Mount Olympus

The mountain is visible from the coast — a wall of limestone rising from sea level to nearly three thousand metres, its summit wrapped in cloud even when the plain below bakes in summer heat. The ascent from Litochoro passes through Mediterranean scrub, then beech forest, then bare rock where the trail narrows and the exposure begins.

Mytikas, the highest peak at 2,917 metres, requires route-finding on loose limestone in its final section — most hikers overnight at the Spilios Agapitos refuge at 2,100 metres before the summit attempt. The main access trail from Litochoro gains 2,000 metres of elevation over 18 kilometres; in good summer conditions the summit and return can be completed in a long day, though the refuge splits it into a more manageable two-day trek. Mount Olympus hosts over 1,700 plant species, 23 of which are found nowhere else on Earth — the altitude gradient from sea level to near 3,000 metres within 30 kilometres creates distinct ecological bands. The mountain was designated Greece's first National Park in 1938. The town of Litochoro at the base provides accommodation, gear shops, and tavernas for the post-descent meal of roast goat and mountain tea.