Usually, we call a lake “Drakolimni” when we refer to an alpine lake located up on the mountains of the region of Epirus in northern Greece. Across the whole of Greece, one of the most famous dragon lakes or “Drakolimni’ as it is called in Greek, must be that of Timphi. At an altitude of 2.050 meters it is bound to impress the visitor.

In order to discover the mythical lake Drakolimni, the visitor will start from village Mikro Papigo on foot and follow the path which will lead to this magnificent scenery within a five-hour walk. Unfortunately there is no other way to approach it. The walking path passes from 4 springs and a seasonal lake named Xeroloutsa at an altitude of 1.750 meters. The long walk will reward you when you reach the dragon lake, with additional stunning views of river Aoos in the background. Lake Drakolimni has a rich fauna which includes Alpine Triton, a very rare amphibian species between 8 – 12 centimeters in length and black-brown shaded outer spine which is actually protected by the Greek and European legislations alike.

According to a traditional myth the lake’s name emerges from a myth about a dragon - a huge creature which is believed to have found its natural habitat within this lake - and which was in constant conflict with another dragon...that of mountain Smolikas -the second highest mountain on Greek land after Mount Olympus-.

The locals believe strongly that lake Drakolimni has no bottom. It is even said that during the Ottoman occupation a swimmer from the town of Preveza was asked to dive in the lake and measure its depth. He disappeared inside the lake for at least 10 minutes and after managing to come back out, he stated as frightened as ever that no one should ever try to dive in the lake again…

From: Eva Kanellopoulos

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