Panta Vrechei Gorge

Panta Vrechei means it always rains, and the name is literal: in this narrow section of the Krikelopotamos gorge, water seeps out of the rock along the whole height of the walls and falls continuously as spray and drizzle, whatever the weather outside. The gorge is entered by walking up the riverbed, wading and sometimes swimming through pools between vertical walls that close to a few metres apart, and the constant curtain of falling water in the shadowed slot is the reason people come. Water temperatures stay low all summer, so wetsuits are usual on organised trips. The surrounding Evrytania mountains are thick with fir, and the road in from Karpenisi via Proussos is itself an event.

What you actually see

• The weeping walls - water falling from the rock along the whole gorge.
• The narrows - vertical walls closing to a few metres across the river.
• The river pools - wading and swimming sections between the walls.
• The fir mountains - Evrytania forest on the approach.

When to go

June to September, when river levels drop enough to walk the bed safely and the air outside is hot enough to make cold water pleasant. Spring melt and autumn rain make the gorge dangerous.

Honest expectations

This is a wet activity, not a viewpoint: expect to get soaked, wade in cold water and scramble on slippery rock. Going with a canyoning guide is strongly advisable, and river levels can cancel trips at short notice. There are no facilities at the gorge.

Nearby

Proussos monastery lies on the same road; Karpenisi is the base for the whole valley.