Propping up the base of Pelister, just 5km from Bitola, the 830m-high mountainside hamlet of Dihovo is a charming spot, surrounded by thick pine forests and rushing mountain streams. The village's proximity to the main access road into the Pelister National Park makes it a popular base for walkers, and locals have shown impressive initiative in developing their traditional community into a pioneering village tourism destination.
Dihovo's pretty coil of stone houses includes three guesthouses, a beekeeper, the icon-rich Church of Sveti Dimitrije (1830) and access to mountain paths, plus a waterfall to cool off in on hot summer days. The beekeeper offers honey tastings; book through Villa Dihovo, whose owner Petar can also arrange other local community activities.
The waterfall isn't signposted and can be tricky to find: follow signs for the now-defunct open-air swimming pool, take the forest track to the pool that veers off the paved road to the left, head past the pool down the field track to the left of the pool, and keep walking for about 10 minutes to reach the falls.
A taxi from Bitola to Dihovo costs about 150MKD.
