Lapithas () is a

mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher t ...

located in southern

Elis Elis also known as Ellis or Ilia (, ''Eleia'') is a historic region in the western part of the Peloponnese peninsula of Greece. It is administered as a regional unit of the modern region of Western Greece. Its capital is Pyrgos. Until 2011 it ...

in the western

Peloponnese The Peloponnese ( ), Peloponnesus ( ; , ) or Morea (; ) is a peninsula and geographic region in Southern Greece, and the southernmost region of the Balkans. It is connected to the central part of the country by the Isthmus of Corinth land bridg ...

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

. The mountain is named after the mythical people, the

Lapiths The Lapiths (; , ''Lapithai'', Grammatical number, sing. Λαπίθης) were a group of legendary people in Greek mythology, who lived in Thessaly in the valley of the Pineios (Thessaly), Pineios and on the mountain Pelion. They were believed to ...

. In the west the mountain touches the

Ionian Sea The Ionian Sea (, ; or , ; , ) is an elongated bay of the Mediterranean Sea. It is connected to the Adriatic Sea to the north, and is bounded by Southern Italy, including Basilicata, Calabria, Sicily, and the Salento peninsula to the west, ...

. It is 15 to 20 km long and 10 km wide and covers and area of 100 to 150 km². A large part of the mountain is covered with pine forests, but has suffered great damage in the forest fires of August 2007. The Kaiafas Lake lies between the Lapithas and the Ionian Sea, northwest of the town

Zacharo Zacharo () is a town and municipality in western Peloponnese, Greece. Administratively, it belongs to the regional unit of Elis (regional unit), Elis in West Greece. Zacharo is situated on the coast of the Gulf of Kyparissia, a part of the Ionian S ...

. The

Greek National Road 76 National Road 76 (, abbreviated as EO76) is a single carriageway road in southern Greece that connects the Greek National Road 9 near Krestena with Megalopoli, passing Andritsaina and Karytaina. It traverses through the western and central parts o ...

(Megalopoli - Andritsaina - Krestena) passes northeast of the Lapithas, and the

Greek National Road 9 Greek National Road 9 (, abbreviated as EO9) is a single carriageway with at-grade intersections in the West Greece and Peloponnese regions. It runs along the west coast of the Peloponnese peninsula, from Patras to Methoni via Pyrgos. Its leng ...

/ E55 (Patras - Pyrgos - Kalamata) lies to the west.

Nearest places

Smerna, Vrina and Xirochori are villages on the mountain. * North:

Krestena Krestena () is a town and a community in Elis, West Greece, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Andritsaina-Krestena, of which it is the seat of administration. Krestena is situated in the low hills betwe ...

Gryllos Gryllos (, before 1927: Μουνδράζα - ''Moundraza'') is a village and a community in the municipal unit of Skillounta, Elis, Greece. The community includes the small village Chani Gryllou. It is 3 km northwest of Graikas, 3 km nort ...

Graikas Graikas () is a mountain village in the municipal unit of Skillounta, Elis, Greece. It is situated on a hillside, 3 km southeast of Gryllos, 8 km southeast of Krestena and 9 km northeast of Zacharo. The Greek National Road 76 pass ...

* East: Platiana and

Makistos Macistus or Makistos (), or Macistum or Makiston (Μάκιστον), was a city of ancient Elis, in Greece. It is one of the six cities (along with Lepreum, Phrixae, Pyrgus, Epium, and Nudium) founded by the Minyans in the territory of the ...

* South:

* West:

Kato Samiko Kato Samiko (, meaning "lower Samiko") is a village and a community in the municipal unit of Skillounta, Elis, Greece. It is situated 2 km from the Ionian Sea, 3 km southeast of Samiko, 6 km southwest of Krestena, 8 km northwest ...

External links

{{Authority control Landforms of Elis

Lapithas Lapithas () is a mountain located in southern Elis in the western Peloponnese in Greece. The mountain is named after the mythical people, the Lapiths. In the west the mountain touches the Ionian Sea. It is 15 to 20 km long and 10 km wi ...