Mikro Papigo 1700 Hotel & Spa: a boutique escape to Mikro Papigo, Zagori

From Sivota and Igoumenitsa, Epirus changes face in under two hours. You leave the Ionian behind, climb the Egnatia, pass Ioannina and, after Kalpaki, the road turns toward Aristi and Papigo. Where the asphalt ends, in Mikro Papigo, you find the Mikro Papigo 1700 Hotel & Spa.

The hotel belongs to Elsa Exarchou, the woman behind Epirus 365, the project that wants Epirus to be a destination 365 days a year, and the company Branding Greece. We looked at it through the eyes of an independent guide: what it really is, who it suits and what to know before you book.

A settlement within a settlement

Mikro Papigo 1700 is not a single building. According to its official website, it spreads across 7 stone buildings with 18 rooms and suites, single- and two-storey, on different levels at the upper edge of the village, where the path to Drakolimni begins. The hotel describes itself as a “village within the village”, and the image is accurate: courtyards, cobbled lanes and slate roofs, not corridors.

The stone is local and, as the hotel states, comes from old historic houses. Inside, the choice is contemporary: wood, earthy tones and designer furniture by names such as Philippe Starck, Patricia Urquiola, Antonio Citterio, Castiglioni, Le Corbusier and Zaha Hadid, with pieces from Moooi, B&B Italia and Bisazza. The contrast between the stone of 1700 and today’s design is what makes the place stand out.

The rooms

The hotel offers four room types and five suite types. Sizes and capacities come from its official website.

• Standard Double (25 sq m, 2 guests): the basic choice.
• Standard Double with fireplace (25 sq m, 2 guests): overlooking the forest and the complex.
• Standard Double Plus with fireplace (27 sq m, 2–3 guests): with a wooden loft for extra sleeping space.
• Standard Plus with balcony (25 sq m, 2 guests): the room with the panoramic view of the gorge and both Papigos.
• Mini Suite with fireplace (30 sq m, 2–3 guests) and Mini Suite with jacuzzi (30 sq m, 2–3 guests).
• Junior Suite (40 sq m, 2–4 guests) and Master Suite (60 sq m, 2–4 guests): at the highest point of the complex.
• Premium Suite (72 sq m, 2–4 guests): the largest, with an indoor jacuzzi.

Our advice: if the view is why you are coming, ask explicitly for a room with a balcony or a suite in the upper buildings. Not every room sees the gorge; some look onto the forest or the inner courtyard, which has its own charm in winter, with the fireplace lit.

The Mountain Spa: a warm pool after the trail

The spa is why the hotel works as well in January as in July. The indoor heated pool is filled, according to the hotel, exclusively with water from the springs that feed the Voidomatis, and is disinfected with active oxygen instead of chlorine. Around it: a sauna, a hammam, a jacuzzi and a covered, sunny terrace with a view.

• Facilities: indoor heated pool, sauna, hammam, jacuzzi.
• Treatments: massages, body and face treatments, aromatherapy, with organic products.
• Movement: yoga, pilates, TRX and aqua training.
• Hours: 11:00–21:00 for the pool, sauna, hammam and treatments (official spa page).

Treatments are charged separately and are best booked in advance, especially at weekends. The plan we suggest is simple: morning at the Kolymbithres or on the Astraka trail, afternoon in the warm pool.

Veranda at 1700: the terrace that earns the name

The restaurant is called Veranda at 1700 and its philosophy is slow food, with ingredients from its own organic garden in the Geopark, the Organic Zagori Farm. The hotel is a member of Slow Food International, the seeds it grows are, as it states, old local varieties, and its supplies do not travel more than 50 kilometres. The restaurant has been honoured by the Ministry of Tourism and serves daily 14:00–17:00 and 18:00–22:00.

Breakfast is the most talked-about item. The hotel takes part in the “Greek Breakfast” programme of the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels, and its listing there describes twisted cheese pie (strifti tyropita), Zagori pies (flour pie, cheese pie, pumpkin pie), trahanas, village eggs, Metsovo cheeses, local honey, seasonal preserves, apple pie, pasta flora, bougatsa and galatopita. In summer it is served on the terrace, with the gorge in front of you.

Elsa Exarchou: Epirus 365 and Branding Greece

Behind 1700 stands a person with a clear résumé. Elsa Exarchou grew up, according to her official biography on Branding Greece, within her family’s tourism businesses, between mountain and sea. She holds an MBA in Hotel and Tourism Management from English and French universities, studied Motion Graphics and Animation at AKTO, and founded the hotel company of Mikro Papigo 1700 Hotel & Spa. The hotel’s CEO is her husband, the Olympic champion Kostas Kenteris.

Epirus 365

The Epirus 365 is her initiative for an Epirus that welcomes travellers all year round, not only in summer. According to the hotel and Branding Greece, the project won a Bronze award at the Tourism Awards 2020. She is also an independent associate of the Greek National Tourism Organisation (EOT), vice-president of the Union of Tourism Businesses of Zagori, president of the Zagori Greek Gastronomy Project and a member of Anaptyxiaki Ipeirou (the Epirus Development Agency). Follow the project on Instagram: @epirus_365.

Branding Greece

The Branding Greece is the family’s creative company, based in Amfithea, Ioannina: destination branding, strategy, content, platforms and sales management for hotels and villas. Mikro Papigo 1700 is, in practice, the fullest application of its philosophy: an upscale hotel that insists on the local, the sustainable and the all-year-round.

Sustainability that is measured, not advertised

The hotel states that it is the first “green” hotel in Northern Greece to hold the Green Key label of the Foundation for Environmental Education. In November 2021 it was named Europe’s Best Sustainable Hotel at the Boutique Hotel Awards, and in 2017 it was voted Best Mountain Resort in Southern Europe at the World Luxury Hotel Awards. Beyond the awards, its sustainability page lists specific practices:

• Electricity exclusively from renewable sources, because photovoltaics are not permitted on traditional slate roofs.
• Water from the springs of the area, the same ones that feed the Voidomatis, and recycling of the pool water with active oxygen.
• Local stone from old historic houses and recycling of heavy building materials.
• Its own organic garden, composting, plastic-free operation and supplies from a radius of up to 50 kilometres.

Mikro Papigo on your doorstep

When we say “Papigo” we mean two settlements on the slopes of Tymfi, about 60 kilometres from Ioannina at an altitude of around 960 metres. Megalo Papigo is the main village, with about 200 permanent residents. Mikro Papigo, a little higher up, has only 39 according to the latest census. In summer the population doubles. The entire area belongs to the Vikos–Aoos UNESCO Global Geopark, which includes Tymfi (2,497 m), Smolikas (2,637 m) and the gorges of Vikos and Aoos.

• Kolymbithres (Ovires of Rogovo): natural stone basins carved by the Rogovo stream, on the road between the two villages, about one kilometre from Megalo Papigo. The water is very cold even in August; in winter you may find them frozen.
• O3 trail to Drakolimni: it starts from Mikro Papigo (about 970 m), passes the Astraka refuge (1,950 m) and reaches Drakolimni (2,050 m). Length 8.4 kilometres, about 5 hours, a demanding route. It is not a stroll for everyone.
• Lakkos Bridge: a single-arch bridge of 1854, the work of Anastasios Lolis, on the old path that joins the two Papigos.
• Voidomatis Bridge and Aristi: the stop before you climb, with the clearest water you will see in Greece.

When to go

The hotel presents summer as a season of coolness, forest and hiking, and winter as a season of snow-covered roofs, smoking chimneys and a warm pool after the walk. We add two notes: in summer the two villages fill up, and for winter or spring check the weather and snow before setting out. Autumn, with the colours of the forest, is the season you see in our photographs.

Getting there from Igoumenitsa and Sivota

You need a car. According to the hotel, the distance from Igoumenitsa is 130 kilometres via the Egnatia and about 50 minutes from Ioannina.

1. Igoumenitsa – Ioannina: Egnatia Odos to the Ioannina exit, then the ring road toward Konitsa.
2. Ioannina – Papigo: at the 39th kilometre of the Ioannina–Kozani national road, after Kalpaki, turn right toward Aristi and Papigo. The road has bends, but the view of Tymfi makes up for it.
3. The last stretch: Mikro Papigo is car-free. Park at the entrance of the village and continue on foot.

From Sivota, add the stretch to the Egnatia. If you have no car, see the rental options in our guide to car rental in Igoumenitsa. Plan it as a two-day trip, not a day excursion.

Who it suits and what to know before you book

Couples, hikers and anyone who wants quiet with design. What sets it apart is the combination of four things in one place: designer furniture in stone buildings, a full eco spa with a heated pool, a restaurant with its own organic garden and trailheads at the door.

• The village is car-free and its cobbled lanes are sloped. If you have limited mobility or small children in a pushchair, ask the hotel about the right room and help with luggage.
• The view is not the same from every room. Ask explicitly for a balcony or a suite in the upper buildings.
• Spa treatments are charged separately and the spa is open 11:00–21:00.
• Pets are accepted, according to the official website. Smoking is prohibited in the rooms.
• Prices: they change with season and room. We do not quote them; book directly with the hotel.

Frequently asked questions

How far is Mikro Papigo from Igoumenitsa?

About 130 kilometres via the Egnatia Odos and Ioannina, according to the hotel. Plan it as a two-day trip.

Can I drive all the way to the hotel?

No. The village is car-free. Park at the entrance of the village and continue on foot along the cobbled lanes.

Does Mikro Papigo 1700 have a spa?

Yes. The Mountain Spa has an indoor heated spring-water pool, sauna, hammam, jacuzzi, massages and treatments. It is open 11:00–21:00.

What is the difference between Papigo and Mikro Papigo?

They are two neighbouring settlements. Megalo Papigo is the larger one, with the most accommodation and tavernas. Mikro Papigo is smaller and quieter, and the Kolymbithres lie between them.

What is served at breakfast?

A Greek Breakfast with Zagori pies, trahanas, village eggs, Metsovo cheeses, local honey, preserves and homemade sweets. In summer it is served on the terrace.

Who is Elsa Exarchou?

The founder of the hotel company behind Mikro Papigo 1700, the founder of Epirus 365 and, according to the hotel, the CEO of Branding Greece. The hotel’s CEO is her husband, Kostas Kenteris.

Are pets accepted?

Yes, according to the hotel’s official website.