Skiing in Greece Update
Wandering through the charming village of Delphi, we stopped at a pizza parlor which has its dining area on the west side of the single street, its kitchen on the right side. We were the only diners nibbling at a delicious pizza and enjoying carafes of local wine. Commiserating with the friendly waiter, we commented on how quiet it was this late in the season. To our surprise, he was relieved. "It's fine with me, I need the rest. In a few weeks, our second season begins.""What second season? Christmas?" I asked, wondering if there were a particularly luminous local festival bringing visitors and tourists, or if the savvy Delphi merchants had developed a special shopping season.
He looked at me as if I were crazy. Maybe I was - it was the end of the trip, and just maybe I should have made the connection between gorgeous mountains and the occasional postcard of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi covered with incongruous snow. D-uh. The SKI SEASON!
"In winter, people come here to ski," he said simply, looking like he was hoping I would finally understand what I had failed to grasp from the magnificent mountains and from the beautiful woven sweaters hanging in the shop windows.
Skiing in Greece is a bargain compared to most other places, with lift passes costing only a few dollars a day - one I noticed offered six days of lifts for 15000 drachma (about $10 a day). Recent prices at Mt. Parnassos, the best-developed resort run by the EOT, include a 7-day pass for 25,000 drachma (about $90). Other prices are similarly reasonable. Relatively few foreigners ski Greece, and even avid skiers in other nations may be unaware of the Greek alternative.
Here are some links to the information you need to start planning a Hellenic skiing holiday.
SKI CENTERS OF GREECE
Greek Snow Report
Find out about conditions at all the major ski resorts of Greece.
Ski and Mountain Gear Shops of Greece
From Oreivatein, a list of places to buy gear in Greece. Includes featured manufacturers at each.
Snowboarding
An outstanding look at the history, famous snowboarders, and great places to snowboard in Greece. Also note a clickable snow conditions map. From Cybex.
