Neda Waterfalls

The Neda runs about 32 kilometres from the slopes of Mount Lykaion to the Ionian Sea, cutting a narrow gorge of plane trees and polished rock; it is the only river in Greece to carry a woman's name, that of the nymph who, in myth, helped hide the infant Zeus. The best-known section lies below Figaleia, where a marked path descends to a series of falls, the largest dropping into a cold green pool beneath an overhang that walkers swim into and behind. Deeper in the gorge lie the Stomio falls, where the river disappears into a rock swallow-hole, and a chain of pools linked by scrambling and short swims that canyoning groups use. Old stone bridges and abandoned watermills stand along the banks, and the ancient site of Figaleia sits on the ridge above.

What you actually see

• The main fall - a drop into a deep pool with a cave behind the water.
• The gorge pools - a chain of swimmable basins under plane trees.
• The Stomio sink - the point where the river vanishes into the rock.
• The old mills and bridges - stone remains along the riverbanks.

When to go

May and June for full flow and manageable temperatures; July and August for warm swimming, though the water stays cold. Winter and spring floods make the gorge dangerous.

Honest expectations

The descent is steep, rocky and slippery, and coming back up is a genuine climb. Beyond the first falls the route requires scrambling and swimming and is best done with a guide. There are no facilities, no lifeguards and no phone signal in the gorge.

Nearby

Bassae temple lies northeast in the mountains; the coast at Kyparissia is west.