In the course of three weeks, we explored Greece. We were delighted that Greece still boasts of a lot of untouched nature, making it an awesome destination for exploring off the beaten path. Ahead of travelling to Greece, we read that camping wild might not be possible and illegal. Luckily this turned out to be absolutely false. While officially not allowed, if you stick to common sense and decent behaviour Greece is a heaven for wild spots. In fact it probably was the country with best spots we have visited so far – even better than Portugal. One thing to consider though are the sea turtles. We made sure not to camp on beaches where they are known to lay eggs and tried to avoid adding artificial light close to them, as the small hatchlings can be confused and get lost if they mistake your candle or lantern with the moon reflecting on the sea.

NORTHERN AND MIDDLE GREECE

Our journey through Greece started with the ferry from Brindisi to Igoumenitsa. The journey from the heel of Italy to the northwest of Greece took about 8 hours. Only a few passengers looked like classical tourists, the majority were truckdrivers and families heading home to Bulgaria and Romania. Naturally, we informed us about the entry restrictions ahead and therefore knew that due to COVID, it’s now mandatory to fill out a special form a day before entering Greece. More or less immediatly after submitting the form we received a QR code which we had to show upon check-in. Not everybody seemed to know this which resulted in some commotion at the check-in hall. Upon checking in we were handed a health kit with gloves and mask. A surprisingly well organized setup.

The crossing itself was quite uneventful and we spent the time reading, gaming and eating. Upon departing the ferry, all private vehicles were stopped and one person per group had to take a COVID test. The procedure was extremly fast: they scanned the QR code and thus had all personal information, Thierry had to sit down, they swabbed him and he was free to go. It was only a matter of minutes.

Our first stop in Greece was Ioannina. The town has a scenic lakefront and a beautiful island in the lake. We accessed the island by a small ferry and wandered around the village that is known for its monasteries. The village was independent until 2011 and constituted the smallest one in Greece. Further north, we saw a line of parked vehicles and Thierry remembered reading something about rock pools – a stream carved on its way down several pools to bathe in. And indeed we soon found those pools (called Papingo Rock Pools) and took the opportunity for a quick, very refreshing bath. In the same region, we stopped in the Vikos gorge. The sign on site claims that this gorge is the deepest worldwide! It was certainly very impressive. 

Driving further inland we stopped in Metsovo, a typical winter holiday town but also bustling in summer. We had a bit of a difficult time finding a parking spot and tried to make our way, which even included driving down some steps for the first time. Feeling adventurous, we both decided to eat a local dish. However, while Carole’s was some home-made pasta with meat, Thierry ended up with sheep intestines. That day we drove until Meteora and found a beautiful sleeping spot with one of the iconic rocks in the background.

Meteora took our breath away. We went to the Varlaám monastery first thing in the morning. The first monasteries in Meteora date back to the 11th century. What makes them so extraordinary is their choice of location: on top of massive rock pillars. 

PELOPONNESE

After exploring a bit of mainland Greece we decided to head down to the Peloponnese. In Rio, we chose to take the ferry instead of the bridge. Not just because it’s cheaper but mainly for the experience and we just both enjoy a boat ride! On that day we drove south until close to Olympia when we came across another forest fire. Luckily, our sleeping spot was far enough from there.

In the next few days, we enjoyed a mix of culture and beach relaxing. First, we visited Olympia and get to know all about the old Olympic games. Thierry can now call himself an Olympic as well as he completed a round in the stadium. The following days, we came across ancient Messini, Sparta and Mycenae. As for beach relaxing, we especially enjoyed the middle “finger” of the Peloponnese called Mani. We snorkelled in a lovely little cove in Mezapos and enjoyed the beach at Gythio.

Before driving back to the mainland, we explored the vineyards and olive groves around Nemea a bit more than planned. Our navigation app (maps.me) decided to take a shortcut and we ended up with a small path across this lovely landscape. We rounded up that experience with a wine tasting at the Domaine Bairaktaris. We learned to always double-check if the proposed route makes sense. But it still happens way too often that Thierry has to drive through fields or narrow streets instead of the main road just next to it. Maps.me was also responsible for an odyssey for finding Heraion – which we didn’t in the end. But we did find Mycenae, one of the most important cities of Greek civilization in the second millenium BC.

FACTS & FIGURES

• Kilometers driven: 1879
• Nights spent wild vs campsites: 9 vs 1
• Medium temperature: felt 35°C