Stimfalia Lake - Kastania - Doxis Lake

First official excursion in 2005, with a new member and a lot of surprises!!! We hope this nice beginning will constitute a good omen for the whole year, regarding our club. MotoRiders Club, for first time in its history, welcomes a female motorcyclist and friend, Ploumisti!!! On behalf of all the members and friends of the club, we welcome you, hoping that this trip will be the beginning of a good friendship! I should, also, mention that this trip was Ploumisti’s idea, which we admit was very interesting. It had a lot of surprises but also many beauties...
Around 10.00 o’clock, we started from Athens. The sun was shining. Before we get too far from the city, in Elefsina, rain begun…That should warn us about what it could follows. Fortunately, the rain did not keep a lot...
As soon as we reached the node of Kiato, we turned left and followed the road for Stymfalia. Up to the lake, the road was good; however, the cold already had begun to make perceptible its presence. The lake of Stymfalia is located about 40 km from Kiato. We cannot say that the landscape impressed us, as the lake looked more as a marsh... at common consent! We continued, taking the way to Kastania and Ancient Feneo. The road was not same quality, narrower and with more turns. The change of the road surface was following the change of the weather….from bad to worst situation…
Approaching the village of Kastania the road became even worst… bad paving, holes etc. The first signs of snow also appeared!! We stopped at Kastania in order to get some rest, considering that the worst part of the trip was not over. In the next 20 km, up to the lake of Doxa, in the region of Ancient Feneos, we met the first firs, which made us realise the altitude. After passing the higher point of the way, we began to drive down the mountain, following the way for the village Panorama. Entering in the village, we took the right direction that led us to the artificial lake.
The landscape, really, splendid and unbelievable! The lake is located between the mountains Helmos and Ziria (Kyllini), which were, at the time, dressed in white!!! We wanted to follow the way by the lake, but the weather condition (sleet!) in one hand, and the fact that this was not an asphalt road (the particular day, mud-road) we were forced to enjoy the landscape from that point. We have to mention that you will also see a small peninsula with a small church at the edge, which gives you the impression that it is build in the middle of lake. After taking enough photographs, we decided to stop for coffee at a cafeteria-restaurant. The time was passing by; therefore, we decided also to eat.
Leaving, the already rich variety of meteorological phenomena, we had also supplementary hail!!! Fortunately, not for long!!! We decided to follow the direction to Derveni for two reasons: first was to see this way and second because we did not if we could pass again the top of the mountain Ziria. The road up to the Kato Tarsos was very narrow and very bad full of holes and patches. Passing the village the street began widens but the surface, which we could use, was narrowing because it was covered with snow, both sides… Therefore, we did not miss the chance to play a little with snowballs!!! Nevertheless, the landscape was amazing, reminding Swiss Alpes!!! ...who knows, perhaps we were there!!! We passed the village of Evrostia, and continued for Derveni, where we stopped also in order to relax and enjoy our afternoon coffee watching the seat becoming rougher... henceforth!!!
We do not hesitate to recommend this trip to you... however, it would be better if you follow our instructions and make it during the summer or the spring, enjoying the “green edition” of it and not the “white” one, which we enjoyed!!