Greece

Where to stay in Meteora

Where to stay in Meteora? This bucket list destination in Greece has many great places to stay and lovely luxury hotels to splurge. But it does take some time to go through that overwhelmingly large offer to find the perfect place to stay in Meteora. As one of the most beautiful destinations in Greece – or maybe even Europe – you will find many great hotel options in the villages of Kastraki and Kalambaki at the foot of the Meteora area. This blog will help you make a choice. What are the best villages to stay when visiting Meteora? And which hotels are the best?

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How to get to Meteora in Greece?

Meteora is centrally located in it north of Greece. How to get to Meteora? Thessaloniki is nearby and it takes less than three hours driving to get there. The Greek capital Athens is just over four hours of driving.

As far as we are concerned, that makes Meteora a tough day trip with six to eight hours from Thessaloniki or Athens, but it can be done and a lot of day tours are offered from both destinations. If you have enough time, we recommend that you plan at least one night in Meteora. But if you don’t have that much extra time in your travel schedule, you should definitely take a day trip to this bucket list destination and just squeeze it all in one day.

Meteora Monasteries | Meteora monasteries

Why Meteora is worth a visit

As one of the most beautiful destinations in Greece, Meteora is definitely worth a visit. Located in a spectacular landscape of rock formations and rock pillars, you will enjoy the most beautiful views. The special monasteries have rich decorations, a unique view and special architecture that seems to merge with the rocks. Meteora is a unique place that should be on every traveler’s bucket list.

Read more: best things to do in Meteora.

A visit to Meteora is all about the spectacular landscape and the six monasteries that balance idyllically on rocky outcrops. Make sure to schedule in enough time to visit the Meteora viewpoints. You will automatically come along them when hiking or walking the main road between the monasteries. Sunset would be the best time to visit them, although it will be busier around that time as well.

We often read in guidebooks that you have to visit all monasteries to experience Meteora to the best, so we visited five ourselves. We think that is a bit much though. Our advice is to visit two of them and the Grand Meteora and Varlaam monasteries would be our first and second choice as the two largest monasteries in Meteora.

We also highly recommend hiking in Meteora, as it is the best way to experience this scenic destination in Greece in an authentic way. The hanging monasteries, perched on towering rock pillars, were once a lonely and inhospitable place that was difficult to access. Hiking in Meteora will have you experience this much more than driving along the main road like the big tourist buses do. Our favorite hiking trail in Meteora is the hike to the (closed) Ypapanti Monastery. It has unforgettable views and we got a sense of the ancient, isolated Meteora as it was in its heyday.

Read more: the 3 best hikes in Meteora.

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Where to stay in Meteora: Kalampaka or Kastraki

As you can not stay in the Meteora rock area itself, you’ll have to find your stay in Kalambaka or Kastraki, the two villages that lie at the foot of the Meteora rocks. From both villages you have a lovely view of the rocks and the hanging monasteries. Kalambaka – also referred to as Kalampaka – is the larger of the two and therefore also has a long street filled with hotels, hostels, restaurants, terraces, bakeries and bars. Kastraki is a bit smaller and therefore feels a bit more authentic, but has less entertainment to offer.

The most beautiful hotels in Kastraki

#1 Meteora Heaven and Earth Kastraki for a luxury hotel with stylish and beautiful apartments. Each room has its own sitting area and kitchenette for self-catering.

#2 Hotel Doupiani House with a perfect location in Kastraki. The chic and authentically furnished rooms all have a great view of the Meteora rocks and the Saint Nikolaos Monastery.

#3 Grand Meteora Hotel for a great hotel in Kastraki with its own indoor swimming pool. The view of the Adrachti rock and the rest of the rock area is praised in the very positive hotel reviews.

#4 Pyrgos Adrachti for one of the most popular and acclaimed properties in Kastraki. All balconies and windows of Pyrgos Adrachti have a beautiful view of the famous rocks of Meteora, surrounded by green pine forests.

The most beautiful hostels and hotels in Kalampaka

#5 Divani Meteora Hotel with a central location in Kalambaka. The hotel offers an outdoor pool, indoor pool and sauna, and attractive hotel rooms with wooden floors and a veranda.

#6 Meteora Central Hostel on the main street of Kalambaka. This budget-friendly option to stay in Meteora offers simple, clean dorms in a prime location.

#7 Dellas Boutique Hotel located between Kastraki and Kalambaka. The atmospheric building of natural stone and the delicious breakfast ensure rave reviews from hotel guests.

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