Monasteries road and the Katara pass

What it is

It is the paved road that climbs from Kalambaka to Kastraki, winds among the rock towers, passes beside the six monasteries and descends again to Kalambaka on the other side. In all it is a circuit of about 20 km. It takes an hour without stopping, but nobody does it that way: with the viewpoints and one or two monasteries, it is half a day.

The route, step by step

1. Kalambaka – Kastraki. You leave Kalambaka heading north and in a few minutes you are in Kastraki, at the foot of the rocks.
2. Saint Nicholas Anapafsas. Past Kastraki, the first monastery is Saint Nicholas, small, in tiers on a narrow rock.
3. Roussanou. Higher up, Roussanou occupies a whole rock. Between the two, the lay-by for sunset over the rocks.
4. Great Meteoron and Varlaam. At the junction, a branch leads to the Great Meteoron and Varlaam, the two great ones, facing each other. It is a dead end: you return the same way.
5. Holy Trinity and Saint Stephen. From the junction, the road continues along the side facing Kalambaka to the Holy Trinity and Saint Stephen.
6. Descent to Kalambaka. From Saint Stephen's the road descends in bends to the village and closes the circle.

How to drive it

It is two-way and has many bends, and between the monasteries there are people walking and tour minibuses stopping at the viewpoints. Drive slowly and park only in wide spots. The monastery car parks are small and from May to October they fill between 10:00 and 14:00; read the car park page and start before 9:00.

On a motorbike it is a short ride; by bicycle it can be done, but the ramps are hard. Without a car, note that Visit Meteora says the KTEL bus no longer goes up to the monasteries: ask at the bus station, or walk up by the monks' footpaths.

Onwards: Metsovo and the Katara pass

If you have another day, continue west on national road 6, the old Trikala to Ioannina road. About 60 km from Kalambaka is Metsovo, already in Epirus. Before arriving, the road crosses the Katara pass, at about 1,705 m, one of the highest in Greece, about 5 km from Metsovo, on the boundary between Thessaly and Epirus. Since the Egnatia motorway runs through tunnels further south, few cars go over Katara.

In winter there may be snow on the pass. If you go between November and March, check the forecast before setting out; with snow, go to Metsovo by the motorway.

When to go

All year. In spring and autumn there is less traffic and better light. In summer, from 10:00 to 14:00 the car parks are full: drive it early or at the end of the afternoon. For Katara, better without snow, spring to autumn.

Petrol

There are several petrol stations on Kalambaka's main road and one in Kastraki; on the monasteries road there are none. If you continue to Metsovo over Katara, fill up first. More on the petrol stations page.