Athens Mount Parnitha

Bus #714 (Sa-Su 6:30am, 2:30pm; €0.65) leaves from Acharnon off Stounari, in a parking lot near Vathis Square. It’s best to buy a ticket at a metro station or kiosk in advance; few places in the vicinity sell them, especially in the morning.

When the bus lets you off at the majestic peak of Mt. Parnitha, about 1hr. outside Athens, you will see, of all things, the tastelessly glitzy Mont Parnes casino (☎21024 69 111; open daily at 9am) and the cable car (every 30min. 8:30am-3pm, every 10min. after 3pm; €1.20) that takes you there. Luckily, this decidedly unnatural wonder is a lone intrusion, and there is still a vast national park to explore. Its many trails feel a world away from the city, though few are far from public transportation and well-equipped rest stops. The 19th Parnitha station, a few meters from Hotel-Chalet Kyklaminia and the Tradia Chapel, is a good place for hikers to begin; several trails start behind the kiosk. At the fork in the road toward Athens, a map with Greek labels marks paths uphill away from Mont Parnes. Hikes of varying levels of difficulty will lead you along paved roads, gravel paths, and narrow trails to Skipiza Spring, the Caves of Pan, and Bafi Refuge 1 (Mpafi), a hostel and cafeteria with a beautiful lookout point and detailed trail maps. (☎21021 69 050. Beds €12.) To reach Bafi, turn uphill away from the casino at the fork in the road 0.5km below the casino. Follow signs to the white gravel path until trails diverge at a quarry-like ravine. From there, follow red markings past a small patch of steep rock after about 15min. and continue for another 10min. It’s a fairly easy hike of about 3km. The bugs are particularly audacious, so insect repellent is a necessity.

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