Skiing in Greece

11th July 2024 | James Cove, Greece.

Last modified on July 14th, 2024

PlanetSKI is currently in Greece for some summer activities. Plus researching a ski trip for next winter in a country more known for its sand than its snow. It has 25 ski areas and some rather decent skiing.

We have already posted on our current trip to Greece, but mainly about the summer activities and how they have more than a passing resemblance to the experiences on snow in the winter months:

PlanetSKI in the Summer

Now we look in detail at the skiing on offer in the winter in Greece.

Greece offers snow as well as sand.

There are 25 ski areas in Greece with 117 ski lifts that give access to 190 kms of marked slopes.

The main ones are:

Parnassos
Kalavrita
Katafygio-Oiti
Velouchi
Helmos
Vasilitsa
Mainalo
Ziria
Velouchi
Pertouli

They cover much of the mainland.

Image c/o Snowreport.gr

Skiing started for the first time in Greece in the 1920’s with primitive lifts and runs, but has had slowly rising numbers ever since.

“Although Greece is a country where the sun shines most of the year, it can also boast some very good skiing resorts with ultra modern facilities that can satisfy even the most demanding skiers, offering an unforgettable experience down spectacular ski runs where the beauty of the alpine landscape is guaranteed to take your breath away,” says snowreport.gr.

“Enjoy a ski run in some of the best known skiing resorts of the country, and feast your eyes on the beauty of snow-clad mountaintops as you experience an overwhelming feeling of freedom.”

Greece is now very much on our list of places to ski.

It borders Turkey where we had a fabulous and fascinating time skiing last winter.

- Turkish Delight – PlanetSKI is skiing and sightseeing in Turkey

Here at PlanetSKI we love the world’s more unusual ski areas, they are often richer and more rewarding.

So, lets looks in some more detail about snowsports in Greece and the main areas.

Skiing in Greece.
Image © PlanetSKI

Parnassos

It is Greece’s most popular ski center and is about two hours from Athens.

The mountain area has two peaks:

- - Kellaria, 1,750m
  - Fterolakas, 1,950m

There are 13 lifts, 19 ski runs, 7 ski routes, 10 trails and 3 beginner runs.

There are two cafe-chalets and a restaurant in the center, ski and snowboard schools, special stores for ski and snowboard equipment rental and a playground for children.

Parnassos Ski Center operates from December until the beginning of May, and is the most popular ski center in Greece.

It is located about 24 kms from Arachova where many of the hotels and restaurants are.

Kalavrita Ski Center

The next closest ski resort to Athens is on 2,340m Mount Helmos at the Kalavrita Ski Center in the Peloponessos.

It is about two and a half hours drive from Athens.

This is the second largest ski resort in Greece and has 12 slopes: 2 difficult, 2 intermediate, 6 easy and 2 very easy.

There are special areas for snowboarding.

The resort has snack bars, cafes, restaurants, shops for renting or buying ski equipment and a ski school.

Most people stay in the town of Kalavrita which is a beautiful town and is famous for the small train that climbs the mountain from the seaside town of Diakofto through the Vouraikós Gorge to the railway station in Kalavrita.

Sometimes in early and late season it is possible ski and go for a swim the same day.

Nearby is the Agia Lavra Monastery and the Cave of the Lakes.

Kalavrita is full of cozy restaurants, cafes, shops and hotels and guest houses.

Mount Olympus Elatochori Ski Center

Of course if you had to choose one mountain to ski in Greece it would probably be on 2,917m Mount Olympus.

The Elatochori Ski Center is on the northern slopes of Greece’s most famous mountain and has six slopes and two lifts as well as a snowboarding and a sled run.

There are two ski schools, a shop for renting equipment, as well as a chalet and there is accommodation in the various towns and villages nearby.

Mount Olympus is about a 4-hour drive from Athens and the nearest village is Elatohori which has restaurants, cafes and hotels.

Vasilitsa Ski Centre

It is located about 45 kilometers from the town of Grevena about 100 miles west of Thessalonika at an altitude of 2113m in the Pindos Mountains.

The area is considered one of the best snowboard destinations in south-east Europe.

The ski center has 16 ski runs of varying levels of difficulty and different types of terrain with 2 lifts close to the summit.

There are some spectacular views, including of Mount Olympus over 200 kilometers away.

The area has two chalets which offer accommodation and meals, plus there is a cafe bar, equipment rental shop and a snowboard shop.

Skiing in Greece.
Image © PlanetSKI

See here for further details on many other Greek ski areas: Greek Travel

When PlanetSKI visits next winter it will not be the first time we have reported from Greece.

One of our reporters, Konstantinos Valtadros, covered matters in Greece for us a decade or so ago before he moved to the alpine regions.

- - Skiing Greek Style

Greece’s most famous skier is ‘AJ’ Ginnis who, though born in Greece, races for the USA.

Alexandros Ioannis ‘AJ’ Ginnis was born in Athens and learnt to ski at Mt Parnassos.

His parents then moved to the USA when he was 15-years old and he was selected for the US team in 2012.

He made his World Cup debut in 2014.

In January 2021 Ginnis became the first Greek alpine racer to register World Cup points when he finished eleventh in the slalom at Flachau in Austria.

Ginnis achieved his first World Cup podium in February 2023 as the runner-up in a slalom at Chamonix.

He was the first skier from Greece in history to secure a podium position in a World Cup alpine ski race.

PlanetSKI was at the race in Chamonix.