountain range with gentle slopes, however trail conditions on the ground tell a different story. In May 2021, a severe wildfire impacted a significant portion of the mountain’s forest land. The area is still actively recovering, which in reality means the old paths are heavily overgrown with thick, thorny holly oaks. After reaching the summit, we tried to push through from Pintiza to the nearby Petra Perachoras rock formation. Unfortunately, the trail directly under Pintiza was completely blocked by dense, scratchy bushes—and I was wearing a T-shirt. Then, we tried the Green Trail option instead. While it was a tiny bit more accessible, the path itself was obscured by the overgrowth. We had to rely heavily on our GPS trace to navigate. Because the last few meters to actually reach Petra Perachoras require some climbing, we decided to leave that challenge for another day.

If you feel like hiking up to Pintiza yourself, you can find and follow our exact route alltrails. On our way back, we made a quick stop at the tavern in the center of Pisia, which is equally cozy during the winter. Back in Loutraki, we wrapped up the day perfectly with a quick dip at the salty sea, and even managed to claim the last available massage appointments to complement the thermal baths and sauna experience at the local spa. Ah, the scratches from the holly oaks, I’ll remember them.