ITINERARY:
Day 1 -
ATHENS - CORINTH - PELOPONESE PENINSULA Meet
in central Athens at 2.00PM
and board our private bus to head for the Peloponese
Peninsula.
On our way to Tolo we pause at the Corinth Canal. In
ancient times the city-state of Corinth was a busy sea-port
due to its location on the narrow isthmus joining the
Adriatic and the Aegean.
Our route then takes us through Nemea where our mythic companion is
Hercules (the legendary hero who performed 12 labours
including slaying the Nemean Lion).
By late
afternoon we reach our hotel in the pretty beachfront town
of Tolo. Like most places in Greece,
legends abound. Tolo was first written about by Homer who
mentioned the Acropolis of Asine that
still sits on a small hill near our hotel. It is claimed
that the warriors from the Argos
region set sail for the Trojan wars from Tolo.
Day 2 -
COUNTRYSIDE WALKING Our walking guides meet us at
the hotel. You can choose a relaxed
"Philosophers" walk or a more energetic "Olympian" hike.
Our coach then takes
us a short distance to the lovely village of Kefalovrysso
(pop 189). This traditional village is nestled
in the foothills of the Lirkio range and surrounded by trees said to date from
the time of Menelaus (Helen of Troy's husband) in the 5th
century BC.
From our base at a sustainable agrotourism project we have a
choice of two hikes on paths scented by wild thyme and
oregano. The Philosophers' walk (about 4 km) is quite
flat going through the village and forests. Along the way is
a spring with what is thought to have been an underwater
temple.
The Olympian walk (about 9 km) takes walkers up the
mountain overlooking the village. This route is a
short part of the Sparta to Athens ultra-marathon that
recreates a gruelling run made by soldier/messengers during
the Persian wars to ask for Sparta's assistance.
Both groups meet for
a picnic lunch in the agrotourism village. After
lunch both groups continue to a wine
and olive oil producing organic farm. At
the farm we walk through orchards, olive groves and a vineyard.
Day 3 -
EPIDAURUS - THE HEALING PATH - This morning
both the Philosopher and Olympian paths lead through pretty countryside
and olive orchards. Along the way we see healing springs lined with
wild lavender, sage and rosemary. In ancient times the
healing path was walked by the afflicted on their way to the
Sanctuary of Epidaurus so our mythical companion for the day
is Asklepios, the god of healing. At the end of
our walk we visit the amazing site of
Epidaurus (UNESCO) with an expert guide. We hear how,
in the 6th century BC, the sanctuary was a temple where
patients came to consult Asklepios. But, over the
centuries, priests of the temple accumulated wisdom about
disease so what was once just a temple became a healing
centre using
surgery and potions as well as holistic therapies like dreams, serpents and theatre. These
theories of healing spread throughout the Greco-Roman world
so Epidaurus became the Mayo Clinic of ancient times.
Day 4
- ONE DAY CRUISE from Tolo our ferry goes to the small islands of Spetses and Hydra.
Of course our mythical companion for the day is Poseidon,
god of the sea, and often dolphins accompany us frolicking
in the ship's wake. We explore both islands on foot
(cars are not permitted on Hydra) and hear some of the
islands' fascinating history. Merchant seafaring was
the main source of livelihood in these rocky islands and it
brought prosperity - especially during the Napoleonic wars
when Greek shipping magnates made fortunes working with both belligerent
sides. In 1821 Spetses was the first Greek island to raise
the flag of Revolution. The wealthy sea captains who had
been hoarding gold quickly dug up their buried
treasure, funded the revolution and liberated the territory
from the Turks. We hear the story of Bouboulina, a
swashbuckling female who used
her own wealth to fund a fleet during the War of
Independence. She survived the war but in the end was shot
and killed in a family feud. Another Greek tragedy. Today, Spetses’ quiet beauty attracts Greek billionaires plus
international novelists and pop stars looking for a retreat.
Huge state-of-the-art yachts are moored at the marina
alongside quaint fishing boats. There are pleasant coastal
walks on both islands as well as cafes and shops. The cruise returns to Tolo
harbour in time for dinner.
Day 5 - NAFPLION - Today there is a choice of either
taking a coach transfer into the the romantic sea-side town of Nafplion (15 minutes) where the Philosophers do an easy 5 km
walk. The alternative for the Olympians is a
more challenging 12 km walk.
Both routes lead to a medieval convent dedicated to the
"virgin of the life-giving spring". Outside the convent
walls we picnic and perhaps fill a water-bottle from the
spring. Legend says in ancient times the goddess Hera
bathed in this water to annually renew her virginity. The
convent is an 11th century Byzantine structure built on the
ruins of an ancient temples and with a beautiful garden
filled with roses and lavender.
From here we continue on foot into the enchanting town of Nafplion. Here, we walk through Greek history from archaic times
to the present. Legend says that the town was founded by Nafplios, son of the god Poseidon. Nafplios' son Palamides fought in the Trojan War and today,
his namesake, the huge Palamides castle, still stands
atop the hill overlooking the
town. (Olympian walkers may choose to climb the 999 steps to the top). But there is more here than
history. We have free time to
browse in the shops or relax in the cafes. Sample some
ice-cream with intense flavours such as Cretan honey or a
little baklava.
Day 6 - Today we have a leisurely
day to swim and to
enjoy the seaside village of Tolo. Perhaps visit some of the
small, uninhabited islands - Romvi with its ancient
fortifications, Koronisi with its little chapel of the Agioi
Apostoloi and Daskalio where, during Turkish rule, children
attended a secret school to learn their language and
history. Or visit the archaeological site at nearby
Asini. Here, remains of prehistoric settlements and parts of
ancient city walls estimated to have been built in 300BC can
be seen. Or you can climb a hill to find the Agia
Kyriaki, a picturesque church. Or just explore the shops and
cafes of Tolo. Or perhaps enjoy a cooking class to learn
about Greek cuisine.
Day 7
MYCENAE - Today we visit nearby Mycenae
(UNESCO). According to legend, Mycenae's founder was the
hero Perseus, son of the god Zeus. In the second millennium
BC this was one of the major centres of Greek civilization,
a military stronghold which dominated the Hellenic world. At
its height in 1350 BC, the town had a population of 30,000
and scholars still are puzzled about why it declined. We
walk to visit the Citadel and the famous Treasury of Atreus. We
marvel at the Cyclopean walls, built by giants or elephants
- no one knows for sure. After the tour we choose
our walks. The 12 km Olympian route is on King Agamemnon's path
where, according to legend, Agamemnon drove
his golden carriage on his triumphant return from the Trojan
war. Continuing on, the Olympians pass through olive and orange fields
passing a strange stone
building which local legend claims was a guard room to keep
a watchful eye οn Hera, queen of all the gods,
when she passed by en route to her temple. The
Philosophers' walk is shorter (about 7 km) ending at the
archaeological site of Heraio which was a religious centre dedicated
to Hera. In ancient times women
would travel on foot for many miles to ask Hera for their wish to
be granted.
Day 8 - After an early morning check out of our Tolo hotel we transfer by coach to Athens Airport (about two hours) to
arrive about 09.30. The bus will then continue into central Athens.
OPTIONAL EXTENSION
3 night Iconic Aegean cruise
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