The Kalavryta Ski Center
The Chelmos – Kalavryta ski area is located in Western Greece: there are fourteen slopes of all levels of difficulty, for a total length of twenty-five kilometers, both for skiing and snowboarding, and eight lifts. This winter sports center is located at an altitude between 1700 and 2325 meters. We are talking about Mount Aroania, also called Chelmos, the third highest mountain in the Peloponnese, which up to 1800 meters is covered by a pine forest; further up, the surface characterized by meadows and rock is invariably covered with snow during the winter season; the nearest city, fourteen kilometers away, is Kalavryta.
Ferry to Patras
To get to Kalavryta, a municipality in the peripheral unit of Achaia, you can, starting from Italy, take one of the ferries to Patras that leave their moorings from Ancona, Venice, Bari or Brindisi. Different types of cabins can be booked on board and you can also embark with a vehicle.
From Patras to Kalavryta
Once disembarked in Patras, it is possible to continue towards the destination by car, bus or train.
By car
The journey from Patras to Kalavryta by car is completed in approximately one hour and twenty minutes: it is approximately 87 kilometers along the E.O. Korinthou Patron, the Olympia Odos/E65/ΕΟ8Α highway and finally Epar.Od. Pountas-Kalavriton.
By bus (Aloha SnowBus)
The easiest and cheapest way to travel from Patras to the ski resort is the Aloha SnowBus (more information about this bus is at the web address kalavritaski.gr/snowbus), which allows for a comfortable journey, also avoiding queues at the ski resort ticket offices and saving money: in fact, it is possible to combine the purchase of the bus ticket with the rental of equipment and ski or snowboard lessons at very convenient prices.
By train
By train (timetables and tickets can be found at web address hellenictrain.gr/en) you need to change at Diakopto, which can be reached in fifty minutes on the C7 or C9. From here the journey becomes exciting: on the Diakopto – Kalavryta line there is the famous Odontotos Railway, the most spectacular in the Balkans! It completes the route in one hour (about 22 kilometers), crossing mountain landscapes of rare beauty, bridges and the gorge next to the Vouraikos, the river that creates small and large waterfalls: near Katarraktis, the waters fall almost vertically and rapidly under the line bridge. From the Kalavryta railway station you can reach the ski center with the previously described Aloha bus, which makes also this route.
Low-cost skiing
By now, at the Kalavryta Ski Resort, they are preparing for the start of the winter season: in December it usually snows and it opens up for the happiness of ski and snowboard enthusiasts. It is worth mentioning that the first November snows have already appeared on the peaks of Chelmos.
At the base of the area there are three private ski, snowboard and ski bike schools, as well as independent instructors in possession of all the certifications. Rental of ski equipment and sledges is available, as well as a shop selling ski accessories (helmets, gloves, hats, goggles, and more).
The hut and other structures in the area open in mid-December; from that moment on, various initiatives are planned, such as the organization of a special course aimed exclusively at children. On this track, the little ones can take advantage of the lessons dedicated to them and practice.
From December you can therefore visit the Chalet at the base of the ski area and enjoy a drink and the hot dishes of the day, watching the landscape change as the first snow covers the mountain. The Achillea, the three-seater aerial lift, will also be available to visitors for a ride up to 1900 meters, at Vathia Lakka, where you can enjoy a magnificent panorama and refresh yourself and have fun at the Cellar, a place for skiers to meet and rest where parties are also organized.
