Category: Hikers Friendly

Cycling Trails in the Peloponnese

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Cycling Trails in the Peloponnese

The beauty of Greece lies in its most unexpected places. Enjoy this short video that we shot while cycling in the mountainous part of Messinia, Peloponnese, Greece. Paths of Greece has been recently exploring the mountainous Messinia region in order to design a cycling trails network, to complete the Apollo Trails hiking network. This video was made together with Apollo Trails and the Hikers Friendly Hotel “Abeliona Retreat“.

10 years Paths of Greece!

10 years Paths of Greece!

 

In 2021 the Social Cooperative Enterprise “Paths of Greece” celebrates its 10th anniversary!

We recall the experiences and emotions we experienced in this process: The emotions we felt looking for paths lost in time and the stories of the past, the stories we learned in our encounters with local people, the creative enthusiasm of building paths, but also the genuine joy that we feel when we hear compliments about our work from hikers. All this gives us strength to continue with even greater passion and determination!

In the past 10 years, we have studied, restored, sign-posted and promoted paths that we truly love. Below we mention some paths which we consider to be milestones in our journey, not because they are more important than the rest, but because they gave us the impetus to improve what we do.

Kythera Trails

Our journey with Paths of Greece started on Kythera island, at the end of 2010, where through synergies, research and a lot of volunteer work, a network of hiking trails was created with multiple benefits for the local community that every year expands and operates more efficiently. This was followed by works in Patmos, Mount Paggaio, Ymittos, Fiskardo in Kefalonia and elsewhere.

Hikers walking on one of the spectacular hiking Kythera Trails

International Trail Consulting

Paths of Greece participated in the 3rd World Trails Conference organized in South Korea in 2014 by the World Trails Network (WTN). There, the co-founder of Paths of Greece, Fivos Tsaravopoulos, was elected Treasurer of the International Board of Directors of the organization and the conditions were officially created for the transfer of our know-how outside Greece. In the following years we provided international trail consulting in China, Japan and Albania. Through the World Trails Network we have a strong interaction with the developments in the world of trails, having created international relationships and collaborations of special value.

From the international trail consultation in the region of Kanas, China.

Sifnos Trails

The next big stop for us was the creation of the Sifnos Trails hiking network. Sifnos for years tried – unfortunately in fragments – to become a hiking destination. In collaboration with the island’s municipality, we way-marked the trails, created an identity as well as the appropriate tools for the promotion of the network – website, application for smartphones, QR-codes, recording of routes with Google Trekker, twinning with other hiking networks in the world, dynamic presence in exhibitions and magazines abroad (France, Germany, Sweden, Poland etc.). The result was that Sifnos emerged as one of the top hiking destinations in Greece and the tourist season on the island has been extended with quality tourism.

Transporting sign-posts for the trails of Sifnos, in collaboration with the local society.

Chania Trails

In Sifnos we realized that the good cooperation between the local authorities, the local population and the specialized advisors in the development of paths brings spectacular results. The success in Sifnos was followed by our studies in various parts of Greece, from Alexandroupolis to Prespes and from Karpathos and Kasos to western Crete, where we gradually undertook to study all the paths of the Regional Unit of Chania.

We discovered forgotten mountain passes, trails in fairytale forests, Roman roads, and especially areas of infinite natural beauty and exceptional cultural wealth, to which the average interested walker unfortunately did not have access. The network we are planning in western Crete, with the valuable cooperation of the regional and local authorities as well as the local community, will exceed 600 kilometers in length. Its operation and maintenance will also be based on the tight cooperation of local authorities and the local community.

The moment of discovery of an ancient Roman road near Sougia, in Chania, Crete.

Hikers’ Friendly

In 2018 Paths of Greece launched the Hikers’ Friendly Accommodation Certification, a guide, in essence, advising hotels across the country in an effort to upgrade their facilities and services so that they can meet the requirements of the hiking community. Through our contact with local communities all over Greece, we promote the investment in the Hikers’ Friendly model. It is an important step that the hosting sector should take, especially in the post-Covid-19 era, if it aims at becoming a driving force for the lengthening of the tourist season, increase of revenues, and greater awareness of the rich natural and cultural heritage of the country. Hikers Friendly certification is entering a new era in 2021, adapting to the needs of the market.

Trail Certification

The organization in October 2019, in Kythira island, of the first seminar in Europe for the training of auditors of the “Green Flag Trails”, a World Trails Network certification, was another very important station for us. The certification Kythera Trails received during the seminar was a recognition of international prestige for the quality of the work of Paths of Greece on the island.

Collaborations

All these years we have built excellent collaborations on a solid foundation, on the main axis of mutual trust and respect for the experience and skills of each partner. Our goal has always been   to provide the most complete, specialized and innovative services. Among the collaborations we honor, we mention Staridas Geography, Instinct Design, Kappagram, Stonewave, ForestPlan, Med-INA, Diadrasis and Green Life and Lysiteleia as our closest partners.

Next steps

Since our establishment in 2010, our vision has been for Greece to become one of the top hiking destinations in the world. We believe that 10 years later, our country is moving in the right direction to achieve this goal. On our tenth birthday, we decided to set as our new vision that hiking becomes part of the daily life of our fellow citizens.

In addition to getting to know our nature, culture and history that they generously offer, trails promote our good physical condition and health, with a positive impact on public health. In the years we leave behind we have experienced intensely the direct dependence of human life on nature through the effects of climate change and the pandemic. Nature sends its own messages urging us to turn toward a sustainable way of life as a necessary condition for the normalization of humanity’s relationship with the natural environment.

Thus, from 2021 we start an ambitious educational program, which aims to bring younger and older people close to the trails, to promote hiking as a way of life, to bring hikers close to the inexhaustible natural and cultural wealth of Greece and to promote sustainable, collective values ​​for a better future.

To achieve this, at Paths of Greece, we will continue our action towards creating the conditions so that every resident of our country, even in urban centers, can easily and quickly have access to walking trails.

Therefore, our new vision will be from now on

A trail near every home!

Special offers for HIKERS FRIENDLY travellers!

Special offers for HIKERS FRIENDLY travellers!

 

We have recently launched a series of special #hikersfriendly offers, in an attempt to propose alternative traveling experiences, with a strong hiking element, for friends that are currently planning their summer – and autumn – excursions around Greece, and want to get to know some of the most well known, but also less famous, rising, hiking destinations of this beautiful country!

15 #hikersfriendly Hotels invite us to hike around the natural and cultural beauty that surrounds them offering us special benefits. 😉
📍 Zakynthos (Zante) island, the Peloponnese, the Cyclades islands of Amorgos, Naxos, Serifos, Sifnos and Tinos, Skiathos and Leros islands, as well as the wider region of Metsovo & Zagori in Epirus📍, you choose your preferred hiking destination, which you can enjoy exploring, starting from your certified #hikersfriendly Hotel! Because every unforgettable hiking experience starts with great hospitality❗️

Click on the link below to make your special #hikersfriendly booking, and…off you go:
https://hikersfriendly.com/special-offers/

Kythera Trails becomes the 1st Green Flag certified trails in Europe

Kythera Trails becomes the 1st Green Flag certified trails in Europe

 

In early October 2019, trail professionals from 13 countries gathered on the island of Kythera, Greece, for the training of trail auditors using the Green Flag Trails certification led by the World Trails Network. During the 7-days long course, a selection of Kythera’s trails were audited and three of them certified as Green Flag Trails – the first ever trails in Europe to receive this certification.

Green Flag Trails is a certification that recognises trails for their accurate data, environmental responsibility and sustainable management. It focuses on sustainability and responsibility towards hiking and walking tourists and aims to stimulate ecotourism. Green Flag Trails is a scientifically based trail auditing system that has been applied and tested in 6 different countries to date, including Nepal, South Africa and Peru.

This has been the first step of the Green Flag Trails certification in Europe, the next step is meeting the demand for the certification of trails in other countries across Europe that joined the course, such as Portugal, Spain, Italy and Hungary. In addition Russia, Armenia, Georgia, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine and Kenya are also looking to implement the system to help improve the sustainability of their trails. All the participants, who successfully attended the course, have become certified Green Flag Trails auditors.

The team of experts gathered on the island of Kythera, Greece, in order to participate at the Green Flag Trails Auditor Training Course, hosted by the World Trails Network, with the support of the Kytherian Foundation for Culture and Development and in cooperation with Paths of Greece. It took place at the Hikers Friendly certified hotel “Porto Delfino”.

Apollo Trails

Apollo Trails

We have just inaugurated the Apollo Trails, a small but wonderful trail network on Mountainous Messinia (Peloponnese). The trails start at the village of Abeliona, and link the neighbouring settlements of Neda, Petra, Agios Sostis, Skliros, to the UNESCO Temple of Apollo Epicurius, the Temple of Pan, the springs of Neda, numerous stone-built thresholds, churches, stone bridges etc. Despite its relatively short length, it presents important changes in environment passing by chestnut tree forests, creeks with plane trees, old fields, vineyards, tall oaks and mountain peaks with great views.

Our work was to find the old footpaths that were “sleeping”under vegetation, to clear them, to sign-post them, and to help in their promotion. In our efforts we found great assistance by the hotel Abeliona Retreat, as well as from the inhabitants of Abeliona and the other villages. These trails are unexpectedly beautiful and are awaiting to unveil to the hikers the secrets of this mystic area.

Paths of Greece has developed these trails for the Hikers Friendly hotel Abeliona Retreat. To find out more about this project, click on our portfolio page here.

7th World Trails Conference

7th World Trails Conference

Paths of Greece has participated at the 7th World Trails Conference, that took place from September 26th – 29th, in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. During the Conference, we have presented the Hikers Friendly Certification, made a lot of contacts, and worked on the creation of a World Trails Network – Mediterranean Hub! It is the 4 World Trails Conference that Paths of Greece has participated at, following our strong will to have Greece always at the forefront of the trails world. The 7th World Trails Conference has been organised by the World Trails Network, where Mr. Fivos Tsaravopoulos is Treasurer of the Board.

The Hikers’ Friendly certification has been launched!

The hotel certification standard has been launched!

“Hikers’ Friendly” is a certification for services related to hiking activities. It is currently available only for hotels, but it will soon be open for other sectors. It has been developed by the Social Co-operative Paths of Greece, in collaboration with Green Evolution. Its aim is to enhance the hiking experience by upgrading the services offered to the hikers.

The adjustment of the “Hikers’ Friendly Hotels” Certification was conducted in the Greek island of Sifnos, where now the trial period is completed and from the 1st of August 2017 the Certification is available for all areas in Greece. All hoteliers who are interested in upgrading their services and in increasing the tourist flows toward the accommodation and each destination, mostly during the off-season period, are more than welcome to apply.

It is important that to promote Greece as a top hiking destination, 5% of the certification fee will be returned to each municipality for trails maintenance or promotional action. This applies for municipalities where the number of the certified accommodations is above five.

Find more information on the “Hikers’ Friendly” website and of course you can follow “Hikers’ Friendly” social media to stay always updated!