Parnon Mountain Refuge

The Mountain Refuge of Parnonas is located at Arnomousga, at a higher altitude than the village of Vamvakas Lakonia and is 58 kilometres from Sparta. It is "perched" at an altitude of 1,420 metres, and it is a large stone building donated by the Greek-American George Pierce (Giorgos Papatheodorou) in the early 1970s. The Refuge was put into operation in 1973 and is based on the architectural and building model of shelters of the time. Today, the Parnonas Mountaineering Refuge is managed by the Hellenic Mountaineering Association of Sparta (E.O.S.), the Forestry Service's refuge at the Avrialos location and the Veroia refuge.

The Refuge has a capacity of 34 people. It has a fireplace, a stove, an internal toilet and an organised kitchen with gas for cooking. There is also a small water supply carried on foot from the nearby Arnomousga spring, 200 metres away. Due to the zero light pollution, the Refuge area is ideal for amateur astronomers who travel there to stargaze. Finally, from the Parnon Refuge, the route to Megali Tourla (the highest peak of Parnon) begins at an altitude of 1,935 metres.