Hiking/Trekking

'26 - Greece

While it hadn't been on our bucket list (yes, we have a list), an international yoga retreat in the heel of Italy provided a great opportunity to visit and explore some more parts of Europe we hadn't been - Greece was it.

For many seeing and experiencing Greece, besides Athens, means visiting the Greek Islands in the Aegean Sea. For us and the balance of our trip, we wanted to experience Greece, yet we also wanted to avoid the crowds - in effect, see it "local". So we looked west towards the Ionian Sea, the Peloponnese peninsula and the Ionian Islands.

Kefalonia seemed our speed - more chill, less touristy, AND, it had mountains for hiking! We added it to our itinerary and found a stunning villa with a sea view. And to add more dimension to our itinerary, we also discovered and settled on Kalavryta - a small mountain village in the central part of the peninsula, again with more mountains (hiking - yeah!) and, as it turns out a very chilling history.

Browse the blogs below to read about our adventures in Greece.

Athens

Athens was the first stop in our visit to Greece – where, having traveled separately, Jeanne and I planned to meet after her yoga retreat in southern Italy. Because our visit was short, really only a single day, we’d booked a 2hr group tour of the Acropolis – bright and early (8am) to beat the (anticipated) crowds. From our recent European travels, we learned the small group (or individual tours) available through GetYourGuide or WithLocals provide large amounts of “information”

Kefalonia

For many seeing and experiencing Greece means Athens and visiting the Greek Islands in the Aegean Sea with their whitewashed walls and blue roofs. For us, we wanted to go beyond Athens to experience Greece, yet we also wanted to avoid the crowds – in effect, see it and experience it “local”. We looked west of Athens towards the Ionian Sea, the Peloponnese peninsula and the Ionian Islands. Among the few Ionian islands, Kefalonia seemed our speed – more chill,

Kalavryta

The village of Kalavryta on the Peloponnese peninsula had popped up in our early Greece research, first for the unusual hiking offered in the stunning Vouraikos Gorge, and for the mountainous region and outdoor opportunities around the very alpine-esque village itself. Adding to the attractiveness of the area was the Odontotos Rack Railway, a narrow-gauge railway with mechanical rack assistance for the steep ascent into Kalavryta which doubled as a popular hiking trail. The area seemed like a natural fit