Mount Ainos National Park
Fodor's choice
As the setting for the only national park on a Greek island (founded in 1962), Mount Ainos doesn't disappoint. Huge swathes of endemic Abies Cephalonica firs wrap the upper reaches of the mountain where tiny wild ponies can be spied on its south-eastern slopes. Five trails wind through the forests and around the mountain top, with a pair of easy 1½-hour hikes circling out from the Environmental Center of Ainos, where information can also be found. A pair of more tricky 4½-hour hikes can be found to Megas Soros, the highest summit, via the circular Kissos trail and from the village of Digaleto, outside the park. If you're coming to walk, do so early in the morning or pick one of the cooler seasons, such as late spring or autumn. May is the perfect month to spy another of the mountain's natural beauties, the native viola Kefallonica flowers that carpet the forest floor in a sea of purple. If you prefers views to hiking, a road stops close to the summit, where you can park and walk ten minutes to the top.
