Self-Guided: 6- Or 7-Day Trekking Southern Pilion 2020 (SPWT220I) May Be Extended with More Hiking And/Or Free Days and with a Follow-Up Through the Central Pilion
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AnnaHiking Active holidays in Greece www.annahiking.nl South Pelion Trail – self-guided: 6- or 7-day trekking southern Pilion 2020 (SPWT220I) May be extended with more hiking and/or free days and with a follow-up through the Central Pilion Our hiking philosophy: active during the day, and in the afternoon a warm shower, a good meal and a comfortable bed in a small-scale accommodation. We invite you to join us! more information: www.annahiking.nl (12-4-2020) SPWT220I: 6- or 7-day self-guided trekking South Pilion Trail About AnnaHiking In 1991 we visited Greece for the first time. Our love for the country, the culture, the climate, the food, the language and the Greek has grown ever since. Since 2009 we’ve been living in the mountains near Ioannina. We feel at home here and want to communicate this feeling to others. Many people are familiar with the Greek “islands with beautiful beaches”. The Pilion peninsula certainly boasts wonderful beaches, and also offers gurgling streams and waterfalls, old paved mule paths (‘kaldermímia’), classical mansions glued to the slopes and warm- hearted and hospitable people. We’d love to introduce you to this side of Greece! We explored several hiking routes and described them in detail. We regularly revise the routes and the description where necessary. As an individual traveller we offer you these descriptions together with GPS- tracks and marked detailed maps, so you can find your way easily. We also offer you an information package with background information, tips for the best meals and several other useful trivia. The tour location General tour information The trekking starts in Platanias in the south of the peninsula. Every day you walk to the next accommodatie (luggage is transferred), but you may extend your holiday with more overnight stays per accommodation. With the 6-day tour you walk directly from Platanias to Argalasti; with the 7-day tour you make an extra stop-over in Milina at the coast (red line). From several locations we offer more (circular) walks. You may also add extra days to take a rest or to relax on the beach. In Milies you may change track to one of our hiking tours in the Central Pilion. Net mean walking time is between 3½ and 5½ hours (that is excluding breaks). Two days you may choose a longer walk. You may split the first stage in two days, with an extra overnight stay in Milina next to the beach. www.annahiking.nl 2/13 ©AnnaHiking SPWT220I: 6- or 7-day self-guided trekking South Pilion Trail You often walk on wide ‘kalderimia’ (historical mule paths), sometimes on dirt roads, sometimes on small paths. In the description you’ll find the details so you can adapt your clothes and equipment accordingly. The routes are signposted and are shown on the hiking map; the paths are well maintained by The Friends of the Kalderimi. We advise you to start the trip trained and fit with well worn-in ankle-high hiking boots. Good shoes enable you to walk without worries about your feet so that you can fully enjoy the surroundings. The tour is for people who are curious to an unknown area and love the alternation between sea and inland. Possible extensions/alterations/abbrevations 1. From Platanias (the first overnight stay) you may make a circular tour along the mountain flanks to explore the south peninsula. You may also walk along the beach to the charming little neighbouring village Mikro (“Tiny”); it corresponds to its name. The accommodation in Platanias also offers excursions and you may follow a workshop to make biological soap. 2. From Milies we offer a circular walk to Kala Nera at the coast, partly along the tourist train railroad track. 3. It’s possible to divide the first 5-hour stage Platanias-Argalasti into two 4-hour stages with an overnight stay in Milina on the Pagasitic Gulf coast. 4. For a beach extension are suitable: Platanias, Milina and Kato Gatzea. The other villages are not situated near the coast. 5. Argalasti is the regional centre. It’s a lively and attractive little town with a famous farmer market on Saturday mornings. Agamemnon’s guest house boasts a swimming pool to make the stay even more pleasant. 6. In Milies you may change tracks to the last 3 stages of trekking along the ‘silk route’ of the Central Pilion. You may also proceed further to the northeast along the beaches or over the summits of the Central Pilion. We can offer you a tailor-made tour with these elements. For more information see the Pilion tours overview on our website. 7. You may extend your holiday yourself with a stay on the Sporades islands; daily boats sail from Volos to Skiathos, Skopelos and Alonissos. Walks can be made on the islands, travel bookshops offer various guides. 8. Finally you can combine the arrangement with (parts of) other tours we offer. We’ll gladly help you with the logistics. For all your wishes: ask for advice and an estimate! www.annahiking.nl 3/13 ©AnnaHiking SPWT220I: 6- or 7-day self-guided trekking South Pilion Trail About the Pilion The Pilion peninsula is curled around the Pegasitic Gulf. The sloping coastline along this bay offers lots of sandy beaches and charming villages. The coastline on the outer side, towards the Egean Sea, is more rough and consists of cliffs with hidden beaches and inlets. From the south rises the mountain range transversing the peninsula, with further north mysterious forests and gurgling streams. You may well imagine the roaming Centaurs, coarse creatures with a male torso on a horse’s body. A rare friendly centaur was Chiron, founder of surgery and teacher of Jason and Aesculapios. In Milies you are close to the magical spot where he supposedly stayed. The most important town is Volos, sixth in size, with its harbour, train connections to Thessaloniki and (with change of trains) Athens, and an airport (Nea Anchialos). Mythologically the town is renowned for Jason and the Argonauts. The narrow-track train that used to start in Volos connected the villages Agria, Ano Lechonia (1896) and Milies (1903) with the main town. The hinterland that until then only knew mule paths thus gained a connection to the town, which enhanced trade and wealth. Nowadays it runs from Ano Lechonia to Milies as a tourist train, first steam-operated, later diesel. In its steam days it was called ‘Moudzouri’, ‘sooty’, after the sooty traces it left behind. On the peninsula you’ll find many historical connecting paths and kalderimia (paved mule paths). The South Pelion Trail is maintained by the Friends of the Kalderimi. AnnaHiking supports this organisation through her membership and by a contributions for every hiker that books through us. The accommodations You’ll stay in small-scale family-run which we specifically chose for their quiet and lovely location. The accommodations in Platanias, Milina (only in the 7-day tour) and Kato Gatzea are situated on or near the beach. The other accommodations are inland. The accommodations in Argalasti and Milies offer a swimming pool. Bookable The arrangement can be booked from 10 April until 15 November. In summer (mid July-end August) it may be quite warm and the accommodations are soon booked to the full. Prices per person 2020 6-day hiking tour South Pelion Trail single room solo double room triple room (trav. together) (travelling alone) 1-4 until 30-6 € 605 € 475 € 350 € 870 1-7 until 10-9 € 650 € 520 € 390 € 915 11-9 until 15-11 € 630 € 495 € 375 € 895 www.annahiking.nl 4/13 ©AnnaHiking SPWT220I: 6- or 7-day self-guided trekking South Pilion Trail 7- day hiking tour South Pelion Trail via Milina single room solo double room triple room (trav. together) (travelling alone) 1-4 until 30-6 € 680 € 520 € 385 € 960 1-7 until 10-9 € 735 € 5805 € 435 € 1010 11-9 until 15-11 € 715 € 555 € 420 € 995 Note: - Price is per person, flight excluded. - Single room = if travelling together; double room = with double bed or 2 separate beds; triple room with separate beds. In Argalasti a triple rooms consists of 2 double beds! - For other group sizes or other wishes, contact us for an estimate. - In almost all villages alternative accommodation with swimming pool is available at a surcharge. - The dates apply to your tour period, not the departure day! If your tour is within more periods, the price will be calculated according to the amount of days in the respective periods. - 10% discount for people who previously booked an AnnaHiking tour, when bookedd through AnnaHiking. - From January 1st 2018 in Greece an ‘overnight tax’ is applicable. This tax has to be paid at check-in at your accommodation. The rates per room per night are: € 0,50 for 2*-hotels, € 1,50 for 3*-hotels, € 3,00 for 4*-hotels and € 4,00 for 5*-hotels. Start and finish Volos harbour or bus station. For €50 extra (one way) we’ll have the taxi pick you up at Anchialos airport or bring you to the airport after the tour. The price is per taxi, maximum 4 persons per taxi. Included - 5 (6) overnight stays including breakfast, except in Argalasti. - All transfers and luggage transports according to the program. - A hiking map of the tour area; sent by post. If you live within the European Union we’ll send it to your home address, otherwise the package will wait for you in the first accommodation. - GPS-tracks, detailed route descriptions and marked maps of each walk according to the program; digital, sent by WeTransfer, to be printed by you at your own wishes.