Corfu and the Vikos Gorge
Walking specialist On Foot Holidays has launched an unusual offering in northwest Greece for 2014: the chance to step out on carefully-selected trails throughout scenic Corfu, coupled with an exhilarating exploration of little-known Zagoria, home to the dramatic Vikos, one of the world’s deepest gorges.
The seven-night, self-guided walking trip begins in charming Corfu Town - with its very own cricket pitch and Venetian fortress - where On Foot offers a ‘menu’ of walks, of varying lengths, across the island. Its recommendation is an invigorating hike from sophisticated Gouvia to gorgeous Glyfada beach on the picturesque eastern coast, where an afternoon dip concludes the route and soothes weary soles.
Zagoria, the scenic and little-known north-west corner of mainland Greece, offers fantastic walking opportunities. Discover the beautifully-preserved mountain villages of Epirus; marvel at the Vradeto Steps, a vertiginous stairway to the highest hamlet in the mighty Pindus mountain range, where just a plane tree, a church and a taverna await, and discover untouched forests, alpine meadows and a traditional way of life that is fiercely protected by the region’s inhabitants.
The undeniable highlight however, is the Vikos Gorge. Arguably one of the world’s deepest, an awe-inspiring valley walk ends with a river eruption at the Voidhomatis springs before a testing, yet very rewarding, ascent to Papingo village. There’s also an opportunity to climb even further to the remote Astraka refuge where it’s possible to stay in a basic dorm (payable locally). Nearby lie the calm waters of Dragon Lake, so called because of the dragon-like alpine newt that can be found in its emerald waters.
The seven-night Corfu and the Vikos Gorge walk costs from £725 pp (two sharing). The price includes seven nights’ B&B, two evening meals, three picnics, luggage transfers, detailed route information and taxis to and from Igoumenitsa port and Vikos gorge. Accommodation is in small, owner-managed pensions and converted merchants’ houses. The walk is available May to November and departure dates are totally flexible. Airport transfers and flights are excluded.
A two-night Meteora extension, where On Foot has devised a walking route that shows off the best of this extraordinary region, takes in two exemplary Orthodox monasteries perched on towering rock pinnacles, which - until recently - were inaccessible except by rope and ladder. The price is from £115 pp (two sharing) and includes transfers, pension accommodation and detailed route information.
For further information and to book, visit onfootholidays.co.uk.