7 must-try outdoors adventures on mainland Greece
This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK).
One of the best ways to explore mainland Greece is under your own steam, through the myriad activities on offer here. There are opportunities to don a mask and flippers and snorkel over an ancient submerged city; to climb Mount Olympus, the fabled home of Zeus, king of the gods; to leap into a boat and whitewater-raft down a 7.5-mile-long gorge; and to ski through the quiet backcountry of its Peloponnese mountain range. 1. Kayak on Lake Kremasta
Created during a 1960s hydroelectric project to dam four rivers, Greece's biggest artificial lake is a fjord-like, island-speckled beauty that twists and turns over 50sq miles. While you can admire the alpine loveliness of the Agrafa Mountains from its pine-fringed shores, there's nothing like kayaking in quiet exhilaration across its glass-calm, cerulean-blue waters in summer, pausing every so often for a refreshing dip. Choose a quiet time of day, such as early morning or evening, and keep your eyes peeled for wildlife including golden eagles, otters and wolves. Finix Adventures runs three-hour guided kayaking tours on the lake year-round. 2. Climb Mount Olympus
Ruled by Zeus, Greece's highest mountain is a living legend. The topmost of its peaks is cloud-wreathed 9,573ft Mytikas, a holy grail to hikers. Scaling its gnarly heights is a two-day challenge: you'll hike up to seven hours a day on exposed terrain, with rocky scrambles and steep slopes to negotiate. It's best to join a guided walk, such as those arranged by Trekking Hellas. Helmets, harnesses and ropes are provided for the final climb, where you'll be rewarded with views over peaks and valleys to the Aegean. A night at a mountain refuge on the Muses Plateau is special, too, as you'll awake to a fiery sunrise befitting the gods. The Menalon Trail through the Arcadia mountains passes cliff-hidden monasteries. Photograph by ValEs1989, Getty Images 3. Hiking the Menalon Trail
Imagine the burbling streams, glassy rivers, moss-cloaked forests and towering peaks that poet Virgil so eloquently captured 2,000 years ago when evoking the idyll of Arcadia in Eclogue 10, then lace up your boots for this five-day hike through the Central Peloponnese. Carving an enchanting path through the real-life Arcadia, the Menalon Trail is a glimpse of pre-dawn of tourism Greece. Leading from Stemnitsa to Lagkadia, the well-signposted 47-mile, eight-stage trail tiptoes through wild and remote landscapes, taking in silent pine woods, wooden bridges and old mule paths from stone-built village to stone-built village. You're bound to be smitten by the deep, sheer-walled Lousios Gorge, where nymphs bathed an infant Zeus in the fast-flowing river, and by fresco-adorned Prodromos Monastery, which clings to a cliff. It's best to hike the trail from April to November, staying overnight in family-run guesthouses. 4. Snorkel in Pavlopetri
Pop on a snorkel ordinarily and you might expect to see fish — or perhaps the odd wreck — but Pavlopetri, off the coast of southern Laconia in the Peloponnese, is unique. Twelve feet down, these crystal-clear waters hide a real-life Atlantis — a sunken Minoan city 5,000 years old yet still extraordinarily intact. Flipper past Bronze Age streets, mansions, courtyards and rock-carved tombs. No experience is needed — simply follow the underwater signs detailing three swimming routes and providing background on the ruins. Epos Travel organises tours to the area, or grab a snorkel and go it alone. 5. Ski in Kalavryta
Picture Greece and you're likely thinking sun-kissed islands not snowy ski slopes. But the country has the latter, too. The mythical home of the Muses, Mount Parnassos near Athens gets all the fuss for its downhill, but for quieter days and tons of fresh, downy powder, make for the mountain resort of Kalavryta in the northern Peloponnese, where the slopes spread between 5,575ft and 7,675ft high. From December to April, the real joy here is skiing into the crowd-free backcountry, with phenomenal views of the Gulf of Corinth. It's wise to hook up with a guide, such as Orias's experts, to explore the undiscovered slopes of the Helmos mountain range. The Vikos Gorge in the namesake national park is perfect for a picturesque white-water rafting adventure on gentle rapids. Photograph by studiodr, Getty Images 6. White-water rafting in Vikos Gorge
Who needs the Grand Canyon for drama? Mother nature pulled out just as many stops to create the Vikos Gorge in Greece's mountain-rippled Vikos-Aoös National Park. One of the world's deepest gorges, the 7.5mile-long, 2,953ft-deep ravine is spectacular enough from the hiking trails threading deep into it, especially in the rose-gold glow of sunrise or sunset. But it's even more so when you take a white-water raft along the river's glassy green waters and gentle rapids, shaded by centuries-old plane trees. Trekking Hellas organises three-hour excursions for beginners. Bring swimming togs and a towel. 7. Mountain biking in Zagori
Snowcapped during the cooler months, the thickly forested, canyon-riven Pindus Mountains rise sheer and rugged above the wilds of Epirus in northwestern Greece. This is a terrific region to jump into a bike saddle for a two-wheel, go-slow adventure. Perhaps the prettiest stretch of all is Zagori, where you can tick off 46 traditional, grey-stone-built, slate-roofed villages like rosary beads. Here the largely car-free routes send you rattling over old stone paths and humpback bridges to historic chapels and monasteries, mountainside and riverbank villages, and wineries. Zagori Outdoor Activities suggests routes and rents bikes. Published in the April 2025 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK).
To subscribe to National Geographic Traveller (UK) magazine click here. (Available in select countries only).
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'I did it, too — and thought the facade would topple over.' I see what Maria means. Made of light granite and dotted with the carved shapes of scallop shells — an ancient symbol of the Camino de Santiago (Way of St James) pilgrimage — the cathedral looks like a giant, ornate sandcastle that could be blown away by a strong gust of wind from the Atlantic. Yet, a church has stood on this site since the ninth century, when — according to tradition — the remains of Santiago El Mayor (St James the Great) were discovered here. So the legend goes: the saint was one of the Twelve Apostles and part of Jesus' three-man inner circle. Following his martyrdom in Jerusalem in the first century, he was buried in the Iberian Peninsula, where he'd introduced the Gospel. The location was lost to time, until mysterious lights led a local hermit deep into a forest to the sepulchre. A shrine was built to mark the site, and the cult of Santiago was born. The faithful from across Europe began trekking to see the holy relics — and never stopped, forever changing the fortunes of the area. In response to their influx, the shrine grew into a cathedral, and a city developed around it. The network of trails leading to Santiago de Compostela became the Camino de Santiago, one of the biggest pilgrimages in the world by any measure. In 2024, a record half a million travellers 'completed' it, walking or cycling 100 or 200 miles to the city, respectively. The appeal of the Camino now goes far beyond its religious foundations, with a new generation of pilgrims coming for quiet contemplation and the chance to immerse themselves in nature. In the square, I meet a Polish graduate who likens the path to a Catholic prayer, and a Dutch writer who trekked it to set resolutions for personal growth. I hear stories of a French girl who came on foot from her front door, and a Swiss man who kept walking long past the finish line. 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Walk around the Old Town, and you'll find this deep sense of spirituality is built into the city itself. We pass the monastic complex of San Martín Pinario, which offers guest rooms reminiscent of monk's quarters, empty but for wrought-iron beds and writing desks. Then there's the monastery of San Paio, where cloistered Benedictine nuns sell tarta de Santiago, almond pies bearing the Santiago Cross, another symbol of the pilgrimage. Visitors ring a bell, and receive their order through a revolving window. We reach Mercado de Abastos, the city's food market and second main attraction. It's made up of eight granite halls, each with an entrance reminiscent of a Romanesque chapel, with long aisles like naves. On display are crates of cachelos (Galician potatoes) and grelos (turnip greens), Iberian hams and chorizos. 'The architect wanted to create a cathedral of products,' says Maria, handing me a slice of mild tetilla cheese to sample, which is made from cow's milk. Producers have been coming here to sell their wares since the 19th century. 'Some 80% of Galicians still live in the countryside, and our coast is so rich in seafood,' says Maria, as we pass thick piles of ice topped with velvet crabs, octopus and percebes (goose barnacles). Scallops, the shells of which we saw earlier, carved into the stone of Santiago Cathedral, are on offer as well, of course. 'The cult of food, too, forms a strong part of our culture.' Santiago himself used to be a fisherman. According to the Bible, Jesus nicknamed him 'Son of Thunder' due to his temper. The moniker seems fitting given that in Galicia, his supposed place of rest, it rains for around 150 days a year on average. The resulting landscape is so green, it could pass for Wales; Santiago de Compostela is actually one of the cities with the highest square footage of park space per inhabitant in the whole of Spain. After leaving Maria, I head to Parque de San Domingos de Bonaval, the former estate of a Dominican convent that sits on a hill on the outskirts of the Old Town. I stroll to the oak grove at its top; looking down, I take in the view of the city's rooftops and cathedral towers, which gradually fades into a haze in the far distance. All this was built for the pilgrims, who arrived step after step, century after century; the cult of Santiago is shrouded in lore, but this much can't be denied, a fact as miraculous as anything here. So, I take my cue and sit on the grass, lie back and stare. Published in the June 2025 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK).To subscribe to National Geographic Traveller (UK) magazine click here. (Available in select countries only).
