Hiking the Footpath of the Holy Spirit (Agio Pnevma) in Meteora

*Wendi sitting near the bell at the top of the footpath to the Holy Spirit. Monastery Roussanou can be seen in the background*

It was 6:00 PM and the kids were tired after a day of visiting the Monasteries of Meteroa, but Joey and I were still looking for more action and wanted to get off the beaten path to see the massive limestone towers up close and personal. Compared to our experience in America, finding the less travelled trails abroad has been very difficult. The trails are generally unmarked, unmaintained, and criss-crossed with dirt roads and livestock paths. After a deep dive into the internet, I found a trail that I thought we might be able to find and follow and we set off for a quick sunset hike on the Agio Pnevma. As usual, it took us a good 15 minutes of wandering around to find the trailhead. Once we found the trail, however, it was easy to follow and AMAZING.

What it is: The Footpath to the Holy Spirit:

A short but steep trail that leads through a small valley, up through a hidden crevasse in the rocks, and to a small church carved into the cliff with spectacular views at the end.

Length of the Footpath to the Holy Spirit:

According to infotouristemteroa.gr it is 1.2 km. I still don’t know if that is one way or out and back. To me it felt like about 1 mile each way, for a total of 2 miles.

Time:

30 minutes to reach the old church dedicated to the Holy Spirit, 1 hour round trip.

Difficulty:

Hard. This trail includes a walk along the edge of the cliff with a metal wire for support and scrambling through some loose boulder fields at the end which makes it more difficult and for fit hikers only.

Elevation change:

500 feet up and then down on the way back

Payout:

10/10. This trail finally provided us the opportunity to get up close to these massive towers and really feel the magnitude of their size. Additionally, the view at the end is spectacular. The church is cool to see as well, but not the true highlight, in my opinion.

Trailhead:

The beginning of the trail is located at the northeastern edge of the town of Kastraki. Head to the Meteora Geological History Museum and park along the old square. If you are looking at the museum, you will see an informational sign for the museum just to the right of the museum entrance. At the bottom of the sign, you will see an arrow pointing to the “Agio Pnevma” with a green dot.

*The sign in the town square indicating the direction to the fountain. See the small sticker with the Green Circle?*

Follow this arrow and walk along the small street to the right of the museum. You will follow this street up and then down a hill towards a gravel road. The gravel road will fork and you will follow the right fork where there is a second small wooden sign for Agio Pnevma on the hillside.

*Sign directing you toward the fountain, further up in the village*

You will then see the Fountain of Neraida which will confirm you are headed the right way. Follow the cobblestone path and stairs that pass the fountain.

You will then come to a fork in the path with a worn out sign pointing you to take the left fork for Agio Pnevma.

From here on out the trail is clear and easy to follow. There are markers for the MTR and some blue and white trail blazes along the way.

The Holy Spirit Trail:

The beginning of the trail is in the valley between two giant limestone cliffs and the elevation change is gradual.

*Views of the valley between the huge rock formations on the way up from the fountain*

Once you have made your way up the valley, you will then turn towards the cliff on your left and begin working your way up a crevasse in between two of the limestone pillars. During this portion, you will ascend the edge of the cliff using the wire cable. The path is not too steep at this point but may be challenging for anyone who is afraid of heights.

The tranverse up the rock face with a rickety rail for protection — *The traverse up the rock face with a rickety rail for protection*

The hardest part of the hike is the final scramble through the boulder field in the crevasse. Just keep working your way up.

At the end of the trail, you will see the church of the Holy Spirit, a small window and door in the side of the cliff which is painted white and marked with a blue cross. The tiny church is open for exploration.

*The small chapel carved into the rock at the Holy Spirit*

Just beyond the church, there is a small flat grass-covered plateau surrounded by trees. As you follow the footpath past the church and look out towards Kastraki, you will see a ladder along the rock to your left that you can climb to reach the truly spectacular viewpoint near the cross and bell anchored into the rock. There is a second ladder located closer to the crevasse that can be used to climb to a different vantage point. This ladder looks extremely dangerous with a tricky climb at the top and a very large drop if you fall. I have a lot of experience rock climbing and very little fear of heights and I would not climb that ladder.

*The not sketchy ladder that leads to the bell at The Holy Spirit*

After enjoying the views and the solitude, turn around and follow the trail back out.

*A sunset selfie overlooking the Valley from the Holy Spirit in Meteora*

Tips:

Familiarize yourself with the directions to the trailhead which is not well marked.
Wear supportive shoes with good tread for the boulder field scrambling.
Climb the ladder at the edge of the plateau for spectacular views if you are comfortable with heights, but beware that the drop on your left hand side as you look out at Kastraki is massive and be careful.
Do not climb the ladder near the crevasse. It looks very dangerous.
Give yourself 30 minutes to get to the top and don’t miss the sunset, like we did!
Pack a picnic for the grassy plateau at the top.