Walking grade two --
6 5

Price: € 990 per person without the flight Single supplement €120

The Cycladic islands are another of our favourite areas of Greece. These islands are situated in the centre of the Aegean. They have kept their deeply Greek character and the blue and white coloured houses dominate a largely treeless and rocky terrain.  We have chosen the islands of Syros (capital of the Cyclades) and Tinos for their excellent walking and their cultural richness as there are many places of interest to visit and an ancient heritage to tap into.

This tour begins on the island of Syros where we stay for three days. We stay in Ermoupolis, the capital of the island, and once the capital of Greece. This is a wonderful town with miles of winding uphilland downhill streets, taking in a selection of architectures that range from Venetian to Neo classical. The cafes and tavernas that line the sea front are animated throughout the day and there are a never ending number of ships that stop to unload passengers and cars. The walking on Syros is on old cobbled paths which pass through villages, ancient terracing, and along coastal paths. There are spectacular views out towards other island such as Mykonos, Paros and Delos.

From Syros a 40 minute boat journey takes us across to Tinos town which is elegant, pristine, and quiet. We stay a few minutes from here in the town of Kionia near the temple of Poseidon. Syros has a feeling like no other island. The houses are decorated in a slightly Middle Eastern style, painted white and well finished. There is also a Latin influence which gives all it’s villages a clean and finished look; small winding streets, arched corridors, venetian coats of arms above doorways, marble statues and gargoyles. One of the most outstanding features of the island are the many ancient decorated Dovecotes that we find dotted around the mountains and countryside as well as the impressive number of small chapels found everywhere. The chapels are no doubt a left over from ancient times when people made pilgrimages to Tinos to pay homage to Poseidon. Today pilgrims come from all over Greece to pay respects to the Virgin Mary in Tinos town. We explore a variety of charming and varied footpaths (often cobbled) on the island, that pass through many different landscapes including; high mountain plateaus, coastal paths, fertile valleys and arid limestone mountains. We spend four days walking in Tinos. This is where tour ends..

Special aspects of the tour -

  • Staying in the exciting and bustling town of Ermoupolis on Syros. Visiting the two cathedrals on seperate hillocks, one Catholic and the other Orthodox. Syros & Tinos are two of the Greek islands that have the highest population of Catholics in Greece.
  • Exploring Syros on foot on relatively unknown paths, enjoying taverna meals, and amazing views in every direction.
  • Taking a ferry across to Tinos and enjoying the subtle differences of two very beautiful and unspoilt islands.
  • Exploring the heart of Tinos on foot which still has an intact ancient network of footpaths.
  • Enjoying seeing and visiting the numerous Dovecotes and churches on each days walk.
  • Eating in a selection of excellent tavernas on both Syros and Tinos.

Getting there
We recommend that guests coming on this tour take a flight to Athens or to Mykonos. From Athens there are flights to Syros everyday and numerous ferries from either Pireas or Rafina. From Mykonos there are numerous ferries to Syros and Tinos everyday. We are happy to give you advice and help you book your internal transport with boats, planes, and buses.

What is included
Accommodation with en suite bathroom on the islands of Syros and Tinos, 7 breakfasts, 6 lunches, and 7 evening meals, a welcome drink in Syros town, transport during the tour which begins in Syros and ends in Tinos, boat transfer between Syros and Tinos, the services of a qualified mountain guide.

What is not included
Flights to Greece, transfers getting to Syros for the start of the tour and leaving Tinos at the end , personal insurance, drinks during meals, and extra costs not included in the tour.

Book the walking tour in Syros and Tinos 2012
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Walking grade two --
6 5

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.
  • Staying in a monastery in Agiassos for three nights.


Walking grade two -- 4 3
An average of four to six hours’ walking in a day with up to 500 metres of ascent or descent. The terrain is a mainly cobbled footpaths and dirt roads across fields and moorland.

Price includes:
Accommodation for seven nights in rooms with ensuite facilities(three nights in a monastery),full board for the week; guiding and transport during the tour, including collection and return to the local airport.
 

Prices does not include:
Flight ticket; personal insurance; lunch on the arrival and departure day, drinks during the tour; entrance to museums.

 

Book the walking tour in Lesbos 2012
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Walking grade two --

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

 

This is a new tour for 2012. We have decided to put together two of our favourite areas in the Pindus mountains so that you can experience great walking, good homemade food and hospitality, and some of the wildest and most beautiful landscapes in Greece.

This is a two center holiday. We meet at Preveza airport, then drive to Zagori. Zagori is a unique area with about thirty 18th century stone built villages that are dotted around the impressive Vikos gorge. The Vikos gorge is a national park with a rich flora and fauna. We stay in the village of Tsepelovo in the southern foothills of Mount Timfi in a small family run B&B. The second area we stay in is further north in the foothills of Mount Smolikas. This is a very wild region with small isolated villages and thick pine & beech forest. We stay in a small family run hotel in Pournia.

The walking is very varied as this area has deep gorges with running water, high mountain plateaux, open pastureland, and thickly wooded valleys. We will also visit many small villages where we meet the locals and learn some of the in-depth things about life in these remote areas. There are also fascinating and unique stone built bridges and frescoed chapels to visit.

The flowers in early June are at their best in Epirus; widow orchids (plus many others), purple Iris, Narcissus, Serbian Pansies, wild Geraniums abound as well as many varieties of mushrooms including Boletus and Chanterelle. Bears and Wolves are common in the Pindus, but we never see them as they are shy creatures!



Walking grade two --

This is a grade two tour. We walk for up to 6 hours a day with up to 500m ascent in a day. Though the walks are long they are open to most people who like walking and have a reasonable level of fitness. The terrain is varied we tend to walk on dirt roads, cobbled footpaths and small footpaths through forest or on mountains. We avoid scrambling and exposed terrain.



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.


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Walking grade three --

Price: €1150 per person (without flight) Single supplement €120


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 and 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 found in 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 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 soak up the atmosphere of this remote part of Greece. We learn about the two national parks Vikos/Aoos and Valia Kalda, and 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 they are made from several rare grape varieties.




Walking grade three --


This tour is for experienced walkers. A good level of fitness is essential.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 nine nights on a full board basis for the duration; guiding and transport during the duration of the tour; collection and return to Corfu Airport.

Price does not include
Flight ticket; personal 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.


Book the walking tour Trek in high Pindus 2012