Outdoor travel in Greece

Published May 5, 2004 12:00AM


Week of April 4-10, 1996 Leavenworth: Washington’s backyard Bavaria The Midwest’s best paddling trips Hiking Mexico’s Copper Canyon Outdoor travel in Greece North Carolina’s Nantahala Outdoor Center Utah’s San Juan River Outdoor travel in Greece Question: I am thinking of going to Greece this August to laze around on a beach, but would love to incorporate a week or ten days of adventure travel in the earlier part of the month. I’d be willing to go anywhere that’s relatively convenient to the islands (Greece, Turkey, Italy) as long as the trip doesn’t get extremely expensive. Other relevant info: I’m probably traveling solo, and I’m a fairly experienced hiker (but would be interested in any outdoor activity). Laurie Malkin Philadelphia, PA lmalkin@dolphin.upenn.edu Adventure Adviser: Lucky you. What could be better than a rigorous ten-day hiking trip followed by three indulgent weeks of beach lounging? There are plenty of Greece-bound outfitted trips to choose from–it’s just a matter of how much money you want to spend and what kind of activity you’re interested in. If you want to see the country from the back of a horse, sign on with FITS Equestrian’s eight-day ride through the rolling hills, beech and olive groves, and steep donkey trails of the Pilion Mountains northwest of Athens. The pace is moderate–you’ll cover a total of about 110 miles–with nights spent in small family pensions. Land cost is $1,065 per person, and trips run May through October, so you should have no trouble finding an August departure. For more information, call 800-666-3487. Another option is to do your trekking on foot, as part of Country Walkers’ ten-day hiking trip in the foothills of Mount Taygetus, in the central finger of the southern Peloponnisos. You’ll cover up to 14 miles a day through olive groves and rocky gorges, bedding down in small hotels and rustic country inns. Expect to pay a land cost of $1,950. Trips run throughout the spring and summer; call 800-464-9255. Finally, for a two-wheel tour through the cradle of Western civilization, consider Classic Adventures’ 14-day inn-to-inn cycling trip to some of Greece’s most renowned ruins. Starting in ancient Corinth, you’ll pedal the back roads to Mycenae and Epidauros before heading south along the coast for a three-day side trip to the island of Zakinthos. Back on the mainland, you’ll bike along the Alphios River to Olympia and back to Athens, covering about 35 miles a day. Cost is a rather hefty $2,189 per person, but if you’ve got the time and money, it’s a trip you won’t want to miss. For additional outfitted trips and a rundown of what to do while in Greece, check out “Gone Greco” in the Destinations section our forthcoming May 1996 issue, online and on newsstands in mid-April.

Week of April 4-10, 1996
Leavenworth: Washington’s backyard Bavaria
The Midwest’s best paddling trips
Hiking Mexico’s Copper Canyon
Outdoor travel in Greece
North Carolina’s Nantahala Outdoor Center
Utah’s San Juan River Outdoor travel in Greece
Question: I am thinking of going to Greece this August to laze around on a beach, but would love to incorporate a week or ten days of adventure travel in the earlier part of the month. I’d be willing to go anywhere that’s relatively convenient to the islands (Greece, Turkey, Italy) as long as the trip doesn’t get extremely expensive. Other
relevant info: I’m probably traveling solo, and I’m a fairly experienced hiker (but would be interested in any outdoor activity). Laurie Malkin
Philadelphia, PA
lmalkin@dolphin.upenn.edu Adventure Adviser: Lucky you. What could be better than a rigorous ten-day hiking trip followed by three indulgent weeks of beach lounging? There are plenty of Greece-bound outfitted trips to choose from–it’s just a matter of how much money you want to spend and what kind of activity you’re interested in. If you want to see the country from the back of a horse, sign on with FITS Equestrian’s eight-day ride through the rolling hills, beech and olive groves, and steep donkey trails of the Pilion Mountains northwest of Athens. The pace is moderate–you’ll cover a total of about 110 miles–with nights spent in small family pensions. Land cost is $1,065 per person, and trips run
May through October, so you should have no trouble finding an August departure. For more information, call 800-666-3487. Another option is to do your trekking on foot, as part of Country Walkers’ ten-day hiking trip in the foothills of Mount Taygetus, in the central finger of the southern Peloponnisos. You’ll cover up to 14 miles a day through olive groves and rocky gorges, bedding down in small hotels and rustic country inns. Expect to pay a land cost of $1,950. Trips run throughout the
spring and summer; call 800-464-9255. Finally, for a two-wheel tour through the cradle of Western civilization, consider Classic Adventures’ 14-day inn-to-inn cycling trip to some of Greece’s most renowned ruins. Starting in ancient Corinth, you’ll pedal the back roads to Mycenae and Epidauros before heading south along the coast for a three-day side trip to the island of Zakinthos. Back on the mainland, you’ll
bike along the Alphios River to Olympia and back to Athens, covering about 35 miles a day. Cost is a rather hefty $2,189 per person, but if you’ve got the time and money, it’s a trip you won’t want to miss. For additional outfitted trips and a rundown of what to do while in Greece, check out “Gone Greco” in the Destinations section our forthcoming May 1996 issue, online and on newsstands in mid-April.