Teleporio™ — Greek Island Travel Intelligence

Seli Ski Centre

Seli ski resort above Naoussa in Central Macedonia — 1 hour from Thessaloniki. Combine skiing with Greece's finest Xinomavro wine region.

Seli Ski Centre — Above the Xinomavro Vineyards of Naoussa

Seli is one of Greece's oldest ski centres, above Naoussa in the Imathia region of Central Macedonia — approximately 1 hour from Thessaloniki, making it one of the most accessible Greek resorts from Greece's second city. The resort sits on the slopes of Mount Vermio and offers a mix of beginner and intermediate terrain within easy reach of a town with an exceptional culinary and wine identity.

Naoussa produces the finest red wines in Greece — the Naoussa PDO designation covers Xinomavro, a thick-skinned, high-tannin grape variety with the complexity of Barolo and the acidity of Burgundy. A ski day at Seli paired with a visit to one of the Naoussa estates and a meal at a local taverna is a genuinely rewarding Greek winter combination that has nothing to do with islands or summer.

Getting There

Drive west from Thessaloniki on the Egnatia Odos (E90), exit toward Veria, then continue to Naoussa and the mountain road to Seli. Approximately 1 hour from Thessaloniki Makedonia Airport (SKG).

Naoussa Wine Country

Naoussa town, 10 km from the ski centre, is one of the most important wine destinations in Greece. The Naoussa PDO appellation produces Xinomavro — a thick-skinned, high-tannin grape with a distinctive profile: dry, savoury, and age-worthy in a way no other Greek variety is. The comparison to Barolo is routinely made by international critics, and it holds. Boutaris (a producer with international distribution), Thymiopoulos, Kir-Yianni, and a cluster of smaller family estates have established Naoussa as the reference point for Greek red wine. Several estates offer tastings and cellar visits by appointment — call ahead rather than arriving without notice.

The combination of a ski morning at Seli and an afternoon wine tasting in Naoussa — followed by a dinner of lamb giouvetsi in a local taverna — is one of the most specifically Greek pleasures available in winter, with none of the tourist infrastructure that surrounds similar activities in Tuscany or Burgundy. Veria, 20 km east of Naoussa, has Byzantine churches and museums worth a morning. The ancient Macedonian royal tombs at Vergina (Aegae) — the tomb of Philip II of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great — are a UNESCO World Heritage Site 30 minutes from Naoussa and open year-round.

The Seli resort is managed by the Seli Ski Resort SA and has been operating since 1937, making it one of the oldest ski destinations in Greece. Lift access, snow conditions, and piste reports are published at ski-seli.gr. Accommodation is available in Naoussa (10 km) and in ski chalets near the resort. The drive from Thessaloniki takes under an hour on the Egnatia Odos, making Seli one of the most time-efficient weekend ski destinations for Thessaloniki residents and visitors.