Our guesthouse and farm are located in the pretty village of Kerpini, one of the mountain villages of Mt. Chelmos. Just 10 minutes away from the historic Kalavrita, it offers easy access to the whole mountain range of Chelmos Vouraikos Geopark. An iconic mountain with a deep history and tradition, but also a splendid landscape that is rich in natural treasures for every visitor! Explore with us the nearest places of destination.
Orias Guesthouse is located only 30 minutes from the Kalavryta Ski Center. The ski resort is located on the north side of Chelmos in Xerokampos, just 15 km from Kalavryta. It has been operating since 1988 and has 7 lifts, 12 slopes, large parking areas, coffee shops, restaurants, a store for buying or renting ski & snowboard equipment, a ski school for having skiing lessons, and a first-aid station.
The Kalavryta ski center has the largest snowpark in the country, with impressive hills and obstacles.
In June 2023 the Kalavryta Ski Centre introduced a three-day festival of music, outdoor activities & entertainment at the foothills of Helmos, the Helmos Mountain Festival, which was very popular as 12,000 people enjoyed it.
Cave Lakes – Kastria Cave
The Cave Lakes is located on the road from Kalavryta to Klitoria at an altitude of 827 meters. It is 17 km from Kalavryta and 9 km from Klitoria. The road crosses just a few meters from the artificial entrance of the cave and is close to the natural one.
The cave is a unique piece of nature. It has extremely rare features such as curving tunnels, mysterious passages, and splendid stalactites. The successive 13 internal lakes that scale in three levels within the cave make it unique in the world.
The existence of lakes within a cave is a unique geological phenomenon. From a hydrological point of view, the cave is divided into 3 sections: The first section is solid, about 80 meters long and its floor is covered with a thick layer of red mud. The second section is 700 meters long and is characterized by successive pools. The third and largest section is 5 meters long.
The 1,980 meters of the cave have been explored and the accessible part of the cave is currently 500 meters long. Visitors enter it through an underground tunnel and end up directly on the second floor. The crossing of the lakes is done by means of elevated artificial bridges.
Odontotos Railway
The Odontotos railway was built in 1896 and is the work of Charilaos Trikoupis. Starting from the coastal town of Diakoptos and proceeding parallel to the Vouraikos River, bridges were built, and tunnels were opened until the emblematic Odontotos reached Kalavryta and is today the most mountainous railway in Greece.
The agreement for the construction of the railway line was signed in 1889 and its construction was completed seven years later. The line was designed by French engineers. The project was very difficult because of the rocky terrain. On 10 March 1896, the train made its first journey.
Since then and until today, the Vouraikos River and the Odontos Railway have been passing in parallel. The train has become so well adapted to the environment that it is now an integral part of it. In fact, its construction has not affected the ecosystem of the gorge at all. Using wood and stone from the area, the technicians carved their way through works that one would think nature created on its own.
The route, lasting about 1 hour, starts from Diakopto, crosses the Vouraikos gorge, passes through the village of Zachlorou, and ends in Kalavryta.
Lake Tsivlou
The small mountain lake of the Achaea region is located on the slopes of Mount Helmos. It is a natural lake with a life of less than a hundred years since it was added to the geophysical map of the region only in 1913, as a result of a catastrophic and fatal landslide that hit the area at that time. In this large landslide, huge volumes of earth covered the bank of the River Krathi and its affluence, wiping out the graphic village of Sylivina and swallowing part of the neighboring village of Tsivlou. The lake was created by the waters that gathered behind the masses of soil and is probably the youngest natural lake in Europe. The name of the lake was given by the settlement of Tsivlou, part of which was buried under its waters.
Lake Tsivlou is one of the 29 geological phenomena of special value (geotopes) in the Geopark. The ecological importance of the area in terms of its flora and aquatic fauna is very valuable. Around the lake, coniferous trees such as fir and various species of pine prevail. The lake is home to five species of fish (carp, trout and cauliflower, freshwater mullet, and dace).
Its lakeside is ideal for hiking, walking, or cycling, and some people choose to paddle or swim in its cool waters during the summer months. The walk around the lake is very scenic and can be done in less than two hours.
Waters of Styx
The water of Styga is the name of the springs of the river Krathi, located in Chelmos at an altitude of 2,100 meters. According to mythology, Styga was an Oceanida who had her palace in Tartara, guarded by watchful dragons. They were associated with the Eleusinian Mysteries and Orphic Pythagorean beliefs about rebirth. In the waters of Styx, the gods were sworn or served their sentence when they were punished. The Styx caused fear in both gods and humans. According to legend, no living being survived drinking from this river. According to mythology, Thetis dipped young Achilles into the waters of Styx to give him the gift of immortality.
The ascent to the waters of Styga can be made from the village of Peristera (or Solos).