Walking Holidays in Greece

7—14 June and 6 — 13 Sept €400

Hike the Ancient Donkey Paths on Mt Pelion

Guided Walking Holidays in Greece

These walking weeks are a varied programme of guided 3-4 hr morning walks — through apple orchards and olive groves, deep into the woods, up the mountain, along the wilder stretches of coast line, down to the beaches of the Aegean.

Apart from Saturday, walks start after breakfast and end on a beach where we have a picnic lunch, an afternoon swim and are picked up about 5:45 pm (17:45). Intrepid walkers may wish to walk back up hill to the Centre (about 90-120 min).

On Saturday we meet for coffee after the community meeting to talk about the region and our itineraries for the week and to go over local maps and resources.

Itinerary

Sunday — Chestnuts and Olive Trees A 535 m descent from Kissos village shrouded in forests with chestnut trees and ending at the stunning beach of Plaka by Agios Ioannis. Our route to the sparkling turquoise Aegean sea wends its way through apple orchards, chestnut forests, and olive groves. We pass Agios Dimitrios with its traditional flag-stoned village square and massive Church. At the foot of Mt Pelion where the verdant moutains greet the shimmering water at the sea-shore we have our lunch, our afternoon swim and laze on the beach.

Monday — The Hidden Squares and Gardens of Tsagarada An ideal opportunity to understand the local net-working of mule paths within the large aristocratic village of Tsagarada. We'll walk in the shade of enormous chestnut trees, admire the traditional archictecture and soak up the unique atmosphere of the beautiful village squares and village churches.

Tuesday — Kissos to Mouresi and on to Damouchari This energetic walk begins with a descent into the steep forested valley between the two villages of Kissos and Mouresi. We pass tumbling rivers, small cascading waterfalls and rock pools. We then climb steeply up to Mouresi, passing through chestnut forests, apple and cherry orchards. This is then followed by a descent to Damouchari, an enchanting and idyllic harbour with a dazzling white pebble beach, where parts of the film Mama Mia were made.

We spend the afternoon there in the cafes and on the beach, meeting the rest of the community for supper at Apostoli's taverna.

Wednesday — Tsagarada- Fakistra- Damouchari Leaving the chestnut forests of Tsagarada the path leads to the small and spectacular beach of Fakistra. Following a swim and a break for our picnic lunch, we continue on by a coastal walk to Damouchari.

Thursday — Tsagarada A walk through the chestnut forest high in Tsagarada ending back at Tsagarada main square where we will eat our lunch under the shade of the the renowed 800 year old plane tree.

Thursday Evening Fireside Circle

Thursday evening is our final sharing by the fireside at Kalikalos, and Friday morning from 9:30 to 11:30 is Centre cleanup and good byes. Anyone staying on for the following week has the afternoon free to just relax.

Hiking boots are suggested, also a day-pack, water bottle and a stick would be useful. Please ensure that your travel insurance covers you for hiking.

Our affordable (€250 per week, inclusive) Living-in-Community programme invites you to stay on a week before or after your workshop to relax and enjoy this special, unspoilt region of Greece. Book June walking now! or Book Sept walking now!

Walking Guide: Jill Sleeman with Pelion Donkey

Photos courtesy Ilias Kapetanakis: www.pelionet.gr

Kalikalos is run by and as a full community comprising the unpaid volunteer staffers and our guests. So, as a workshop participant you'll join the cooking team once in the week, and help occasionally with clean up, gardening or admin. The work is not onerous, about 6-7 hr of "Karma Yoga" in the week. This makes our programmes more affordable and helps us build community together.