Greece
Description
Greece is a famous beach destination, and many island hoppers like to go for a walk now and again. Most islands are quite suitable for hiking, and locally guides and maps are available giving good descriptions of trails. But the crowded summer season is hot and dry. April is a much better month for hiking, with all flowers in full bloom, and also May, although it will start to get busier. June is more quiet but very hot. The busy season then lasts until winter. Although common in the past, your chances of actually following in the footsteps of mules carrying their loads in the traditional manner are dim.
But there is more. If you've had enough of the island's oregano, you can head for the mainland Pindos Mountains in the province of Epirus, on the border with Albania. European long distance trail E6, running from west to east, leads right across the Pindos. In the wide expanse of forests and pastures you may cross tracks with a bear (see the picture of a bear track which caused the author to freeze with fear), or if not, then at least with one or two herdsmen smelling of the inevitable ewe's cheese. Smolikos is the highest peak, reaching up to 2637m. Walking season in the mountains is from May, when the mountain tops are still covered in snow, until mid October. Greek mountain ranges have been made increasingly accessible over the years thanks to over 100 mountain huts.
Make an effort, and find out Greece has almost twenty national trails, maintained by regional mountaineering clubs. European long distance trail E4 enters Northern Greece from Bulgaria, and runs south via Mount Olympus (2918m), highest mountain of Greece and pleasant abode of Zeus. If you plan to spend the night there yourself in July or August, make sure to reserve in advance. The trail then leads across the Peleponessos, leaving it in the south, and continues on the island of Crete. Crete of course is famous for its Samaria gorge, the longest in Europe. It is impossible to lose your way here, simply join the crowd.
The Internet is not yet a very good source of information on Greek hiking, but maps and guides are easy to find. More information can be obtained through the Hellenic Federation of Mountaineering and Climbing.
Trails
Regions
- Agatohonissi, Dodecanese
- Amorgos, Cyclades
- Anafi, Cyclades
- Andros, Cyclades
- Antiparos, Cyclades
- Arki, Dodecanese
- Astipalea, Dodecanese
- Corfu
- Crete
- Cyclades Islands
- Dodecanese Islands
- Donoussa, Cyclades
- Folegandros, Cyclades
- Fourni, Dodecanese
- Greek Islands
- Ikaria, Dodecanese
- Ionian Islands
- Ios, Cyclades
- Iraklia, Cyclades
- Kalymnos, Dodecanese
- Karpathos
- Kea, Cyclades
- Kefalonia
- Kimolos, Cyclades
- Kithnos, Cyclades
- Kos
- Koufonisi, Cyclades
- Leros, Dodecanese
- Lesbos
- Lipsi, Dodecanese
- Milos, Cyclades
- Naxos, Cyclades
- Paros, Cyclades
- Patmos, Dodecanese
- Paxos
- Peleponnese
- Peloponnesos
- Pindos Mountains
- Rhodos
- Samos, Dodecanese
- Santorini, Cyclades
- Schinoussa, Cyclades
- Serifos, Cyclades
- Sifnos, Cyclades
- Sikinos, Cyclades
- Syros, Cyclades
- Telendos, Dodecanese
- Thirassia, Cyclades
- Tinos, Cyclades
- Zakynthos
Links
Facts
Reports
Guides and maps
Lodging
Organisations
Tour operators
GPS
Other
Books

United Kingdom
2019
- Walking and Trekking in Zagori
- Walking routes in Greece's wild and beautiful northern Pindos mountains Read more
- Also available from:
- Stanfords, United Kingdom

United Kingdom
2019
- Walking and Trekking in Zagori: Walking routes in Greece`s wild and beautiful northern Pindos mountains
- Zagori in Greece`s Northern Pindos National Park is among the last relatively undiscovered and unspoilt hiking destinations in Europe. This guide presents a selection of thirty walks and three short treks showcasing the region`s captivating scenery, from dramatic gorges to mystical forests, crystal-clear turquoise rivers, rugged alpine peaks... Read more

United Kingdom
- The Unwritten Places
- Wanderings in the Mountains of Northern Greece Read more

United Kingdom
- Alonisos - Northern Sporades Marine Park Anavasi 9.2
- The island of Alonnisos on a light, waterproof and tear-resistant, contoured and GPS compatible map at 1:30,000 from Anavasi highlighting 14 recommended walks. On the reverse is a map showing the nearby islands of the Northern Sporades Marine Park highlighting locations of 16 archaeological sites. All place names are in both Greek and Latin... Read more

United Kingdom
2015
- Kythnos Hiking Guide
- Kythnos Hiking Guide by Terrain Editions, includes eleven walks into history, nature and the most interesting sights of Kythnos, one of the beautiful Cyclades islands in the Aegean sea. Explore Kythnos on foot, a small island boasting ninety sheltered bays, sixty exceptional sandy beaches, famous hot springs and a spa centre by the sea, nine... Read more

United Kingdom
- A Thing of Beauty: Travels in Mythical and Modern Greece
- ”Essential reading” Helen MoralesWhat do the Greek myths mean to us today?It`s now a golden age for these tales - they crop up in novels, films and popular culture. But what`s the modern relevance of Theseus, Hera and Pandora? Were these stories ever meant for children? And what`s to be seen now at the places where heroes fought and gods once... Read more

United Kingdom
2014
- Southern Peloponnese Car Tours and Walks
- Southern Peloponnese in the Landscape series by Sunflower Books details car tours and walks in one of the most varied landscaped regions, from its highest mountain range Mt Taygetus, its largest forest Mt Parnon, its wildest seascapes, Capes Tainaron and Maleas, and some of its loveliest beaches Pylos, Kiparissi and Elafonisos to its finest... Read more

United Kingdom
2006
- Greece Mountain Walks
- The Mountains of Greece is Tim Salmon’s Cicerone guide to walking in some of Europe’s most demanding peaks, with contributions from Michael Cullen. The guide describes a traverse of the Pindhos range and walks in regions including Athens and the east coast, the Peleponnese and the Mani. Most of Greece’s mountains are undeveloped and remote, yet... Read more

Netherlands
- Wander-Studien
- Travel & Languages Accommodation More Accomodation International Books Read more
- Also available from:
- Bol.com, Belgium

Belgium
- Wander-Studien
- Travel & Languages Accommodation More Accomodation International Books Read more

Netherlands
2012
- Xinjiang
- The enormous area now known as China's Xinjiang Province came to prominence with the rise of the Silk Road two millennia ago. For centuries its nomadic peoples and city-states were subject to both religious and economic influences from India, Greece, Persia and of course China, resulting in a land rich with archaeological and cultural... Read more
- Also available from:
- Bol.com, Belgium

Belgium
2012
- Xinjiang
- The enormous area now known as China's Xinjiang Province came to prominence with the rise of the Silk Road two millennia ago. For centuries its nomadic peoples and city-states were subject to both religious and economic influences from India, Greece, Persia and of course China, resulting in a land rich with archaeological and cultural... Read more

Netherlands
2018
- The Rough Guide to Greece
- The Rough Guide to Greece has been the definitive guidebook to the country for more than 30 years. This full-color 14th edition has detailed coverage of all the best attractions this fascinating country has to offer. With user-friendly accommodation and eating reviews, crystal-clear maps, detailed background and a journalistic eye for detail,... Read more
- Also available from:
- Bol.com, Belgium

Belgium
2018
- The Rough Guide to Greece
- The Rough Guide to Greece has been the definitive guidebook to the country for more than 30 years. This full-color 14th edition has detailed coverage of all the best attractions this fascinating country has to offer. With user-friendly accommodation and eating reviews, crystal-clear maps, detailed background and a journalistic eye for detail,... Read more

Netherlands
- On the Trail of Europa
- Where must I locate thee now, O my homeland, or in what places? So wrote a Roman poet two thousand years ago, and so feel Donald Yates and his wife today after an illuminating visit to Italy, Croatia, Greece and Turkey. Read more
- Also available from:
- Bol.com, Belgium

Belgium
- On the Trail of Europa
- Where must I locate thee now, O my homeland, or in what places? So wrote a Roman poet two thousand years ago, and so feel Donald Yates and his wife today after an illuminating visit to Italy, Croatia, Greece and Turkey. Read more
Maps

United Kingdom
- Spetses 2011
- De kaarten van Anavasi zijn zeer gedetailleerd, beschikken over een helder kaartbeeld en zijn uitstekende kaarten voor diverse activiteiten. Ze beschikken over vele interessante punten voor wandelaars, fietsers of andere toeristen die het gebied bezichtigen. De wandelkaarten bevatten ook een uitzonderlijke reliefaanwijzing, verschillende vormen... Read more

United Kingdom
- Gramos 2010
- Pindos: Gramos - Smolikas - Voio - Vasilitsa area in a series of waterproof and tear-resistant hiking maps at scales varying from 1:50,000 to 1:10,000, with a UTM grid for GPS users. Contour interval varies depending on the scale, on most maps it is 20m. Relief shading, spot heights, springs, seasonal streams and, in most titles,... Read more

United Kingdom
- Mount Pelion - Mount Mavrovouni 2018
- Uitstekende topografische kaarten van een deel van Griekenland: zonder meer hele goede kaarten voor wandeltochten in een onbekend stuk Griekenland! Ze zijn gedrukt op scheurvast en watervast papier op een schaal van 1:45.000 met een UTM grid voor GPS gebruikers. Op de meeste kaarten is geven de hoogtelijnen een interval van 20m. aan. Met... Read more

United Kingdom
- Smolikas Mount Trapezitsa 2006
- Pindos: Mt Smolikas - Mt Trapezitsa area in a series of waterproof and tear-resistant hiking maps at scales varying from 1:50,000 to 1:10,000, with a UTM grid for GPS users. Contour interval varies depending on the scale, on most maps it is 20m. Relief shading, spot heights, springs, seasonal streams and, in most titles, landscape/land-use... Read more
- Also available from:
- Stanfords, United Kingdom

United Kingdom
- Mt Smolikas - Mt Trapezitsa Anavasi 3.31
- Pindos: Mt Smolikas - Mt Trapezitsa area in a series of waterproof and tear-resistant hiking maps at scales varying from 1:50,000 to 1:10,000, with a UTM grid for GPS users. Contour interval varies depending on the scale, on most maps it is 20m. Relief shading, spot heights, springs, seasonal streams and, in most titles, landscape/land-use... Read more

United Kingdom
- Delos - Mykonos - Rheneia 2015
- Mykonos with the nearby islands of Delos and Rineia / Rheneia on a light, waterproof and tear-resistant, GPS compatible map at 1:25,000 from Anavasi. The reverse side shows a large, very detailed plan of the archaeological remains on Delos of the temples of Apollo, Artemis and Leto.Topography of the islands is shown by contours with hill... Read more
- Also available from:
- Stanfords, United Kingdom

United Kingdom
- Mykonos - Delos - Rheneia / Rineia Anavasi 10.42
- Mykonos with the nearby islands of Delos and Rineia / Rheneia on a light, waterproof and tear-resistant, GPS compatible map at 1:25,000 from Anavasi. The reverse side shows a large, very detailed plan of the archaeological remains on Delos of the temples of Apollo, Artemis and Leto.Topography of the islands is shown by contours with hill... Read more

United Kingdom
- Central Imittos (Mount Hymettos)
- Central Hymettos in a series of waterproof and tear-resistant hiking maps at scales varying from 1:50,000 to 1:10,000, with a UTM grid for GPS users. Contour interval varies depending on the scale, on most maps it is 20m. Relief shading, spot heights, springs, seasonal streams and, in most titles, landscape/land-use variations, e.g. forests,... Read more

United Kingdom
- Exo Mani 2018
- Uitstekende wandelkaart op scheur- en watervast papier van het wandelgebied rond Kardamyli maar ook nog met Agios Nikolaos. De wandelpaden staan er op ingetekend, zo ook alle bezienswaardigheden als klooster, kastelen en meerdere opgravingen. Mani is the middle and southernmost peninsula of the Peloponnese and is split between Laconia and... Read more
- Also available from:
- Stanfords, United Kingdom

United Kingdom
- Exo Mani - Verga - Kardamyli - Trachila Anavasi 8.10
- The northern part of the western coast of the Mani Peninsula, the “middle finger” of the Peloponnese, on a light, waterproof and tear-resistant, double-sided, contoured and GPS-compatible map at 1:20,000 from Anavasi highlighting 24 hiking trails and various facilities and places of interest. Coverage, with a good overlap between the sides,... Read more

United Kingdom
- Mount Kyllini (Ziria) 2016
- Ziria is de tweede hoogste berg van de Peloponnesos. Ondanks zijn hoogte heeft het een mild reliëf en vruchtbare gebieden. Grote plateaus en dalen kenmerkt dit berglandschap en onder hen liggen de twee grote bassins van Feneos en Stimfalia. De nieuwe Anavasi-kaart, in de schaal 1: 30.000, is dubbelzijdig en omvat het gebied rond de berg. Het... Read more

United Kingdom
- Prespa - Vitsi - Voras 2014
- Uitstekende topografische kaarten van een deel van Griekenland: zonder meer hele goede kaarten voor wandeltochten in een onbekend stuk Griekenland! Ze zijn gedrukt op scheurvast en watervast papier op een schaal van 1:50.000 met een UTM grid voor GPS gebruikers. Op de meeste kaarten is geven de hoogtelijnen een interval van 20m. aan. Met... Read more
- Also available from:
- Stanfords, United Kingdom

United Kingdom
- Prespa - Vitsi - Voras Anavasi 6.2
- Prespa - Vitsi – Voras area of northern Greece at 1:50,000 on a light, waterproof and tear-resistant, GPS compatible, contoured map from Anavasi, with recommendations for three hiking trails and notes on the E4 and E6 cross-European trails. The map is double-sided; coverage in the west starts from the Prespa Lake on the border with Albania and... Read more

United Kingdom
- Kitheron - Pateras - Gerania 2018
- Mt Gherania in a series of waterproof and tear-resistant hiking maps at scales varying from 1:50,000 to 1:10,000, with a UTM grid for GPS users. Contour interval varies depending on the scale, on most maps it is 20m. Relief shading, spot heights, springs, seasonal streams and, in most titles, landscape/land-use variations, e.g. forests,... Read more

United Kingdom
- Fokhida - Aetolia East 2007
- Fokidha in a series from Anavasi covering selected popular areas of central mainland Greece and the Peloponnese with GPS compatible, detailed topographic road maps at 1:100,000, printed on waterproof and tear-resistant paper. Contours at 100m intervals (or 50m where indicated in the individual descriptions), relief shading and spot heights... Read more
- Also available from:
- Stanfords, United Kingdom

United Kingdom
- Fokidha Anavasi 07
- Fokidha in a series from Anavasi covering selected popular areas of central mainland Greece and the Peloponnese with GPS compatible, detailed topographic road maps at 1:100,000, printed on waterproof and tear-resistant paper. Contours at 100m intervals (or 50m where indicated in the individual descriptions), relief shading and spot heights... Read more

United Kingdom
- Kalimnos 2007
- The Dodecanese island of Kalymnos / Kalimnos on a waterproof and tear-resistant, contoured and GPS compatible map at 1:25,000 from Anavasi, highlighting hiking trails and the islands numerous rock climbing and bouldering sites.Landscape is shown by contours at 20m with altitude colouring, hill shading and spot heights. The map indicates dirt... Read more
- Also available from:
- Stanfords, United Kingdom

United Kingdom
- Kalymnos - Telendos & Pserimos Anavasi 10.32
- The Dodecanese island of Kalymnos / Kalimnos on a waterproof and tear-resistant, contoured and GPS compatible map at 1:25,000 from Anavasi, highlighting hiking trails and the islands numerous rock climbing and bouldering sites.Landscape is shown by contours at 20m with altitude colouring, hill shading and spot heights. The map indicates dirt... Read more

United Kingdom
- Monemvasia - Maleas - Elafonisos 2009
- Monemvasia - Maleas - Elafonisos area, the eastern finger of the Peloponnese and the Elsfonisos Island, at 1:50,000 in a series of waterproof and tear-resistant hiking maps from Anavasi with a UTM grid for GPS users. On one side is a topographic map of the area with contours at 20m intervals and a 1-km UTM grid. On the reverse a simplified... Read more
- Also available from:
- Stanfords, United Kingdom

United Kingdom
- Monemvasia - Maleas - Elafonisos Anavasi 8.9
- Monemvasia - Maleas - Elafonisos area, the eastern finger of the Peloponnese and the Elsfonisos Island, at 1:50,000 in a series of waterproof and tear-resistant hiking maps from Anavasi with a UTM grid for GPS users. On one side is a topographic map of the area with contours at 20m intervals and a 1-km UTM grid. On the reverse a simplified... Read more

United Kingdom
- Astypalaia 2016
- Deze wandelkaart van Astipalaia is in samenwerking gemaakt met de gemeente Astipalaia. Het prachtige Chora met zijn grote Venetiaanse kasteel is ontzettend indrukwekkend, maar Astipalaia heeft nog veel meer te bieden. Er zijn 20 routes ontworpen en gemarkeerd. Via deze routes zijn de meeste monumenten (kastelen, basilicas, enz.) te bezoeken... Read more

United Kingdom
- Attika Viotia 2012
- Attica and Boeotia at 1:100,000 in a series from Anavasi covering selected popular areas of central mainland Greece and the Peloponnese on GPS compatible, detailed topographic road maps printed on light, waterproof and tear-resistant synthetic paper. Coverage extends north well beyond Thebes/Thiva and Livadia to Atlanadi and includes Salamina... Read more
- Also available from:
- Stanfords, United Kingdom

United Kingdom
- Attica - Boeotia Anavasi 10
- Attica and Boeotia at 1:100,000 in a series from Anavasi covering selected popular areas of central mainland Greece and the Peloponnese on GPS compatible, detailed topographic road maps printed on light, waterproof and tear-resistant synthetic paper. Coverage extends north well beyond Thebes/Thiva and Livadia to Atlanadi and includes Salamina... Read more