Lake Plastira

Lake Plastira is artificial, formed by a dam on the Tavropos river in the mountains above Karditsa, and it sits high enough that the surrounding slopes are fir and chestnut rather than olive. A road runs the whole way round, roughly ninety kilometres of curves with viewpoints cut into the outside of the bends and small villages strung along it: Neochori above the water, Kalyvia Pezoulas and Belokomiti among them. The lake is used for kayaking and rowing rather than swimming, and the shore road is popular with cyclists who take it seriously. Because the water level varies with the season and with demand, the shoreline you see in May is not the shoreline you see in September. Winter brings snow to the higher stretches.

What you actually see

• The ring road viewpoints - platforms and pull-ins on the outside of the bends above the water.
• Neochori - the main village on the ridge, looking straight down the length of the lake.
• The dam - the structure that created the whole thing, at the northern end.
• The fir and chestnut slopes - proper mountain woodland, at its best in autumn colour.

When to go

Late spring is the strongest season, with full water levels and green slopes. Autumn gives chestnut colour and stable weather. Summer is pleasantly cooler than the plains below but levels are lower. Winter can be beautiful with snow, though the ring road gets icy and some sections close. Weekends bring domestic visitors and the villages fill.

Honest expectations

By late summer the water drops and leaves a bare, muddy margin that looks nothing like the photographs. It is a reservoir, so swimming is limited and the water is cold. The ring road is narrow and winding, and driving it takes far longer than the distance suggests. Fog can sit over the lake for days in winter, hiding the view entirely.

Nearby

The Agrafa mountain villages, the town of Karditsa and the Meteora rocks to the north.