Walking grade two --

Price: € 1035 per person without the flight Single supplement €120

Lesvos is one of our favourite islands. It has remained very Greek in character and is largely unaffected by tourism. Eastern Lesvos is deliciously lush with olive groves, dense forests, cultivated fields, highland plateaus interlaced by running streams and springs. Moving to the west the landscape is transformed: it becomes more arid, with sparse oak forest and in the far west it is more like a desert. There are the remains of a petrified prehistoric forest. In Spring, the island comes alive, carpeted with wild flowers it offers a temporary home to thousands of rare birds migrating northwards. It is a birdwatchers paradise.
You will see many fascinating things during your stay here: impressive neoclassical mansions, roman aqueducts, Byzantine chapels and Turkish baths.
Unlike many of the Greek islands, Lesvos has a wealth of traditional industries, which have been practised for centuries. Its distilleries produce some of the best ouzo in Greece.

This is a two center holiday, with four nights by the sea in the village of Skala Mistegna and three nights in the mountain village of Agiassos in the Panagia monastery.

We visit many artisans during the week. Pottery is made in many of the villages using traditional methods and ancient designs. Sheep and cow’s milk cheeses, yoghurts, and rice puddings are made in many mountain villages as well as charcoal making, fruit confectioning, icon painting, saddle making, leather working, sardine fishing and canning.The walks we have chosen are in the eastern, southern, and central part of the island.
We believe that you will be charmed and fascinated by an island that is just waiting to be discovered.
Special aspects of this holiday

• descending a wide cobbled path from the highest peak, Mount Olympus at 1,000m, to Agiassos, where there is a remarkable church of the Panagia.
• visiting the capital, Mitilini, with its impressive Genoese fortress & churches, bustling markets, and it's busy port.
• Walking on an ancient cobbled footpath across a valley to visit three byzantine monasteries.
• visiting several charming seaside villages with wonderful views across to Asia Minor; finishing the walk at Mandamados to browse in a pottery shop, to meet an icon painter and visit a potter making pots in the traditional way.
• visiting the Hellenistic temple of Meson and Xalkinadon before feasting on fresh grilled sardines in a seaside taverna
• walking across wild moor land and forest to a deserted beach; lunch by the sea; visiting and bathing in a 200-year-old Turkish hamam fed with natural hot spring water
• Walking across from the eastern side of the island to a deserted fishing village for lunch and then on to catch a boat across the bay to walk through ancient olive groves and back across to our bus by boat at the end the day.

Walking grade two --

Price: €1035 per person (without flight) Single supplement €120

This is a three-centre walking holiday starting from Aktion/Preveza airport on mainland Greece. The first three nights of the tour are spent on the small, fascinating island of Lefkada.

There are many enchanting walks in the heart of the island with pretty villages, wild scenery, and panoramic views of the sea and the surrounding islands.

There will be plenty of opportunities to swim. The last four nights are spent on the mainland, in the Pindus mountains in the region of Zagori, which has some of the most awe-inspiring scenery in Greece.

• Zagori is a complete contrast: this is an area of Greece well off the beaten track. We walk on 200-year-old cobbled footpaths and discover an interesting flora and fauna (orchids galore, wild peonies, bears, eagles and wild ibex).  There are two National Parks, running rivers, ancient stone bridges, frescoed churches, protected and preserved stone villages … all of this in the midst of dramatic, majestic scenery close to the border with Albania.
  
  
  

• Ioannina is the capital of Epirus, forty five minutes from Zagori. A fascinating city with a bloodthirsty history. It was here that Ali Pasha lived in 1800s; he was a tyrant and friend of Lord Byron. His legend lives on as does his mosque and palace.
  Today Ioannina has a flavour of the orient: it is a rich city full of interesting markets and shops; there is great lake with an island in the middle. This is a student town, and there is a buzz in the air around the lake-side cafes in the evenings.

Walking grade two --

We walk between four and six hours each day with up to 700 meters of ascent and descent. The terrain is varied with quite a few cobbled footpaths, dirt roads with tracks through the forest and open fields.



Price includes:
Accommodation for seven nights with full board for the week ; guiding and transport during the tour, including collection and return to Preveza airport.
 
Price does not include:
Flight ticket; personal insurance; drinks during the tour; entrance to museums.

Getting there:
This tour starts at Preveza airport, sometimes known as Aktion. For flight details you can go on to the following site www.cheapflights.co.uk You can reach Preveza from many UK airports.

Walking grade three --

Price: €1100 per person (without flight) Single supplement €120

Thank you to the 2010 group for their participation an excellent tour see photos by Robin Drummond.

This is a challenging journey on foot from Micro Papingo, in northern Zagori, across the majestic Timfi Mountains to the eastern side of Mount Smolikas, Greeces’ second highest mountain.
We walk in some of the remotest and most dramatic mountains in Greece. The landscapes and the vegetation are extremely varied as we cross from west to east. Our luggage is carried by vehicle which meets us wherever there is access, so we are not obliged to take heavy loads on our backs. We move on each night to a different location staying mostly in small villages and two nights in comfortable manned refuges.

We will meet the locals in the villages & learn more about their way of life, then in the mountains we will meet shepherds with large flocks living a life that hasn’t changed for thousands of years.

The fauna & flora in Epirus are excellent in June. We can admire many varities of endemic plants including fritillaries, alpine tulips, and alpine daffodils, and Crocus to name but a few. Also on the higher ridges we cross ancient Robola pine forest, an endemic to the Greek mountains. The wildlife is also very rich as bears, wolves, otters and Balkan chamois are common through this part of the world. We often see Golden eagles as well as many varieties of butterflies, including the Camberwell beauty.

Special aspects of this tour

Zagori – Our tour begins in the area named Zagori. The 44 villages in Zagori are scattered north and south of the famous Vikos gorge which we will admire on our first night in Micro Papingo. Vikos is one of the deepest gorges in the world which is why it is in the Guinness book of records. Zagori has some beautiful stone built villages, as well as many stone built bridges built two hundred years ago by the famous Konitsa stone masons. At this time Zagori was a protected area under the rule of Ali Pasha.

The Timfi mountains
These mountains dominate the northern most tip of Epirus. The peaks of Timfi include Astraka, Gamilla, and Tsouka Rossa. These peaks can be seen from afar. Mount Timfi is mainly limestone. It has rich fauna and flora. Its western side is in the Vikos gorge national park.

Mount Smolikas (2637m)
Climbing to the second highest peak in Greece is an exciting experience. From the top of Mount Smolikas one has a 360° view of the northern tip of Epiros, with Albania to the North, Mount Timfi to the west, Mount Grammos to the north east, and Mount Peristeri to the south. This is an area with an abundance of wildlife and a botanists paradise.

Off the tourist routes – We stay in small villages where we can meet the locals and seep up the atmosphere of this remote part of Greece. We learn about the two national parks Vikos/Aoos and Valia Kalda, learn about the fauna and flora of Epirus. We eat regional foods especially delicious sheep & goat cheeses, game, and vegetable dishes. The wines in Epirus are delicious made from several rare grape varieties.

Walking grade three --

This tour is for experienced walkers. You will need to be fit to be able to participate on such a week. This will involve preparation - we recommend running, swimming and going regularly to a gym for several months before the start of the tour.
We walk for up to 8 hours on some of the days with 1000 meters of ascent. We walk on varied terrain, but mainly on paths and across country. There are occasional steep drops and scrambles.

Price includes
Accommodation for seven nights on a full board basis for the week; guiding(two leaders) and transport during the duration of the tour; collection and return to Preveza airport.

Price does not include
Flight ticket; personnel insurance; drinks during the tour; entrance to museums or transfers not included in the tour.

Getting there
Guests will be met at Preveza (Aktion) airport in southern Epirus. Anyone not arriving at this airport will have to make their own way to meet the group. It is possible to reach this airport through Athens or direct from many UK airports.