HOW T
ERE TH
O GET
Mount Parnassos lies northwest of Athens. The village of Arachova is 155 km from Athens and the ski resorts are another 25 km to the north of Arachova. From the Athens-Thessaloniki National Road take the Kastro interchange, on the 120th km. Drive towards Orchomenos, Livadeia, Distomo, Arachova and Delphi.
UTE RO
The first stop you should make is at the village of Zemeno (1), where many taverns and guest houses operate on the right side of the road. On your left, lies a massive rock formation with steep cliffs. Golden Eagles used to frequent this area a few years ago and they may still do. This area is also known to hold White-backed Woodpeckers. Three kilometers after Zemeno, you will enter a tunnel and then you will reach the village of Arachova. This is one of the trendiest places of Greece, full of restaurants, bars and shops. Pass through it quickly and head towards the ski resorts. There are road signs but you may also ask the locals. Leaving Arachova, you will start seeing and hearing birds. Follow the asphalt road going uphill to Livadi. This is a large plateau, 3-4 km long and 2-3 km wide. You will pass through another tunnel on your way (2). Stop at any parking lot and scan the steep slopes on your left and the steep cliffs on your right. Alpine Choughs are frequently seen in winter and Crag Martins in spring, as they nest in the cliffs.
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A long straight road crosses Livadi plateau that is full of luxury chalets, restaurants and coffee shops. At the end of the straight road, it is worth making a stop where sparse fir trees occur in open grassland. Blue Tits, Great Tits, Coal Tits and Mistle Thrushes are abundant and they are very cooperative as they are used to human presence. It won’t be a surprise if you also see Common Crossbills, Goldcrests and Firecrests, Hawfinches and other thrushes. The same area in spring is very good for Cuckoos, Lesser Whitethroats, Common Buzzards and woodpeckers. After this straight road and before you turn towards
the ski resorts, a wide and well-preserved dirt road (3) leads to Elaionas-Drosochori. A beautiful plateau with camping sites is found 5 km after the junction with the asphalt road. This is a promising area for woodpeckers and tits which are abundant in the wooded parts of the mountain. On your way, you may also catch a glimpse of birds of prey flying rapidly between the trees, including the elusive Goshawk. Sparrowhawks and Common Buzzards are much more common and, especially in winter, Mistle Thrushes are virtually everywhere. Return to point (3) and continue on the asphalt road towards the ski resorts. Turn right at the first crossroad that leads to the ski resorts (after c.11 km). In the first 100 m of the ascending road you will see, in spring, a clearing; Red-backed Shrike is common, apparently nesting in the area. Halfway along the route towards the ski resorts you will find another large clearing on your left. This area is called Varkos Despoti and it is ideal habitat for the Black Woodpecker, the White-backed Woodpecker and almost all the other woodpeckers of Greece. The asphalt road leads to Kelaria, the first of the most popular ski resorts. Turn right to enter the parking lot, otherwise continue on the main road to reach the entrance of Fterolakka, the other ski resort. Snowfinch has been recorded at the parking lot of Kelaria in winter, when the area is covered with snow. At the same period, the area above Kelaria (4) is very good for Alpine Chough and Horned Lark but you need a 4x4 vehicle. If you keep on this road and provided that it’s not covered by snow then you may also find one of the few Rock Partridges left. Needless to say, every decent birdwatcher should