Outdoors fun all year round
With 10 months of sunshine a year and a combination of mountains and one of the longest coastlines in the world, Greece has ideal conditions for active holidays throughout the year. So it doesn’t matter if you’re heading to an island or somewhere on the Greek mainland, make sure to pack a pair of good walking shoes and your sportswear. You’re in for a whole lot of fun.
Hiking around mainland Greece
Hiking is for many the best (it’s definitely the easiest) way to get active on your holidays in Greece. We’ve got hiking experiences for you to enjoy all over the country, including some of the most epic hikes anywhere in Europe.
If you’ve seen the Meteora landscape (with those giant rocks reaching into the sky and monasteries at the top of them) you’ll adore the hiking paths all around the area. And who could resist the temptation of hiking Mt Olympus, the legendary mountain of the gods? You don’t have to conquer all 2,917m to the highest peak. Far from it. Even the lower slopes are breathtaking, with the path along the Enipeas Gorge being easy enough to be enjoyed by the whole family, crossing wooden bridges and passing hidden waterfalls and other incredible nature.
The same goes for the many hiking paths on Mt Pelion, the mountain of mythical centaurs in eastern Greece where you can hike between villages and reward yourself with authentic Greek dishes in tavernas that are lost in time. And in Evritania, another tree-filled region of mainland Greece, we hiked to the menacingly named Black Cave and returned to tell the tale.
The best walks on Greek islands
If you’re on a beach holiday on a Greek island, don’t think twice about hitting the hiking trails. In fact, many of the paths take you into the mountains where you’ll adore the cooler temperatures in peak summer months. In Kefalonia, we explore Mt Ainos (the first Greek island national park) and we take you down the spectacular Samaria Gorge in Crete (hands down one of Europe’s most epic hikes). Thassos, Tinos and Folegandros all have a wonderful network of hiking trails you can follow and you’ll never want to leave Santorini once you’ve walked along the caldera or into the mountainous interior. If that’s not all the motivation you need to get active on your holidays, then we don’t know what is.
Water sports in Greece
When it comes to active holidays on Greek islands, you can’t look any further than water sports. You’ll be able to water ski, windsurf, kitesurf, scuba dive and all those beach activities you love to do on a summer holiday. But we’ve also gone looking for day excursions you can do as a family or group of friends.
The Blue Caves are one of the highlights of Zante … but what about exploring them by sea kayak? Pretty cool, right. And we’ve also gone sea kayaking in Samos and to a couple of incredibly beautiful mainland destinations that are tailor-made for intrepid travellers: Lake Kremaston (in central Greece) and the Nestos River (in northeastern Greece). And just when you thought Meteora couldn’t get any more incredible, we’ve got yet another way to enjoy them … river-rafting.
Plenty more ways to get active on holiday
If you’re into it, you’ll probably find it on your holidays in Greece. Mountain biking? There are mountains trails all around Athens and hiking and mountain biking day trips from the Greek capital to Mt Dirfis in Evia and elsewhere. Rock climbing? There are a surprising number of climbing sites all around Greece … but Kalymnos is one of the best climbing destinations in the world. Canyoning? You can’t beat the Orlias Gorge on Mt Olympus. Even snow skiing! There are more than 20 ski centres in Greece (yes, you read right), with the biggest being near Arachova on Mt Parnassos and Kalavryta on Mt Helmos.
Browse our outdoor activities and experiences and find the active holidays in Greece that suit you.
