WILDLIFE viewing, sailing and trekking in canyons and mountains – this is the other side of Greece that operators are offering as an alternative to beach resorts.
For the fit and agile who really want to get away from it all, Walks Worldwide has a 16-day holiday exploring the more inaccessible areas of the northern Pindos Mountains.
The lead-in price for adults is £750 with children’s places costing between £50 and £650 depending on age. These prices include flights between Gatwick and Corfu, and ferry to Ioannina, stays and meals. Clients have varied accommodation, ranging from camping, hotels, tavernas and village rooms.
Instead of the beach, the scenery on this holiday is more likely to be sheer cliffs, dramatic peaks – Mount Smolikas at 2,637 metres high – and possibly the odd bear.
The operator also offers birdwatching and a family walking holiday in the area.
In an attempt to boost the family market, Neilson has extended its children’s clubs and introduced baby-care facilities at its three activity centres on the island of Levkas.
The three properties, as well as Neilson’s Surf and Cycle Centre at Vassiliki, have activities for beginners and experienced sailors or windsurfers.
In addition, Neilson offers flotilla holidays and a four-day introductory course in learning to sail a yacht.
Mark Warner has invested £350,000 in waterfront facilities for its Greek properties third summer and doubled the number of health and beauty salons in its clubhotels to eight.
New water-sports facilities include special windsurf equipment that is designed to be easily manoeuvred, making it suitable for all levels. Sailing boats as well as new powerboats and bodyboards for surfers also are being introduced.
Also new for this summer are tennis packages, available from £95 on top of the holiday price if booked in the UK.
For culture vultures, First Choice, Bales Worldwide and Cosmos have introduced a range of tours of historical interest while Travelscene has seen a rise in interest in Athens.
Travelscene commercial manager Paul Stanley said: “There used to be widespread criticism of pollution and congestion in Athens and this had a dampening effect on bookings.
“Restrictions on traffic in the city centre and the imminent opening of the metro system will make it a much easier city to get around on foot and by public transport.”
The operator has also added Greece’s second city, Thessaloniki, to its portfolio.
Argo Holidays managing director Mathilde Robert is seeing an increase in requests for two or three-centre island-hopping holidays.
She said: “It is becoming more popular as people are getting a bit fed up of just going from A to B and lying on a beach.”
For seadogs, Seafarer Cruising and Sailing Holidays offers crewed or unskippered yacht charters. Managing director Chris Lorenzo said: “We allow people to have flexible schedules so they can have a hassle-free island-hopping adventure.”
Meanwhile, the Halkidiki Hotel Association is promoting biking tours in the mainland destination, allowing guests to see the forest scenery and experience the rural way of life.
Activity itineraries
Neilson: seven nights at the Nidri Surf, Sail and Cycle Centre, on Levkas, starts at £312 per person, bed and breakfast, including flights. All surf, sail, and cycle activities and Royal Yachting Association instruction are included in the price.
Seafarer Cruising and Sailing Holidays: four-berth self-skippered motor yachts cost from £1,450 for a week, not including flights. For the less adventurous, a seven-night cruise to Rhodes with Zeus Cruises starts at £549 per person including flights.
Cosmos Tourama: 14-night coach tour starts with sightseeing in Athens, then island hopping to Santorini, Paros and Mykonos. Prices start at £788 including flights and transport in a modern air-conditioned coach.
Bales Worldwide: eight-day Classical Greece tour with highlights including the city of Athens, Ancient Corinth, Mycenae, Olympia and Delphi costs £1,199 per person. This includes bed-and-breakfast accommodation, flights and an English-speaking guide. It also covers entrance fees to attractions.