Hiking in the Peloponnese from the North to the South -E4
12 days Hiking, NatureLove Guided Tour
Geomorphologically the Peloponnese is characterized by the large central massifs of Mainalon, Kyllini, Aroania, Erymanthos, Lykaion, Taygetos, Parnonas and other smaller mountain formations.
Mountain volumes and central plateaux form a large water catchment area. The water flows through gorgeous canyons and transforms into rivers that make the coastal lowland areas fertile. The larger rivers of the Peloponnese are Alfeios, Ladon, Erymanthos, Pinios, Neda, Pamisos and Evrotas. The mountains and rivers of the Peloponnese have always been a natural border between the subareas of the Peloponnese. They have always been a source of inspiration for Greek and foreign writers, combined with a myriad of mythological and historical elements. It is no coincidence that seven of the twelve of Heracles’ labors have a reference point in the Peloponnese, while the rest of them refer to distant mythical countries.
Arcadia occupies the central mountainous Peloponnese and in ancient times its area was even larger, since Arcadia was considered to be the whole mountainous Peloponnese. According to mythology, the founder of Arcadia was Lykaon, son of Pelasgos and the nymph Kyllini, who founded the first city that the sun “saw” on earth. This was Lykosoura, at the foot of Lykaion, the holy mountain of the Arcadians who faced this mountain, with awe. They believed that in Lykaeon the matter was losing its shade by overthrowing every reasonable explanation of the natural phenomena. They also believed, along with many other Greeks, that Zeus was born on the mountain of light, Lycaeon, and that the nymphs Neda, Thiesoa and Agno, nursed him and washed him on the river Lousios.
Pan, the god of nature and fertility, protector of the shepherds, was born in the rugged mountains of Arcadia. He was constantly wandering in the forests and rivers of the Peloponnese, chasing Arcadian nymphs with intense erotic mood or playing his souravli.
In a cave of Mount Killini the shy Pleiad Mea, one of the seven daughters of Atlas, gave birth to god Hermes, as a result of her union with Zeus.
With these peculiar mythological beliefs, Arcadia became synonymous with a wealthy utopia, a place of peace and harmony, a dream country where a man could live without worries, meditating in the midst of a hedonistic dream. This bucolic archetypal has passed into the history of Western art and the world of ideas in many forms and expressions and became a theme of Baroque and neo-classical painters, with the most characteristic work that of the paintings of Nicolas Poussin “The shepherds of Arcadia” with the mystical inscription ET IN ARCADIA EGO.
Diakofto of Achaia, on the north side of the Peloponnese, is the starting point of the most interesting part of the European path E4. Walking along the cog railway and the shores of Vouraikos, bathers in the waters of Styx, you discover the springs of Ladon rive r, pass through the Arcadian highlands and the gorge of Lousios to the springs of Evrotas river and, following the cloudy Taygetos mountain, you finally end up at Cape Tainaron, at the cave of Hades, which was guarded by Cerberus the three headed dog. The proposed route, with slight discrepancies, gives the opportunity to those who choose it as a whole or parts of it to come in contact with general or special interest searches that the nature and the different phases of Greek history have generously depicted in the Peloponnese.
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Why you’ll love this tour
Inclusions
Accommodation 11 overnight stays in Hotel, hostel, camping, monastery, shelter, guesthouse |
Meals
• 11 breakfasts |
Transportation • Minivan • Cog railway |
Activities Included • Exploring the Caves • Athens by night |
Entrance fees included • Tickets in caves • The Cog Railway |
Exclusions
Museum Tickets and Archaeological Sites
Drinks and soft drinks (except the above)
Gratuites (optional)
Itinerary
Available departure dates
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