At 2,404 metres, Profitis Ilias on Taygetos is the highest peak of the Peloponnese. The usual route starts at the Magganiari spring, passes the mountain refuge (1,550 m), crosses the area called Plakes and the Portes saddle, and ends at the summit with its small chapel and old stone huts.
The full route is about 8.5 km and takes around 4.5 hours up – a demanding hike for fit, experienced walkers. On a clear day you can see the whole ridge of Taygetos, Cape Tainaro, Kythira and even the White Mountains of Crete. At sunrise the mountain casts a perfect triangular shadow over the Messinian gulf – the famous 'pyramid effect'.