Tour Code: 15280 SIFNOS AND MILOS Grade 4 Holiday Duration: 15 days Islands of the Western Cyclades HOLIDAY DATES 26th Sept 2018 - 10th Oct 2018

Sifnos and Milos, on the westernmost edge of Greece's Cycladic islands, offer visitors spectacular sunsets, sand beaches and sparkling azure seas.

HOLIDAY HIGHLIGHTS

Discover the island where the Venus de Milo was found.

White washed villages, golden beaches and ceramics of Sifnos.

Spend time with a Greek farmer, learning about the land, the vineyards and the wines.

Exploring the western coastline of Milos by yacht with lunch on board.

Verdant valleys, olive groves and endless trails. SIFNOS AND MILOS

As the pathway contours the hillside, our yacht comes slowly into view, waiting gently in the blue sparkling waters below. Descending to the water's edge, we take in the views and climb aboard; we're ready to set sail.

Sifnos and Milos, on the westernmost edge of Greece's Cycladic islands, offer visitors white cubist villages, spectacular sunsets, wonderful coastline, bleached sand beaches and sparkling azure seas. These quiet, unassuming islands offer a wealth of well trodden pathways, ancient castles and quiet churches. Enjoy the idyllic coves and empty beaches, explore volcanic terrain and wander through tranquil countryside.

After spending a night in Piraeus on the Greek mainland, we take the ferry to Sifnos, a mountainous island with fertile green valleys. Cobbled footpaths link villages of white-washed houses with pretty churches and ancient towers. Endless dry-stone walls line the trails, and breathtaking views await us at every turn. The island has a long history of potters, and its ceramics are to be found in all corners of Greece.

Making the short ferry journey to Milos we discover a completely contrasting island. Volcanic in origin, many visitors don't realise that Milos has perhaps the most extraordinary terrain of any of the Cyclades. Our walks take us past colourful rock formations, into caves and catacombs, along volcano craters sheltering rare cedar trees. We cross for a day to the small island of Kimolos where we'll see the geological phenomena of ‘Skiadi', rocks weathered into the shape of enormous mushrooms. The beaches are beautiful and often deserted.

Our day spent on a private yacht allows us to venture along the island's west coast, with lunch on board, and is certain to be a highlight. Our day spent on a private yacht allows us to venture along the west coast of the island at our own pace with lunch on board.

16 May 2018: Please be advised that the stay in Sifnos will be at the Hotel Smaragdi. The boutique Hotel Smaragdi has just 11 rooms and is nestled in a quiet part of the village amongst elegant homes, byzantine churches, restaurants and local markets. Next door to the hotel you will find the Smaragdi coffee shop, and the hotel offers a breakfast room, bar and quiet garden. Once the hotel is full, guests will be accommodated at the nearby Myrto Bungalows with breakfast taken at the hotel. WHATS INCLUDED  Return flights from Heathrow to Athens returning Milos to Heathrow via Athens (Aegean Airlines)  Airport transfers  Ferries and flights between islands  B&B en suite accommodation  Dinners at local tavernas  Local walking guide on Milos  All local transport costs.

HOLIDAY GRADE

This Grade 4 moderate holiday includes full and half day walks at a moderate pace over hilly terrain and is likely to include an element of sightseeing as well. Half day walking will probably include about 3 hours of walking, with full days having around 5 hours. Expect ascents and descents of up to about 600m. See the Walks & Excursions section for more information. Day: 15 - - (B) Leaving Milos today, we fly to Proposed Itinerary Athens where we connect with our flight to London.

Whilst every effort will be made to adhere to the outlined itinerary and advertised programme, local conditions can change due to weather or other Walks & Excursions unforeseen circumstances. This may mean that An example of some of the walks we may include in routes and timings need to be amended or the order our programme on the islands of Sifnos and Milos of days may change, sometimes at short notice. (dependent on weather conditions and the ability of the group) are as follows: Key to Meals: B - Breakfast, L - Lunch, D - Dinner. Sifnos - a walkers' island with a network of well In flight meals, if appropriate, will be advised in maintained hiking trails throughout the island. your final travel documents Artemonas and Kastro: A scenic walk with some fine Day: 1 - Piraeus (D) On arrival into Athens coastal views and a chance to explore the former airport, we transfer by coach to Piraeus where we Venetian capital of Kastro. overnight for 1 night. Dinner this evening will either be at the hotel or a local restaurant 6 miles / 10km, Ascent & Descent 250m, 3½ hours

Day: 2 - Sifnos (B,D) After an early breakfast, we Apollonia to Plati Gialos: Undulating ancient paths walk to the port to board our ferry for Sifnos. After and hilly countryside walking with coastal views and check in at our hotel, there will be time to relax and ending at the beach resoirt of Plati Gialos. explore our surroundings. We stay on Sifnos for 6 nights. 5 miles / 8 km, Descent 260m, 3 hours.

Day: 3 to 7 - Sifnos (B,D) Our time on verdant Milos - different terrain, a must for those interested Sifnos will be spent following cobbled footpaths in geology, where we'll explore the coastal linking white-washed villages, pretty churches and landscape, volcanic ridges and catacombs from both ancient towers. Dry stone walls line the paths and land and sea. breath-taking views can be seen from many vantage points. The island's long tradition of potters means North Coast Hike: A superb walk from the that ceramics are available in every shop. prehistoric site of Phylacopi following a dramatic coastal route through the fishing village of Ag. Day: 8 - Milos (B,D) We make the short ferry Konstantinos to the spectacular lunar landscape of crossing to Milos today, where we stay in the main Sarakiniko. town or "chora" for 7 nights' accommodation. 5 miles / 8km, Undulating terrain, 3-4 hours. Day: 9 to 14 - Milos (B,D) Milos is a volcanic island and has the most extraordinary terrain of the Volcanic Hike: A walk though one of the few active Cyclades islands. Some say the sunsets here are volcanic craters in Greece, taking in the active better than Santorini! Our walks take us past fumaroles atop Kalamos and the sandy beach and colourful rock formations, into caves and catacombs, geothermal springs at Kiriaki. and along volcano craters. We'll sail over to nearby Kimolos, where the beaches are often deserted and 5½ - 8miles / 9 - 12km, Undulating terrain, 3 - 4 enjoy a day on a private yacht with lunch, enjoying hours. the west coast of the island at our own pace.

Note: It may be necessary to take a smaller boat to Optional Excursions the yacht, depending on where it is moored. A range of local excursions and activities may be available to book in your destination through a local operator. We have no involvement in such activities or excursions which are not run, supervised or controlled in any way by us. Your contract will be with the local activity supplier and we accept no responsibility for their actions or omissions.

Leaders Evening Briefing Each evening, your tour leader will discuss with you the programme for the following day. If you do not wish to join the organised group programme, please let the leader know. Local Transport Costs All local transport costs, in conjunction with the advertised activity programme, are included in the holiday cost. Personal Expenditure You will need to consider drinks, any meals not included in the holiday price, possible non-included entrance fees, any optional excursions you may choose to participate in locally as well as any souvenirs or additional services such as laundry when budgeting for your holiday. Small Groups

Group Size Coming from all walks of life your fellow travelling companions will share your desire to discover great things and have a wonderful holiday. Enjoy their infectious enthusiasm, cameraderie and great dinner conversation.

These small-group guided holidays usually have a group size of 10 - 20 people. Tour Leaders Your tour leader makes the world of difference to your holiday and ours are as passionate about discovering the world on foot as you are. They're resourceful, organised and widely travelled. They will handle all the local administration and other needs that might arise to ensure that you don't have to worry about planning your days and you can enjoy your holiday. Although leading group holidays, they won't forget that every group is made up of individuals. Each tour leader has their own individual style, talents and professional backgrounds and all are trained, qualified, experienced and dedicated to making your holiday as enjoyable, interesting and inspiring as possible.

On most holidays of 7 nights and over, the tour leader will have one day's break a week, enabling you to have a 'free' day too! group transfer. We also need your flight number, Travel Details arrival time and departure point so that the group We fly from London Heathrow (LHR) to Athens leader is able to meet up with you. (ATH), returning from Milos (MLO) to London Heathrow (LHR) via Athens (ATH) with Aegean If you wish to organise your own flights from a non- Airlines. UK or provincial airport or travel by rail or car to your holiday destination, 'no-travel' reductions are On arrival the transfer from Athens Airport to the often available. Please contact us for details. Hotel Triton in Athens takes approximately 30 minutes by coach. Before finalising any independent travel arrangements, please check with us first - especially if doing so 12 weeks or more before your intended Travel from Piraeus to Sifnos and between the date of travel. islands is by ferry, and on Milos we spend a day exploring by private yacht. If you do intend to join your holiday locally please do tell us at least 14 weeks in advance. For all those booking a flight or rail inclusive holiday, details of your travel arrangements and baggage allowance will be confirmed in your travel Passports and Visas documents, sent to you approximately 10 days prior Passports should be valid for the proposed duration to departure. of your stay in Greece. Your passport does not need any additional period of validity beyond this. British passport holders don't need a visa to enter Greece. Personal Details Check When confirming your booking, we provide you with a Personal Details Check form. This is to ensure that General Passport & Visa Advice we have an accurate record of the information you It is a good idea to carry photocopies of the have provided us such as your passport details (if personal details pages of your passport. Should you relevant), date of birth and any other important lose your passport, this may assist with the issue of detail necessary for us to properly manage your replacement documents and your return to your holiday arrangements. When you receive this, home country. please check the details, complete any missing or pertinent information and return it to us as soon as Passport and visa requirements can change at any possible. time. It is your own responsibility to ensure that you inform yourself from a professionally qualified Land Only source on, and comply with, such requirements. If you are joining and leaving at your holiday General travel and destination advice for UK overseas we assume, unless you advise us nationals is available from the Foreign and otherwise, that you will join and leave the holiday Commonwealth Office at www.fco.gov.uk/travel and from your hotel. at www.gov.uk/travelaware.

Although airport transfers are not included for those making their own independent travel arrangements, Travelling with under 18s. if you wish to join the group at the overseas airport, Please note that some countries require evidence of depending on your flight arrival time, you may be parental consent when travelling with those under able to be included on the group's transfer. Please the age of 18. Please check if there are any contact us at least 5 weeks before departure for applicable requirements with the relevant embassy more details. or consular office well in advance of your holiday.

Please note that your flight must arrive within 30 minutes of the group flight to be able to join the Accommodation Web: www.www.santamaria-milos.gr

Hotel Triton Tsamadou 8 street The Santa Maria Village is ideally located just 300 18531 Piraeus meters from Papikinos beach, and a short walk from Greece Adamas's many restaurants and shops.

Phone: +30 210 4173457 Web: http://www.htriton.gr/ The "village" consists of seven buildings of Email: [email protected] traditional architecture, dotted around the well kept garden, all complimented with modern facilities and contemporary decor. The hotel offers a swimming pool, bar, breakfast room and free wi-fi. The rooms Triton Hotel offers rooms with a balcony and free are all en suite with showers and have a mini-fridge, WiFi access. The centre of Piraeus with cafes and a/c, TV and hairdryers. restaurants is s short walk away. Buffet breakfasts and dinners are included in the All rooms at Triton come with air conditioning and a holiday charge. Dinners will generally be taken in flat-screen TV with satellite channels. They also tavernas, providing an opportunity to enjoy local have a bathroom with toiletries, while most open to dishes. Lunches are not included in the holiday cost. a balcony with views of the port. Picnics can be bought from local shops/supermarkets or a day's walking may include Hotel Petali Village lunch at a taverna. The meals on this holiday are a Ano Petali Sifnos wonderful addition to the walking, and the menus 84003 Sifnos are chosen so that you are able to sample a wide Greece variety of the Greek cuisine.

Phone: +30 2284033024 Web: www.sifnoshotelpetali.com Email: [email protected]

The Hotel Petali Village sit above the village of Apollonia on the island of Sifnos. The hotel is made up of small individual buildings, whitewashed and surrounded by flowers in the Cyclades Islands' style. All rooms have a TV, minibar, safe deposit box, hair dryer and provate balcony or veranda with views over the sea or the landscapes of Sifnos. There's also a swimming pool and free WiFi is available throughout the hotel. Breakfast is served on the roof garden.

Santa Maria Village Santa Maria Village Adamas 84801 Milos Greece

Phone: 00 30 22870 21949 refillable bottle containing its own water filter such Footwear as a Water-to-go bottle available from Lightweight waterproof walking boots with a good www.watertogo.eu. Just fill up from any water moulded rubber sole (such as Vibram or similar) and source and save the environment from disposable a deep tread which provide ankle support are plastic bottles. strongly recommended and may be essential for some walks. If you are an experienced walker with We have negotiated an exclusive 15% discount with strong ankles a good quality pair of trail or approach our partners Water-to-Go for you as a thank you for shoes may well be suitable for some walks. helping the environment. Please go to their website We recommend that you either wear your walking at www.watertogo.eu and enter the code RWH17 boots or shoes or pack them and some waterproofs when ordering. In addition, Water-to-Go will match in your hand luggage as in the unlikely event that the discount with a donation to our charity, Heart & your hold luggage is delayed, you will still be able to Sole, which will allow us to continue to make a participate in the holiday programme. difference in the countries you visit on our holidays. Kit List Trekking Poles Outdoor activities are always more enjoyable if you Many of our clients find walking poles hugely are prepared. The following list is a basic guideline beneficial when walking. They can both reduce that will enhance your experience. Please don't stress on the knees and aid confidence. If you use hesitate to contact us with any questions you may them please make sure that you have the rubber have. tips covering the sharp metal points. There is increasing evidence that the bare metal tips are damaging footpaths both in the UK and abroad. A basic kit list is likely to include: - Waterproof jacket (Goretex or similar) and trousers Travel Document Checklist - Lightweight, quick drying trousers Documents and Information to take with you: - Several polo shirts, T-shirts or specialist walking shirts - Your passport (make sure it's valid and it's yours) - Fleece jacket - Your travel tickets or e-ticket itinerary - Comfortable walking socks - Any visa or electronic travel authorisation (if - Warm hat and gloves (if appropriate) required) - Sun hat, sunglasses, lip salve and high SPF sun - Holiday money block - Credit or debit cards (and separate details of who - Swimwear (if appropriate) to call if lost) - Day sack (25 litre capacity) to comfortably carry - Car parking ticket and car park directions (if the kit you'll take out on your days activity prebooked) - Strong polythene bags to keep the contents of - Coach or rail travel tickets (if prebooked) your daypack dry - Your holiday Booking Confirmation document - Water bottle(s) - at least 1 litre capacity - Your travel insurance details - Basic first aid kit (plasters, blister treatment, - Alternative form of identification (such as a driving antiseptic etc) licence) - Insect repellent - Photocopy of the personal details pages of your - Waterproof bag or container and knife for your passport lunch - A valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) if - Walking/trekking poles (if applicable) relevant - Details of any medical condition or allergy your holiday leader should know about Water-to-Go An alternative to bottled water from single-use sealed water bottles is filtered water from a Maps, Guidebooks & Advice Maps and guidebooks relating to your holiday may be obtained before departure from:

The Map Shop (www.themapshop.co.uk)

Weather and Climate Visit the following websites for an idea of the climate in your destination:

Weather2 www.myweather2.com

BBC Weather www.bbc.co.uk/weather Currency Language The language spoken on this holiday is Greek, You will find ATM facilities in the 3 main centres on although you will find a good many people you meet this holiday. will speak English. The currency in Greece is the euro. Insurance Electricity Electricity in Greece is supplied at 220 Volts. If you Travel Insurance wish to use electrical equipment you will need a You must be adequately insured to join our holidays. European two pin adaptor with round pins. More We do not insist that you insure with us but we information can be found at require that you are adequately insured for the www.powerplugadapter.uk. nature of your holiday. You will be unable to participate in our local walking and other activity Health programmes without being able to demonstrate that you have valid travel insurance. No compulsory immunisations are required for visits to Greece. You should be up to date with the usual Please ensure that as a minimum your travel immunisations recommended in the UK. You may insurance policy covers you for medical expenses, also wish to consider immunisations against Tetanus mountain rescue and emergency repatriation in the and Tick-borne Encephalitis. event of illness or injury, and that your policy provides adequate cover for the activities, included There is a low to no risk of malaria in Greece. and optional, you are likely to participate in during Malaria risk is from May to October and is very your holiday. See our brochure or website for limited; confined to the villages of the Evrotas delta further advice regarding holiday insurance. area in Lakonia district. Please seek advice from your doctor or travel clinic. Whoever you insure with, please ensure that you take full details, and ideally the policy itself, with Health requirements can change at any time. It is you on holiday and provide our tour leader with your your own responsibility to ensure that you inform insurer's name, the policy number and emergency yourself from a professionally qualified source on, assistance contact numbers. and comply with, such requirements at least 6 to 8 weeks before departure. Advice on vaccinations is Please note that it is very difficult to obtain travel available from your GP. insurance once your holiday arrangements have started. Further Travel Health Advice For further advice please visit: EHIC Cards Please take your European Health Insurance Card - The National Travel Health Network and Centre (EHIC) with you; it will help you in the event of you (NaTHNaC) travel health website at needing medical assistance during your holiday. www.travelhealthpro.org.uk Please note the the EHIC has an expiry date, so - The NHS 'Fit for travel' website at please check that your card is valid for the duration www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk of your holiday. Please note however the an EHIC - The Foreign Office Office Travel Advice Website at should not be considered a substitute for medical or www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice. travel insurance. For more information please visit - Or a local travel health clinic. www.ehic.org.uk. You might wish to take a small bottle of antibacterial hand gel with you for times when you're unable to Personal Safety wash your hands. The UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office provides up an online questionnaire or to add feedback to our to date information on security and local laws for page on independent review site 'Feefo'. travellers, together with current passport and visa information, at www.gov.uk/travelaware. Please take a few minutes to look at the current advice on Important Information your planned destination. Please note that this Holiday Information sheet may be periodically updated and reissued. Please be aware of what's going on around you, take sensible precautions with your credit cards and In most cases the revisions will be minor and the passport and avoid displays of wealth such as overall nature of the holiday will remain unchanged. wearing expensive jewellery or watches. Do not Should we make a major change to your holiday carry more cash on you than you will need for each arrangements between you booking your holiday day, and we recommend that a money belt is used. and your date of travel we will notify you to specifically draw your attention to any significant Cultural Awareness change. You may wish to review the latest version of this Responsible Travel Holiday Information Sheet online prior to travel. We're committed to ethical tourism in all our destinations. Our holidays are designed for you to Please note that any advertised offers, benefits or discover the essence of the country you are visiting. initiatives may be discontinued at any time. Travelling in small groups not only gives you an up close and personal experience of your destination, but minimises your impact on the immediate Contact Us environment. We feel that the most important Ramblers Walking Holidays starting point to protect the environment is to be out in it. For more details visit our website. - Tel: UK +44 (0)1707 331133 - Email: [email protected] - Web: www.ramblersholidays.co.uk Heart & Sole We appreciate that we are in a fortunate position to Our office is open and our Sales & Reservations be able to use our profits to help make a difference team available to speak to you from: to people's lives. Heart & Sole is a venture managed by our office staff, whose aim is to reach the heart - 9am to 6pm Monday to Friday of the communities in the countries we visit. - 9.15am to Midday on Saturdays Through Heart & Sole, we hope to make more of a - 9.15am to 3pm on Saturdays in January & long term, direct impact to these communities, February only particularly in less developed countries where even a small amount goes a long way. See our website Please quote your Booking Reference number and for more information and details of some of the Tour Code whenever contacting us. projects we support. We wish you an enjoyable holiday! Communication

Mobile Phones Please do provide us with a mobile phone contact number. We will only use this to contact you with important information relating to your holiday arrangements.

Please do keep your mobile phones switched on and readily available when travelling to the airport or if delayed in transit so that we can contact you with any last minute information relating to your travel arrangements.

As a matter of courtesy, please switch off your mobile phone during walks, or endeavour to minimise its use. Please also try to minimise the use of mobile devices during group meals. Feedback We welcome all comments about our holidays and value ideas for the future. If you have provided us with an email address we will invite you to complete