Greece - walking tours in the ancient world - Greece - The Wayfarers

We meet in Athens and our journey takes us to Corinth where the famous canal separates the mainland from the Peloponnese. We reach Nafplion, an ancient port town dominated by Palamidi castle towering 700 feet above. We will explore the great bastions of the castle, the town squares and it’s labyrinth of lanes and byways.

Our walk commences at the Sanctuary of Asclepios at Epidaurus. A road and track lead us to the gentle slopes of Mt. Titthion that falls gradually to the plain of the Argolid. From this vantage point is seen Mt. Koryphaia where the goddess Atremis wandered in the woods. Later we explore the theatre of Epidaurus, considered the best in antiquity for elegance, proportions and acoustics – a whisper from the Orchestra circle is audible even in the uppermost row. The splendid ruins of the sanctuary form an immense site made up of temples and a hospice, hippodrome and stadium to name but a few. Following lunch at a local taverna we walk along the coastline - a beautiful coastal stroll that eventually returns us again to Nafplion. Time enough take the boat trip to Bouotzi castle which served as a fortress from the 15th century.

We walk in the Kalami valley north of Sparta, one of the very prettiest regions of the Peloponnese with villages perched along the foot hills of the Taygetos mountains reminiscent of Tuscany. Farm tracks meander through a lush farmland that continues to sustain a thriving bird life and made fertile by many streams that pour from the mountain. A highlight of the week will be to discover on foot the magnificent royal Mycenaean tombs. This site is well hidden with little archaeological work undertaken but recent excavation and tumuli reveal remains of the Helladicthe period of 2500BC. We lunch in a village square and continue to Mystras, a fortified town which hangs to the side of the mountain overlooking Sparta some 6 kilometres distant.

We walk from our hotel along an array of farm tracks through a lush countryside of small fields and woodland. We remain on the foothills of the vast Taygeros mountains from where there are splendid views of ancient Mystras – buildings precariously hug the mountain side – and to the south are the plains of Sparta. In the afternoon from a hill top village we overlook Mystras castle perched across the valley and make an easy winding descent returning to our hotel and overnight.

We continue further south into the Prefecture of Laconia to walk on a deserted beach and discover the massive stone blocks of a Mycenae settlement - remains of which are embedded across the hillside. We arrive at Monemvasia, a distinctively shaped islet joined to the mainland by a causeway from which ‘Monemvasia’ (sole approach) derives its name. Following lunch we explore the town and the lovely 12c church of Agia Sofia then an uphill walk to see to the upper town on the plateau and the ruins of a fortified town, gatehouse and residence of the Venetian Governor.

A hill track leads us from the hamlet of Teria, where the handful of residents make a living tending their olive trees, to Aghios Nikolaos with it’s lovely church and tower dominating the old village square - a perfect place to rest under the shade of the oak tree. A farm house is our venue for lunch and later we will walk around their orange groves and learn about some traditional methods of Greek farming. We explore a sleepy costal village where fishermen sit and gossip along the harbour wall while mending nets.

We set off from a small hill village and follow the farm tracks that cross and re-cross meadows and orchards to the valley floor where there is time to rest in the cool leafy shade and paddle in the cold streams. There are great views of the coastline and in the far distance the hump of Monemvasia and, to the north, the arid mountains of Laconia. Our path takes us to the villages of Panagia and Nomia and then to lunch at a taverna on the coast. This is followed by a coastal walk where the wild, unspoiled mountains drop into a brilliant blue sea and, from a tiny harbour we take an exciting boat trip across the bay - a unique vantage point to see the extraordinary fortifications of Monemvasia.

Our journey from Monemvasia takes us to the countryside south of Sparta where we walk to the Tomb of Apollo beautifully situated on a small hilltop with views in all directions. Our farm track skirts a small river passing through fields of olive and orange trees and a paved path finally brings us to the Vaulted Tomb of Vafio, famous for gold and silver artefacts found there – a gold cup depicting wild bull hunting may be seen in the archaeological museum in Athens. We continue to lunch and from there we will continue to the classic historical site of Mycenae, now a World Heritage Site. We end our day with our Farewell Dinner in Athens.

Individual departure from Athens.