May 2nd - 10th , 2012
MAINLAND GREECE: Delphi, Meteora and the Vikos Gorge
Price: £1475 inc. flights
Leaders: Bob Gibbons, John Stobart and Imogen Davenport
An exciting 9-day tour set amidst the wild and spectacular mountains of north Greece. During the tour, we will visit some of the finest mountains and gorges in Greece, with superb flowers, birds and butterflies in stunning scenery
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| Mount Parnassus: view across the plateau showing new development; on the edge of Mount Parnassus National Park, Greece. |
We leave Heathrow in the morning, arriving in Athens in the early afternoon, from where we drive to Delphi, our base for the first three nights. From here, we are within easy reach of the wonderful high pastures of Mount Parnassos and other nearby mountains, as well as the marvellously flowery site of Delphi itself. Delphi and surroundings have a lovely flora including the special Daphne jasminea, wild tulips, endemic bellflowers and many other attractive cliff-dwelling specialities, as well as local birds such as Rüppel’s warbler and rock nuthatches. Mount Parnassus has a fantastic flora, usually at its best in May with a wonderful range of species from crocuses, irises and fritillaries to saxifrages, bellflowers, Daphnes, carpets of the lovely pink Prunus prostratus, and even some orchids.
On the fourth day, we travel northwards, with various stops en route at places such as Messolongi, into the wild Zagoria region, and on to our hotel in the beautiful mountain village of Mikro Papingo, squeezed between high peaks and the spectacular Vikos gorge.
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| A red paeony Paeonia peregrina in woodland clearing near Bourazani, north Greece. |
During the next few days, we will explore the gorges, peaks and grasslands of this magnificent area, using our own vehicle whenever we need it. The Vikos gorge lies close by, and we can walk into it both from the Papingo end and the Monodendri end, where there is a fine cliff-top monastery. There is a rich flora with many endemics or rarities, such as Ramonda serbica, several species of saxifrages, abundant orchids, paeonies, fritillaries and many others. The extensive woods and cliffs are home to a fine range of birds including choughs, and a variety of falcons and eagles. After 3 nights here, we head south and east, across the Pindos mountains via the Katara Pass, above the ancient village of Metsovo, making short stops wherever we feel like it, to our final base under the shadow of the extraordinary monasteries of Meteora. The Katara pass itself is a fascinating place, with flowery meadows, beechwoods, and outcrops of serpentine, all with a rich flora often at its best in May. Meteora is extraordinary, a World Heritage Site and one of the most spectacular places in the world, but it also has a varied flora and fauna. There are anemones, fritillaries, dragon arum, some nice orchids and many other flowers; black storks breed here, with lesser kestrels, blue rock thrushes, occasional Egyptian vultures, and many other birds.
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| The dramatic limestone cliffs of Astraka mountain, towering above Micro Papingo village, Vikos Gorge National Park, north Greece. |
After two nights here, we head back to
Athens airport for our flight home.
At this time of the year, the flora of the lower and mid-altitude areas is at its best, butterflies are becoming more abundant, whilst the breeding birds are at their peak. The whole area has a rich and varied flora and fauna, with a fascinating blend of Balkan, Alpine and Mediterranean species, many of which are found nowhere else.
The tour price includes return flights from Heathrow to Athens, all transport during the week, accommodation in good hotels with en-suite facilities, plus all breakfasts and evening meals; services of leader throughout, including pre-tour information and post-tour lists. We will usually buy picnics locally at about £3 per day. ∆ tour grade, but mostly easy.
Tour code: NHT/12/02
Price: £1475
Single room supplement: £135
Deposit: £300 plus insurance
Bookings to Sunvil
If anyone wants to extend the trip on their own, Sunvil can arrange it. This tour can be combined with the previous week, in Crete – see Crete tour for details.
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