Profitis Ilias
2,405 m
Greece
Also known as Προφήτης Ηλίας, Taygetus, +1Also known as
Προφήτης Ηλίας · Taygetus · Профитис-Илиас
- Elevation
- 2,405 m
- Prominence
- 2,404 m
- Difficulty
- 3/10
- Mountain hike
- Best Season
- Jun
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1Sources differ: T2 (Camptocamp) · T3- (SummitPost) · B+ (EOS Spartis club scale) (EOS Spartis via topoguide.gr)
The eastern route from above Sparta, used by most people who climb the highest peak of the Peloponnese: forest path from Manganiari spring (980 m) to the EOS Sparta refuge at Varvara (1,550 m), then open slopes, the limestone ledges of Plakes and a steep, loose final cone to the summit chapel. About 1,430 m of ascent; well waymarked.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 9.1 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,422 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 2,406 m
- Time Up
- 5h 53m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 4h 01m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
The road from Sparta via Anogia and Palaiopanagia ends at Manganiari spring (980 m), with a large car park and water all year. A marked forest path crosses the Manganiari–Pentavlon forest road twice, passes the Tripoda spring among large black pines and joins the E4 long-distance path at about 1,470 m before reaching the Taygetos Refuge of EOS Sparta at Varvara (1,550 m), 1½–2 hours from the spring. A steep unpaved forest road also reaches the refuge, and many parties drive up to it and start there. Above the refuge the path leaves the last trees on a steep slope known as Anathema and crosses the Lakkomata hollows and the Gouves (about 1,860 m). Beyond a short exposed rocky step it turns onto the Plakes, tilted limestone beds that form a natural diagonal ramp gaining about 250 m to Portes (about 2,238 m), the gap in the main ridge. From Portes turn left (south) up the broad north slope, passing close to a small chasm (the 'Chionotrypa'); the last 100 m are steep, loose scree. The summit has a small stone chapel of the Prophet Elias and several dry-stone windbreaks. Allow 2½–3 hours from the refuge. Descend the same way (about 2 hours to the refuge, 1 hour more to the spring). There is no reliable water above the refuge: Varvara spring often dries up in summer, so carry at least 1.5 litres. In fog the open ground between Gouves and Portes is easy to lose. Many people walk up at night to watch the summit's pyramid-shaped shadow fall across the Messinian Gulf at sunrise, and on 20 July hundreds of pilgrims climb the route for the feast of the Prophet Elias.
Start
Manganiari spring993 m
- KTEL Lakonias buses to Sparta from Athens (about 3½ hours) and Kalamata; no bus reaches the trailhead, so take a taxi from Sparta to Manganiari spring or the refuge.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manganiari spring → Profitis Ilias | 9.1 | 1,422 | 7 | 5h 53m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Manganiari spring993 m
Car park at the end of the paved road from Palaiopanagia; water all year
- Hut: Taygetos Refuge1,556 m
- Summit: Profitis Ilias2,405 m
Key Passages
- Anathema slope above the refuge
- Exposed rocky step before the Plakes
- Plakes limestone ledges to Portes
- Steep loose scree on the final 100 m
Equipment
0/8 packedDownloads
Route confidence 80%Overview
The highest point of the Taygetus range and of the Peloponnese (2,405 m), a limestone pyramid rising 2,400 m above Sparta and the Messinian Gulf. A long but straightforward waymarked hike leads past a club refuge to a small stone chapel on the summit.
Profitis Ilias is the southern and highest summit of the Pentadaktylos, the 'five-fingered' crest of the Taygetus that forms the backbone of the Mani peninsula. It stands about 15 km south-west of Sparta and 13 km north-east of Kardamyli, and with roughly 2,400 m of prominence it is one of the most prominent mountains in Europe. The name comes from the small chapel of the Prophet Elias on the summit, built from local limestone slabs.
The normal route climbs the eastern, Laconian side from Manganiari spring or the EOS Sparta refuge at Varvara. Above the forest the terrain is open grass and limestone: a broad ramp of tilted slabs called the Plakes leads to a gap in the main ridge, and a steep, loose cone finishes at the top. There is no glacier and no technical climbing, but it is a big day from the spring, with about 1,430 m of ascent and no water above the refuge.
The summit looks across the Laconian and Messinian gulfs, and at sunrise and sunset the mountain throws a sharp pyramid-shaped shadow onto the sea or clouds, which is why many people climb at night or camp in the dry-stone windbreaks on top. Other approaches exist from the west (Vasiliki forest and the south ridge) and along the Pentadaktylos ridge from Anavryti, but they are far less used and more serious.
Climbing Notes
Fitness for a 7–8 hour day with about 1,430 m of ascent from Manganiari spring, or about 850 m from the refuge if you drive the unpaved forest road to Varvara. The terrain is a steep hiking path with a short exposed step and loose scree near the top; sure footing matters more than technique. Carry all your water from the refuge or the spring, and start early in summer: the slopes are hot and shadeless, and the mountain often gathers cloud and strong wind.
A typical plan is a night at the EOS Sparta refuge (arranged with the club in advance; it is otherwise locked) and an early start, or a one-day ascent from the spring. Night ascents for the sunrise shadow are popular. In winter and spring the upper slopes hold snow, sometimes into June, and the route becomes a mountaineering ascent needing crampons, ice axe and experience; January and February are the usual months for winter climbs. Avoid the summit on 20 July if you want solitude.
History
The Taygetus is one of the most frequently mentioned mountains of the ancient world, referred to by Homer, Pausanias and Strabo, and closely tied to Sparta. The summit chapel is the goal of a traditional pilgrimage on 20 July, the feast of the Prophet Elias, when hundreds of people climb the normal route. EOS Sparta, founded in 1937, began a large refuge at Varvara in 1938; it was burned during the war, and the present smaller refuge was built from its materials and opened in 1962. The chapel, long roofless, received a new roof in summer 2025.
Season
Best Jun- January: Possible
- February: Possible
- March: Possible
- April: Possible
- May: Good
- June: Best (best window)
- July: Good
- August: Good
- September: Best
- October: Good
- November: Possible
- December: Possible
- Jan
- Winter ascent with crampons and ice axe for experienced parties
- Feb
- Winter conditions; strong winds
- Mar
- Snow cover variable; rain and storms
- Apr
- Late snow on the upper slopes in most years
- May
- Good from late May once the snow has gone
- Jun
- Stable weather, moderate temperatures early in the month
- Jul
- Very hot; start at night. Pilgrimage on 20 July
- Aug
- Hot; springs low or dry
- Sep
- Often the best month
- Oct
- Good until the first rain and snow
- Nov
- Unsettled; early snow possible
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- The Taygetos Refuge is normally locked; stays must be arranged in advance with EOS Sparta (club phone +30 27310 22574, email eosspartisinfo@gmail.com).
- Fees
- Overnight fee at the EOS Sparta refuge, by arrangement with the club; one source (2022) mentions a flat rate for exclusive use of the whole refuge
- Rules
- Wild camping is officially prohibited in Greece; overnight bivouacs by people engaged in mountain activities are commonly tolerated
- Natura 2000 site 'Oros Taygetos' (GR2550006): leave no trace and avoid lighting fires (high wildfire risk in summer)
- Getting There
Sparta (Sparti), about 27 km and 1 hour by road from the refuge
Kalamata (KLX), about 2 hours by road; Athens (ATH) about 3½ hours
- By car: from Sparta take the road towards Gytheio, turn right at Anogia and continue via Palaiopanagia to the end of the paved road at Manganiari spring (980 m)
- An unpaved, steep forest road continues about 8 km to the refuge at Varvara (1,550 m); recent reports say ordinary cars can manage it in dry weather
- KTEL Lakonias buses run to Sparta from Athens and Kalamata; continue by taxi
Hazards
- Weather
- Exposure
- Remoteness
Huts & Shelters
1- 1,550 m
Taygetos RefugeRefugeUnstaffedBooking required
24 beds · All year by arrangement; not staffed