Kastraki is a village of whitewashed houses and small gardens sitting directly beneath the Meteora rocks, about 2 kilometres from Kalambaka. Several of the best guesthouses and smaller hotels for visiting Meteora are here rather than in the town itself — the location is quieter, the rocks are closer, and you can walk to the first monasteries in twenty minutes.
Kastraki also serves as the main starting point for the rock climbing routes in Meteora. The village has a handful of tavernas, a small square, and the feeling of a place that has not entirely been swallowed by tourism despite its extraordinary setting. Staying here rather than in Kalambaka adds a step to getting the bus to the far monasteries, but rewards you with better views from your window and a more atmospheric morning.