Aristi Mountain Resort

There’s more to Greece than Athens, the islands and that long, squiggly coastline. In the country’s northwest, out along the border with Albania, is the rugged and mountainous region of Zagori. It’s a landscape of rocky cliffs, verdant slopes and tiny, ancient villages clinging to the hillsides. And among the many lost-in-time-looking villages, one of the most picturesque of all is Aristi — a smattering of traditional stone homes at the edge of a stunning national park, and home to Aristi Mountain Resort. As resorts go, it’s a small one, a modest but attractive collection of stone structures perched high on a hill, with views of a steep mountain valley dropping away below. The look is homey and somewhat rustic throughout, but there are enough soft edges to keep things well out of “roughing it” territory. King-size Duxiana mattresses come standard, the bathrooms are modern, and at the top end of the scale the rooms come with a wood-burning fireplace and a garden, a deck or an outdoor jacuzzi. The homeyness extends to the public spaces as well. There’s a cozy lounge for sitting by the fire, a simple but tranquil spa, and a pool overlooking the valley. The restaurant, Salvia, turns out deeply satisfying dishes based on traditional recipes, revolving around the same ingredients they’ve been using for centuries — wild boar brought in by local hunters, mushrooms and greens collected from the mountainside, cheese from a small nearby farm, and a cellar full of good Greek wine. Of course a trip to this wilder part of Greece wouldn’t be complete without spending some time outdoors. There’s any number of largely un-touristed mountain towns to drive between, as well as more adventurous activities ranging from rafting to horseback riding to hang gliding.