Greek Island Walk/Sail

TOUR AT A GLANCE: Dodecanese Island Cruise and Walk

Duration: 8 Days/7  Nights
Departures 2012: Oct 8 and private departures.
Departing from: Kos island, Greece, 4 p.m. Day 1
Tour finishes: Kos island, morning Day 8
Price 2012: Depends on the the number of participants.
Ie: €3,000 per person for 12 participants. €3,100 per person for 10 participants
Click on the Currency Converter to see the price in your local currency.

The Dodecanese are a group of 12 large Greek islands (plus 150 smaller ones) in the Aegean Sea, off the southwest coast of Turkey. The islands are crisscrossed with ancient trails, dotted with Byzantine churches and medieval castles and decorated with charming whitewashed villages and harbors. The Dodecanese provide the ideal setting for our style of walking tour; a mix of glorious land and seascapes, little-used walking trails, friendly people, wonderful cuisine, and the luxury and romance of traveling by private yacht. And what a yacht! We have a gorgeous 32 meter (103 feet) all-wood two-masted gulet with a crew of four who look after our every need. We have plenty of time to relax on board and enjoy the lovely warm waters of the Aegean as we explore the islands of Kós, Nisyros, Chalki, Tilos and Symi.

Saturday Day 1: Independent arrival on Kos Island. There are frequent flights to Kos  from Athens as well as with various low-cost airlines from London and other European hubs. You must be in Kos harbour no later than 16:00. If you want to arrive a couple of days early and unwind on Kos before joining the boat, let us know and we can supply you with hotel recommendations.  We can also organize a hotel and/or guided visit in Athens if you wish to tour the famous Acropolis. After arrival in Kos,  get on the boat and set out for a two-hour  sunset passage for the island of Nisyros. Overnight moored in Mandrachi harbour. Dinner at a wonderful local taverna.  Pick-up at Kos airport and dinner included.

Sunday Day 2: Nísyros hike. After breakfast on board we step off the yacht to start our hike. We first walk along narrow stone-paved lanes lined with whitewashed houses featuring brightly painted balconies and shutters. Our path then takes us up to the 7th century BC Doric fortress of Paleókastro and then to Langadháki, an impressive Hellenistic fort with magnificent views. We then continue on up the uninhabited western side of the island, following a sloping ridge that takes us high above the coast and then onto the crater rim of the island’s still active volcano. We carry on up to Nickia village and her picture-postcard piazza for a cold drink. Short transfer to the village of Emborios for lunch at a family-run taverna. We return to the boat by van for an afternoon cruise to the neighboring island of Tilos where we will moor in a quiet bay for sunset. Dinner on board. Breakfast, lunch & dinner included.

Monday Day 3: Tilos Island. We have a relaxed morning:  swim, breakfast, swim, then disembark for an easy 1 hour walk to a pretty whitewashed village. Here we have a private visit of the smallest museum I have ever entered, but also one of the more fascinating. In this museum is the skeleton of one of the island’s ancient miniature elephants. It is literally the size of a Saint Bernard! Our walk continues down to the boat which has moved to another bay. Swim then lunch. We have a tranquil afternoon moored in a deserted bay before embarking on a gorgeous walk past an abandoned stone village. Our trail is the ancient pathway that the villagers took to the port of Livadhía where we reunite with our boat. We will have dinner this evening in a taverna while the boat is moored in the protected harbor. Breakfast, lunch & dinner included.

Tuesday Day 4: Micros Hoglio to Lethrá Bay walk, then cruise to Chalki.
We walk to Micros Hoglio, an eerie village that was abandoned in the 1950’s. We walk amongst the ancient terraces of olive, walnut, and carob trees. As we walk, our steps release a lovely bouquet of wild thyme. Our path leads us to the beach at Lethra Bay and the boat. Swim out to the gulet or motor back in the launch. Lunch and swimming followed by a 2-hour cruise to Chalki island, one of the smallest inhabited islands in Greece. Late afternoon drop-off for a walk up to the castle of Saint John, former bastion of the Knights Templar. We return to the boat, which is moored in charming Imborios village port. Watch the last rays of the setting sun light up the line of stone windmills that sit on a ridge above the village while enjoying a cool glass of the excellent local white wine. Dinner at our favorite seaside taverna. Breakfast, lunch & dinner included.

Wednesday Day 5: Symi Island. After breakfast and a morning swim, we have a 3-hour cruise to the enchanting island of Symi  An attractive island with forests of  juniper, valonea oaks and pine, it is ideal walking country in spring or autumn. We will moor for lunch at beautiful Agios Vasilios bay. Then walk up and out of the bay, and down into Symi town. This is our most challenging, but perhaps our most rewarding walk as we crest a high ridge and look down onto the chaotic symmetry (you will understand what I mean when you see it) of lovely Symi town. The gulet will be moored in the harbor so you have free time to explore the streets and boutiques of the village. Dinner on board and afterwards you can enjoy some Greek nightlife in the village. Overnight Symi harbour.  Breakfast, lunch & dinner included.

Thursday Day 6: Symi Island, Agios Georgios monaster. After breakfast we step off the gangway for the start of a leisurely and scenic 90-minute walk to Niborio inlet. Mid-morning coffee at a waterside taverna and then swim out to the gulet, or take the launch. A scenic cruise along the east side of Symi takes in some dramatic fjord-like inlets. Lunch on board at Faneromeni bay. A relaxing afternoon of reading, snoozing and swimming before an optional late-afternoon walk through a fragrant pine forest down to Agios Georgios monastery which embraces the azure waters of its own bay. Boat pick-up at the monastery jetty. Overnight in another little sheltered bay, dinner on board. Breakfast, lunch & dinner included.

Frdiay Day 7: Symi to Kós. We weigh anchor early this morning to take advantage of the early morning calm for our 3.5-hour cruise to Kós. We will arrive in the harbor by about 9:30 this morning. Once we tie up, we will have breakfast before departing for our last walk which starts near the classical site of Asclepeion and takes us to the whitewashed village of Zia for lunch at an excellent taverna with fabulous views. After lunch transfer back to Kos town. Given that Kós is the second largest island of the Dodecanese after Rhodes, it has a rich history that is reflected in its architecture and historic monuments. The harbor is guarded by an imposing castle of the Knights of St. John, while 17th century Ottoman mosques and buildings stand next to austere Italian public buildings built during the fascist period. Extensive Hellenistic and Roman remains lay amongst public gardens. You will have free time to explore Kos town and perhaps buy a few cheesy souvenirs (you know the ones I mean) before our final dinner on board amongst the twinkling lights of Kós harbor. Overnight  Kós harbor. Breakfast, lunch & dinner included.

Saturday Day 8: We disembark the boat early at Kós harbor. You can fly today to Athens, or take a ferry to Rhodes, or Santorini, or any number of other islands to continue your Greek island holiday. Early breakfast and transfer to Kos airport included. If you want to stay on in Athens, we have hotel recommendations for you and we can also arrange a private guide to tour the Acropolis and the Acropolis museum should you wish.

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General Information

Note on Itinerary: Although we do our best to adhere to the schedule listed above, this itinerary is subject to change for numerous reasons beyond our control, such as weather. Trip Cost Includes: 7 nights accommodation  on the gulet; 7 breakfasts, lunches and dinners;  all entrances as per itinerary; all van transfers and luggage transfers as per itinerary; at least one bilingual Greek–English Customwalks guide. Not included: air travel to Kos, airport/hotel transfers not mentioned above; travel insurance; beverages other than water at meals; extra boat provisions (beer, wine, soft drinks etc); and items of a personal nature. Qualifications: This trip is rated moderate. Some prior hiking experience is beneficial but anyone in good physical condition will have no problems with the walk. Generally we hike about 3 – 4 hours a day maximum, usually divided between morning and evening hikes. This tour is also suited to non hikers, who can stay on board, or pick the walks they want to do. All walks are optional. Weather: The days should be warm to hot, the evenings still balmy, and the water temperature should be at least 24 degrees Celsius. For those of you who have already done our Turkish Gulet tour of the Lycian shore, I can tell you that this is similar but very different. It is similar because: Both tours feature the fabulous gulet. If you have traveled on the gulet before, you know how wonderful life is on board the boat. The food is fantastic. The comfort of lazing on the padded aft deck, cold drink in hand, watching the sunset is hard to beat, as is diving into the warm waters (if you do the autumn departure the water is positively HOT) of the Aegean before breakfast. On this tour we will be mooring more often in the ports of the little Greek villages because they are so delightful. Also, we want you to get a taste of Greek culture, both literally and figuratively. We will have several lunches and dinners in Greek tavernas and the food is really excellent. The crew are always super professional and yet friendly and obliging. The walks are similar in the sense that we usually drop off from the boat, hike, and the boat moves us along to pick us up at a different location. It is different from our Turkish tour because: 1.) One of the great features of the Greek islands are its beautiful villages and ports. With the exception of Kas and Simena, the Turkish towns along the coast are not really that pretty. They have a rustic charm, but the architectural heritage of most of the Turkish towns starts in the 1950’s…..whereas the Greek villages have a rich patrimony of architectural style. 2.) As a result, we will spend more time in the Greek harbor villages, both because the villages are charming, and also because there are fewer possibilities for mooring overnight in protected bays as we do in Turkey. We will have two nights out of seven in secluded anchorages, and five nights in charming Greek harbors. 3.) Dinners. We will eat off the boat more often for dinner for two reasons. The first is because we will be using a Turkish gulet and crew and so to get a real taste of the excellent Greek cuisine we need to get you off the boat, and into the tavernas we have chosen for you. Secondly, given the fact that we will be over-nighting in some of these little harbors, it is fun to eat in the tavernas and have interaction with the local waiters and chefs, as well as the local clientele. So, having done both tours, I can quote an Indian waiter when I asked him about the difference between two curries: “They are same-same, but different.” I can assure you that in this case, they are both fabulous tours. Price: based on double occupancy. Single supplement: €550 €2,800 for 14 guests. (maximum) with two guides. €2,900 for 12 -13 guests with two guides.. €3,300 for 10 – 11 guests with two guides. €3,500 for 9 – 10 guests with two guides. €3,800 for 7 – 8 guests with two guides. €3,500 for 6 guests with 1 guide using a smaller gulet. Some due diligence on the behalf of Customwalks. I (Brett) spent a total of four weeks on two separate trips to the region in May 2010 to research the tour. I personally have done every walk, and eaten in every taverna where we will be taking you. I was joined by Yorgos Paraskevopoulos for the first two-week research tour. He is a native of Greece, an experienced guide and great company. He was a great help while developing the finer points of the tour and together we guided our inaugural tour to the Dodecanese in October 2010. We look forward to having you join us for the trip of a lifetime!