Megas Soros
1,628 m
Greece
Also known as Μέγας Σωρός, Mount Ainos (Aenos)Also known as
Μέγας Σωρός · Mount Ainos (Aenos)
- Elevation
- 1,628 m
- Prominence
- 1,628 m
- Difficulty
- 2/10
- Hike
- Best Season
- Apr–Jun
- Routes
- 2
RegulationReported 9 Jun 2026 · until 31 Oct 2026
Fire season 2026: decision of the Deputy Regional Governor of Kefalonia and Ithaca bans pedestrians and vehicles in Mount Ainos National Park from sunset to sunrise throughout the fire season, and imposes a total entry ban whenever the national fire-risk map gives category 4 or 5 for Kefalonia (optionally also category 3).
kefalonianmantata.gr
Routes
2The short way up: drive the Ainos road through the fir forest of the national park to the transmitter station on the western top (about 1,600 m), then walk a dirt track and signed steps along the bare ridge to the summit (1,628 m). A little over half an hour each way.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 2.0 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +120 m
- −102 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 1,628 m
- Time Up
- 51m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 50m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
The asphalt road into Mount Ainos National Park climbs from the north-west through Kefalonian fir forest, past the Ainos Environmental Centre (1,384 m), and ends at the antennas on the western top of the ridge, about 1,600 m. Park in the space by the antennas. Continue on foot along the dirt track east of the antennas for about 10 minutes to a signpost and steps on the right, then follow the waymarked path up the stony ridge to the summit, about 1.2 km from the antennas. A concrete post on top holds a metal box with a summit book. The view takes in Ithaca, Lefkada, Zakynthos, the Echinades islands and the mountains of the western Peloponnese and Aetolia-Acarnania. Return the same way. Sources give 20 minutes to a little over half an hour from the antennas. The ridge is open and windy and often in cloud even in summer, when it can be around 20 °C on top while the beaches are near 40 °C. The road may be closed on high fire-risk days, and in winter snow can make it impassable without chains.
Start
Αίνος1,610 m
- No public transport into the national park; a car or taxi from Argostoli is needed.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Αίνος → Μέγας Σωρός | 2.0 | 120 | 102 | 51m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Αίνος1,610 m
Transmitter station and parking at the end of the asphalt road; OSM also places a peak node named Μεγάλος Σωρός (1,628 m) here, but the summit is 1.2 km east-south-east. Elevation approximate (EU-DEM).
- Summit: Μέγας Σωρός1,628 m
Key Passages
- Dirt track east of the antennas
- Signed steps up to the summit ridge
Equipment
0/4 packedDownloads
Route confidence 75%Overview
Megas Soros (1,628 m) is the summit of Mount Ainos on Kefalonia, the highest point of the Ionian Islands, rising out of Greece's only island national park and its forest of Kefalonian fir. A road reaches the antennas on the western top; the summit is a short ridge walk beyond.
Mount Ainos is the limestone spine of south-eastern Kefalonia, a ridge running north-west to south-east above Argostoli, Sami and the Livathos coast. Megas Soros is its highest point and the highest in the Ionian Islands, with a prominence equal to its height. The Venetians called the mountain Monte Nero, the 'black mountain', for the dark Kefalonian fir (Abies cephalonica) that covers its upper slopes. The forest was declared a national park in 1962, the only one on a Greek island, and is also a Natura 2000 site, part of the Kefalonia–Ithaca UNESCO Global Geopark and an International Dark Sky Park. A herd of small semi-wild horses lives mainly on the south-eastern side.
The upper mountain is a long, bare limestone ridge above the forest. An asphalt road climbs from the north-west to the transmitter station on the western top (about 1,600 m), so the summit is only a short walk for most visitors. Hikers can instead follow one of five signed park trails totalling 26 km, two of which reach Megas Soros: the forest trail up from Digaleto, and the Kissos–Petasi–Megas Soros loop along the ridge past the Petasi and Nyfi caves.
On a clear day the view covers Ithaca, Lefkada, Zakynthos, the Echinades islands and the mountains of the western Peloponnese and Aetolia-Acarnania. Cloud often caps the ridge, and the top can be 20 °C cooler than the beaches in summer.
Climbing Notes
From the antennas the summit is a 20–40 minute walk on a stony, waymarked path; trainers or walking shoes and a warm layer are enough in summer. For a real hike, take the Digaleto forest trail (6.6 km, about 2½ hours up) or the Kissos loop (8.6 km, about 4½ hours, with some steep sections that need hiking experience). Check before driving up in summer: from May to October the park is closed to walkers and vehicles from sunset to sunrise, and closed entirely on days of very high fire risk. Camping, fires, hunting and leaving the road network by car are prohibited in the park. In winter the ridge is regularly snow-covered; the road can need chains and the summit ridge is exposed to strong winds.
History
In antiquity an altar to Zeus Ainesios stood on the summit. The national park was designated in 1962; its management body has been part of the Natural Environment and Climate Change Agency (NECCA) since 2022.
Season
Best Apr–Jun- January: Possible
- February: Possible
- March: Good
- April: Best (best window)
- May: Best (best window)
- June: Best (best window)
- July: Good
- August: Good
- September: Best
- October: Best
- November: Good
- December: Possible
- Jan
- Snow likely; road may need chains
- Feb
- Snow likely; strong winds on the ridge
- Mar
- Possible late snow
- Apr
- Spring flowers, including endemic orchids and the Kefalonian violet
- May
- Fire season starts: no access between sunset and sunrise
- Jun
- Cool escape from the coast; park closed on very high fire-risk days
- Jul
- Park closed on very high fire-risk days; check before driving up
- Aug
- Park closed on very high fire-risk days; check before driving up
- Oct
- Fire-season rules apply until the end of October
- Nov
- Changeable; cloud often on the ridge
- Dec
- Snow possible
Access & Permits
- Rules
- Mount Ainos National Park: entry permitted from sunrise to sunset; camping, lighting fires, hunting, collecting plants, driving off the road network and parking outside designated places are prohibited
- Fire season (May–October): the Regional Unit of Kefalonia bans pedestrians and vehicles in the park between sunset and sunrise and closes it entirely on days of fire-risk category 4–5 (category 3 at its discretion)
- Getting There
Argostoli
Kefalonia (EFL)
- Car: the Mount Ainos road climbs into the park from the north-west and is asphalted to the antennas on the western top; allow under an hour from Argostoli
- Ferries connect Kefalonia with Kyllini and Patras on the mainland and with Ithaca and Zakynthos
- No public transport into the park; taxi from Argostoli or Sami
Hazards
- Weather