14-Day Trekking and Cycling Tour of Santorini, Paros and Naxos

14 Days Duration

Experiences

About This Tour

Go on a trekking tour with boating, biking, and hiking across Santorini, Paros, and Naxos, travelling through fertile green and wild landscapes, various village...

Duration: 14 Days · Tour type: Shared · Activity level: Hard · Accommodation: Included · Standard · Transport: Included · Cities: Athens, Naousa, Mykonos, Santorini, Delos, Naxos, Pyrgos, Fira, Oia, Paros · Languages: English, Greek

Know before you go: We are not responsible for any accidents or mishaps directly or indirectly related to the tour. (See Terms & Conditions.); Transportation: We travel by bus or taxi, which leaves us to walk and continues to the next place where we will stay for the night.; Accommodation: Hotels in the cities and village pensions throughout the trip, all with private facilities.; The trip prices are based on double occupancy.; Food: Every morning we have breakfast in the hotels, picnic lunch en route, and dinner at a local tavern. Vegetarians are welcome on the trips.; Group size: 6-16 participants.; Difficulty level: Hike (2); The hikes offer a moderate trek with a maximum of 4-5 hours of walking. Participants should be in good physical condition with little prior experience.

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What's Included

All accommodations
All meals from dinner on day 1 through breakfast on day 14
All picnic lunches
Group transfers from and to the airport
All transportation throughout the trip
Ferry ticket to Naxos
Amorgos
Piraeus luggage transportation
English-speaking Greek tour leader/guide
All taxes and VAT

Not Included

Insurance: Participants should be covered by their own personal travel-health insurance prior to the trip.
Tips and gratuities
Personal expenses

Itinerary

1

Day 01

Arrival in Athens

Arrive in Athens. Transfer to the hotel. Overnight stay in the hotel.
2

Day 02

Biking in Northern Paros and Naousa

Morning: Transfer to the harbour of Piraeus. Enjoy a nice trip towards the island of Paros (5 h). Move to our hotel in Parikia, the main village of the island, and take over our mountain bikes. Afternoon: Bike to the picturesque village of Naousa and have a walk through its old harbour quarter. From an alternative road, we go back to Parikia (22 km, 200 m up). Evening: Stroll through the labyrinth of alleys of the traditional settlement to the little church of Constantine and Helena on the hill of the Kastro. Watch the sunset and then continue to our tavern. Three nights stay in Parikia.
3

Day 03

Marathi Quarries and South Paros Biking Tour

Bike to the ancient marble quarries of Marathi, where the famous Parian marble was extracted from underground pits. Continue to the island village of Lefkes and walk through its traditional settlement. Join the east coast through the Prodromos village. Bike through Dryos, Aliki, and Vutakos back to Parikia (50 km, 450 m up) on a panoramic road, where photo stops are always possible, and past the nice beaches, where we can swim.
4

Day 04

Antiparos Ride and Cave Visit

Today's biking tour passes the monastery of Christos Tu Dasus (180 m), goes to the Butterflies Valley (open only in summertime), and continues to Punta, at the strait between Paros and Antiparos. Reach the neighbouring island by ferry. Bike to the cave (160 m), where we can read between the stalactites even the signature of the first Bavarian king of modern Greece, Othon. In the centre of the traditional settlement, the medieval fortified village remains virtually intact. There are several beaches to choose from for a swim. Afternoon: Go back to Parikia (30 km, 350 m up).
5

Day 05

From Paros to Volcanic Santorini

Morning: Visit the early Christian church of Panagia Katapoliani and the archaeological museum. Afternoon: Take the ferry to Santorini (3 h). The entry of the boat into the caldera, the closed bay formed by the eruption of the volcano and the crater of the always active volcano itself, will be an overwhelming experience. Transfer from the harbour of Athinios to Kamari on the east coast of the island (10 km). Dinner at a tavern. Three nights in Kamari.
6

Day 06

Pyrgos, Emporio, Fira and Hike to Oia

Drive to the medieval villages of Pyrgos and Emporio and walk through their picturesque settlements. Take a short stop at Saint Nicolas Marmaras, a small ancient temple transformed into a Christian church. Continue to Fira, the island's capital (25 km). Go for a short guided walk, then have some free time to stroll around and visit the museums. After lunch, hike on a panoramic path along the border of the crater and over the small Elias mountain to Oia (3 h, 360 m up). Enjoy a walk around one of the most picturesque villages in the world. Transfer back to Kamari (19 km).
7

Day 07

Ancient Thera and Nea Kameni Volcano

Walk to Ancient Thera on Mesa Vuno mountain (369 m) from Kamari. Visit the ruins of the ancient city. Its location makes it one of the most impressive excavation sites in Greece. We go down on a path that passes by the small church of Zoodochos Pigi (3 h 30 m). The rest of the day will be at our disposal. Visit the active volcano on the island of Nea Kameni. Transfer to Fira (5 km). Go down to the old harbour on the donkey path and take a short boat trip to Nea Kameni island, where the volcano is still smouldering. Walk there and then back to the Georgios crater (127 m, 1 h), witnessing a unique geological phenomenon that makes one shudder at the thought of sitting on an active volcano. Return back to Fira. From the harbour to the village, we can walk, ride, or use the cableway. Transfer back to Kamari (8 km).
8

Day 08

Naxos Town, Castle and Portara Sunset

Take the ferry, direct or with a stop on Ios, to Naxos (2 h 30 min). Take a city tour in the capital of the island, the Chora of Naxos. Visit the castle that was the seat of the Dukes of Naxos during the Venetian period. Explore the former Jesuit monastery housing the archaeological museum with its rich Cycladic Idol collection. Witness the best sunset view by the Portara ("Big Door"), at the ruins of the temple of Apollo, or at one of the taverns by the harbour promenade. Spend the night in the town of Naxos.
9

Day 09

South-West Naxos Biking Tour

Bike across a fertile plain. Here, near the Chora, a temple of Dionysus has been excavated. Continue biking through the picturesque village of Agios Arsenios, then through Tripodes, and soon we reach the highest point of the day's tour (170 m). Reach the Bay of Aliko with its beautiful sandy beach, where we can take a bath, after a long and panoramic downhill ride. Along the west coast, partially on lonely tracks, we bike through Agia Anna back to Naxos town (38 km, 220 m up).
10

Day 10

Inland Naxos Ride through Villages and Quarries

Bike to Melanes on the asphalt road and continue on a narrow track to Flerio, where the ancient marble statue of a young man lies in a beautiful garden waiting for visitors. Continue on the road, past the marble quarries and the village of Kinidaros, then to the highest point of the day's tour (480 m), and reach the Byzantine Church of Panagia Drossiani. Very old olive trees stand on the Tragaea plateau, and various Venetian family towers rise in its villages. Behind Chalki, we traverse a bizarre, rocky landscape. On a hill stand the ruins of the fortress of Epano Kastro. Gain the Chora of Naxos (40 km, 600 m up) after traversing the three villages of Potamia valley.
11

Day 11

St. Mammas, Sangri and the West Coast Ride

Leave from Naxos and reach the former Episcopal church of St. Mammas, which is now abandoned. Traverse the main road and continue to the Demeter sanctuary near Sangri. Reach the main road again near Damarionas through a lonely landscape. Pass the Pyrgos (tower) of the Belonia family, traverse the village of Tripodes, and reach the west coast near Plaka. Return to the town of Naxos (50 km, 500 m up) through Kalamuria.
12

Day 12

Optional Boat Trip to Delos and Mykonos

Take a boat trip to Delos, which was the Bethlehem for the ancient religion, the birthplace of Apollo, the god of light, music, and oracles for the Greeks. Later, it became an international commerce and shipping centre of the ancient world. Visit Mykonos, which has a beautiful Cycladic settlement and is now famous for its sandy beaches and intense nightlife.
13

Day 13

Northern Naxos Mountains and Coastal Excursion

Full-day excursion to the mountains and the northern part of the island. Visit the pottery village of Damalas, traverse the plateau of Tragea driving through its main village Chalki, then continue along the slopes of Zas mountain through Filoti to Apirathos. Continue through the emery villages of Koronos and Skado to Koronis, 550 m (40 km), after a short stay at the amphitheatrically shaped mountain village. Walk down to Apollon village (2 h) and have a swim. Near the village, the two-and-a-half-thousand-year-old marble statue of a young man still lies in the quarry. Drive back to Naxos town (35 km) on a panoramic road along the north and north-western coast.
14

Day 14

Return to Athens

Morning: Leave by ferry to Piraeus (5 h). Transfer to our hotel. Afternoon: Visit Athens. Transfer to the airport on the next day.