Hike the Menalon Trail with On Foot Holidays’ New Walk in Southern Greece
According to Booking.com, instead of experiencing the constant fear of missing out and trying to speed through as much as possible, travel in 2020 will be all about taking it slow. In 2020, almost half (48%) of travelers plan to take slower modes of transport to reduce their environmental impact and six in 10 (61%) would prefer to take a longer route to experience more of the journey itself. Looking to avoid the usual tourist traps, self-paced, immersive walking tours continue to increase in popularity. UK-based travel specialist On Foot Holidays has recently launched their newest route for 2020 – where travelers can enjoy the art of slow travel on a self-guided, inn-to-inn walking tour.
Just launched for 2020 is On Foot Holidays’ new self-guided walking holiday in the Peloponnese region of Greece – the travel specialist’s fourth route in Greece. On Foot Holidays has worked with the creators of the Menalon Trail to craft their own version of this route. It uses many of the old paths and mule tracks that linked the villages with the fields, pastures and forest of this remote part of the region. This relatively little-known path winds through an area of Greece that was a hotbed of resistance to Ottoman rule and remains proud of its role in the Greek War of Independence. On the final day, walk the dramatic Lousios Gorge, where ancient monasteries cling to the cliffs, and watermills assisted the production of various products including gunpowder.
Peloponnese - hilltop Dimitsana
Peloponnese - New Filosofou Monastery
Peloponnese - traditional dancing
Peloponnese - Church of Metamorfosi Sotros
Peloponnese - Lousios Gorge
Peloponnese - morning mist
Peloponnese - Prodromos Monastery 2
Peloponnese - Prodromos Monastery
Peloponnese - stone bridge
Peloponnese - view towards Lagadia
Unique to On Foot Holidays, the six-night Southern Greece walk takes in rugged gorges, wooded valleys and hills with panoramic views that will bring walkers to some very pretty and thriving old stone villages with traditional family-run guesthouses. Highlights of this scenic walk include the remote hills of the Menalon massif, the dramatic starting point of Lagadia (the “Stonemasons’ village”), exploring the working monasteries of Kernitsas, Prodromos and Filosofou, finding remote, pretty Elati in its forest clearing, and visiting Stemnitsa (the jewelry makers’ village) and vibrant Dimitsana. Enjoy the villages for their tavernas, local industries, little shops, churches and old houses, but above all, get a sense of life and liveliness that few can match. Local dancers may be performing, and the wine will flow freely.
This is a great route to use as the core of a longer visit to the region – perhaps as part of taking in the sites of Mycenae, Epidaurus, Olympia and many others.
“Hiking is the ultimate in slow travel, getting from one point to another on foot and at your own pace,” says Simon Scutt, managing director and founder of On Foot Holidays. “There’s plenty of time to become truly immersed in the natural world, fill your lungs with fresh air, and discover the finer details of a place that many tourists miss as they rush past. You’ll arrive at your final destination with a massive sense of achievement and a better understanding of yourself and the land you have passed through.”
Graded medium-hard in difficulty, with three to eight and a half hours of walking per day, the walking tour package includes six nights’ accommodation, all breakfasts and all luggage transfers – meaning travelers only carry a day pack. The walk costs from £720 per person, twin-share (approximately $962USD depending on exchange rates).
Rated one of Europe’s leading self-guided walking tour operators, On Foot Holidays offers 32 self-guided walking tours in 12 countries across Europe. Accommodation and information packs are provided for all the routes and optional guides are available on select itineraries. Walkers select their departure dates, luggage is transferred between inns each day and all routes are designed by locals and tested by staff from On Foot Holidays.
Visit www.onfootholidays.co.uk or email [email protected] for more information.
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Dr. Jerry Doby Editor-in-Chief of The Hype Magazine, Media and SEO Consultant, Journalist, Ph.D. and retired combat vet. 2023 recipient of The President's Lifetime Achievement Award. Partner at THM Media Group. Member of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, the United States Press Agency and ForbesBLK.
