Walking on the Greek Islands

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  Sharyn
  Written on September 26, 2016

  4.0 - Good

  Excellent tour of Paros, Naxos, and Santorini. This eight day tour gives you a good flavor of not only a popular island, but also two lessor visited islands. Paros and Naxos were a refreshing change from the over commercialized and crowded Santorini.

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  Anonymous
  Written on November 1, 2013

  4.0 - Good

  A really enjoyable week, The walks are easy/intermediate. Food was good. Hotels were satisfactory & the people were great company.What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?The Parthenon.  Its on the a world heritage site for a reason. What did you think of your group leader?Fantastic! Very knowledgeable, very friendly and approachable. Do you have any advice for potential travellers?Bring walking/trekking gear, bring sun cream & hat. All hotels have basic facilities but they all have wifi.
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  Anonymous
  Written on June 17, 2013

  5.0 - Excellent

  A wonderful way to explore 3 very different islands.  Our guide Thanos was extremely knowledgeable and brought the history of each island alive for us and his enthusiasm was infectious.  Definitely a leisurely trip with a ferry ride every other day (look out for dolphins) and time to explore the towns and laze on a few beaches - very welcome after our walk in the heat on Paros.  Great food and lots of it- Thanos was very helpful with recommendations for local dishes/drinks.What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?exploring the beautiful islands and seeing the pace of life on Paros and Naxos, lovely atmosphere and places to return to.  The scenery on Santorini is spectacular, hence it is very popular with tourists - fine if you can stay away from the visitors from the cruise ships, the walk was amazing (it was the second time I had done this) and we stayed longer in Ia and it emptied out in the later afternoon. What did you think of your group leader?Excellent, thorough and a very high standard of service - both from himself and those around us in each of the restaurants. Do you have any advice for potential travellers?it was easy to add extra nights at the start/end of the trip and well worth it to see Athens - Jason Inn was very central and exploring from there was easy with the main sights all within walking distance - very pleasant as the centre of Athens is mostly pedestrianised.Is there anything else you would like to add?a great group made this a wonderful trip
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  Anonymous
  Written on April 28, 2013

  3.0 - Average

  A thoroughly enjoyable trip with plenty to see and a variety of experiences. As a walker the trip needs to have one more good walk but if you accept that the holiday is only graded as easy then you will not be disappointed. The walk along the Santorini coast was excellent as was the walk on Naxos. Be prepared for an expensive week as food prices in Greece are rather high.What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?The two main walks on Santorini and Naxos. Paros is a very quaint town with lovely narrow streets and a beautiful cathedral.What did you think of your group leader?Excellent. Thanos changeed the itinery to make sure the weather and ferry strikes did not impose on our week.
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  Anonymous
  Written on April 17, 2013

  5.0 - Excellent

  After the cold UK weather an ideal break at this time of year, warm and mostly sunny, a mix of pleasant walks, fine food, a touch of sightseeing and not too crowded this early in the season.What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?The stunning walk from Fira to Oia on Santorini, dazzling ever changing views of the caldera, finishing with the while marble streets of Oia.What did you think of your group leader?Well organised, knowledgeable, easy going, delightfull company.Do you have any advice for potential travellers?Certainly this year in early April a light jacket for the evenings was useful.
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  Anonymous
  Written on April 17, 2013

  5.0 - Excellent

  Awesome, a wonderful expierence captured in my memory to last for a lifetime. The wildflowers, the scent of citrus, lovely catus and just the overall panoramic views of the islands. I felt inspiredd and energized after walking the most scenic places on earth.What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?The group leader was dynamic, very experience . He used his judgement in keeping us safe and at the same time ensuring that we enjoyed our vacation. Lovely guy and personality. He also has a wealth of knowledge of the islands.What did you think of your group leader?My advice is to follow the trip notes and walk with all of the items listed. I will also suggest wearing long pants for the mountain walks as some places the bushes are overgrown.Do you have any advice for potential travellers?A very satisfied customer and will difinetly do crete in the near future.
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  Anonymous
  Written on January 4, 2013

  5.0 - Excellent

  A well organised trip with an outstanding guide and very nice fellow walkers. The walks were just right for our age and fitness.What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?The walk down the Byzantine way on Paros was spectacular. We, also, both felt a tremendous achievement in completing the 13kms. walk on Santorini. What did you think of your group leader?He was outstanding and lead us with humour and understanding. His knowledge about everywhere we visited was very good. He also was able to pass on lots of information about the long term history of where we visited. He knew some great restaurants and drinking "holes" Do you have any advice for potential travellers?It was impotant to us that we selected the correct grade of walking to suite our age (over 70). It worked out very well and we did not feel that we were holding the walking party up!Is there anything else you would like to add?Although the hotels were fairly basic they suited our needs (and budget). We really appreciated the hotel with the swimming pool!
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  Anonymous
  Written on January 4, 2013

  1.0 - Bad

  We have done several Exodus walking holidays and this one was disappointing in terms of the nature of the walking - three gentle strolls - and value for money - all the hotels were very basic.  We spent the following week on two other islands doing self guided walks and staying in far better accommodation for nearly half the price.  So in our opinion, this trip is only worth doing if you want to be in a group and/or want your travel arranged by a guide. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?Paros is relatively unspoilt.Santorini was overrun by tourists but its beauty cannot be denied.What did you think of your group leader?The group leader was helpful and pleasant.
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  Anonymous
  Written on January 2, 2013

  4.0 - Good

  A very enjoyable week; a welcome mix of walking and relaxation, glorious weather, delicious food, good company and three idyllic islands each with their own distinct character. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?Hard to choose since each island was so different and beautiful in its own way. Prettiest villages - Paros; Most enjoyable and varied walk - Naxos. Sharpest intake of breath and "WOW" moment - the first view of Santorini's incredible caldera.What did you think of your group leader?Thanos was brilliant. I'd agree with other reviewers who've commented on how hardworking and helpful he is. Obviously incredibly experienced and knowledgeable, but he also goes out of his way to assure the health and wellbeing of his clients (and will also rescue the occasional goat that has got its leg stuck in a wall!)Do you have any advice for potential travellers?Take a wheeled bag/suitcase; there is an approx. 10 minute walk from the hotel to the metro in Athens, then you also have to move your luggage on and off the ferries. I didn't take one, and soon regretted it. If you go in the hot summer months, take a good hat, especially for Santorini where there is very little shade on the walk.  The walks are relatively easy but a head for heights will come in handy on Santorini. There was one part of the walk that I struggled with because it was loose, slippery pumice with a sheer drop just a few feet away (but there is an "easier" route that you can choose to take if you are afraid of heights).   Be prepared for small changes in itinerary and lots of time on ferries. Relax and go with the flow!  Is there anything else you would like to add?The only bit I really didn't enjoy was the very rushed evening on arrival in Naxos and that overall we had a lot less time there than the first two islands. However I do accept that this was in part unavoidable because of the ferry timings.  Apart from that, this holiday was the perfect chill-out week, just what I needed at the time!
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  Anonymous
  Written on October 13, 2012

  4.0 - Good

  Wonderful hoilday, great group and the right balance between sightseeing, walking and time for ourselves.  Note, however, that you do not see Athens on this trip - you need to add this on yourself at the beginning or end of the holiday.What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?I loved Naxos and plan to go back.  The old town was wonderful.What did you think of your group leader?Cecile was lovely and reminded you always that nothing was compulsory except getting to the boat on time!  So you didn't feel that you had to join in the group excursions that she arranged, although I did and really enjoyed them.Do you have any advice for potential travellers?Don't expect much from the Santorini sunset trip - masses of people,  - but you can get as good (if not better) a sunset in Naxos or Paros, or from a different vantage point in Santorini.  Also, Santorini is geared up for the cruise ships, so the prices are  much more expensive than in Naxos or Paro.