It’s more famous for ancient history, fantastic food and beautiful tourist resorts, but anyone who has gone hiking in Greece has found somewhat of a hidden gem. Its rugged landscape offers some fantastic views for those willing to get on their feet and seek them out, whilst a wide availability of flights and accommodation make it an easy destination to reach.
In this guide, we’ll explore some of the best destinations for hiking in Greece, from vast mountain climbs to fascinating shorter routes close to cities and resorts. We’ll also cover the key things you need to know when planning your trip.
The best places to go hiking in Greece
Flight times from the UK to Greece typically come in at between 3.5 and four hours, making it easily accessible for a week’s break, or even for a long weekend. To give you some inspiration, we’ve picked out a selection of some of the best hikes in Greece, with a broad cross-section of different distances and difficulty levels.
Mount Olympus
Let’s start with probably the most famous hike that you can do in all of Greece: Mount Olympus. Soaring into the sky up to 2918 metres above sea level, it’s the traditional home of the ancient Greek gods. And while we can’t exactly guarantee that Zeus will be ready and waiting to meet you when you get to the top, there’s plenty for you to enjoy along the way.
It’s not necessarily the most taxing climb in the world, but it does take a fair while: even experienced hikers tend to give themselves two days to get to the peak. There are refuges along the way where you can stay overnight, and you’ll get to see some stunning views across the forest and of the Plateau of Muses. Be prepared for a rock scramble to get to the summit but keep going…the view from the top will be worth it!
The Menalon Trail
Head towards the southern end of mainland Greece, and the Peloponnese peninsula, and you’ll find a long, mountainous trail that has just about everything. The Menalon Trail is 75 kilometres in length and gives you the chance to see all the flora and fauna that Greece has to offer. You can even make yourself a bit of a checklist along the way: valleys, mountains, canyons, foxes, bats, wild boars, jackals, weasels and much more.
The trail between two traditional Greek villages, Stemnitsa and Lagkadia, is certified by the European Ramblers Association and is a major draw to an otherwise quiet part of Greece. In short: this is the track that’s off the beaten track.
Mount Ymittos
If you’re travelling to Greece, then visiting Athens (even just for a day or two) is an absolute must. And if you think that means traipsing from monument to monument, or that the biggest hill you’ll have to climb is the Acropolis: think again.
Mount Ymittos (or Hymettus, to give it its Anglicised name) is just to the east of Central Athens, and is a beautiful peak covered in pine forest. It’ll take you a couple of hours to get all the way to the top, but there’s much to take in along the way. Don’t miss the Kaisariani monastery, built in Byzantine times, and keep an eye for church and chapel ruins as you continue towards the peak.
On a clear day, the sunset over Athens that you can see from the top is unforgettable, and there are refreshments available at the peak so you can relax and take it all in.
Samaria Gorge
You might think that the Greek islands aren’t big enough to host any long or challenging hikes: but that’s without thinking of Crete. The long, thin landmass south of the mainland, it’s the fifth-largest island in the entire Mediterranean Sea and it’s around 260 kilometres from end to end, so there’s plenty of terrain to explore.
The pick of the hiking routes in Crete is undoubtedly the Samaria Gorge, which is around 15km long with sheer rock faces up to 500 metres high in places. Give yourself a whole day to explore the trail, with all its geology and Byzantine ruins. There are places along the way where you can rest, or even stop if you don’t fancy the whole thing – which might come in handy as it can get very busy in the warmer months.
Corfu Trail
If you want a hike that’s also a personal challenge, then of all the places in Greece, you probably wouldn’t expect to find it on the island of Corfu. But it’s the best way to see everything Corfu has to offer, away from the tourist traps.
The Corfu Trail was only established in 2001 as a way to attract more hikers to the area. It measures up at 220km in total, so you’ll need several days to complete the whole thing, but there’s an official guide book to help you along the way. You’ll see gorges, olive groves, caves and some traditional Greek villages, all of which will make you think very differently about a place more famed for sun, sea and sand.
What to remember before you go
There’s plenty to choose from when you go hiking in Greece, but as with any adventure holiday, planning always makes perfect. When putting your trip together, it’s very important to take the following into account:
Choose your time of year carefully
As the news about wildfires in the summer of 2023 demonstrated, Greece can get extremely hot in the summer months. The safety risks of hiking in severe heat, combined with the extra cost of travelling to a popular tourist destination in peak season, means that June, July and August should generally be avoided. For warm weather that isn’t too oppressive, and for cheaper flights and accommodation, we recommend looking at April and May, and perhaps even early October, too.
Speak to your doctor
Hiking and trekking can be a strenuous, endurance activity. This can especially be the case in Greece, where the terrain can often be very tough and the temperatures very high. You should speak to your GP before you go to see if there are any medical conditions that may cause you issues on long hikes.
Understand what to do in an emergency
While Greece is a reasonably densely populated country, you may still find yourself in remote areas when going on hikes. That’s why it’s so important that everyone within your group knows what to do in the event of an emergency, including raising the alarm and administering basic first aid before help arrives. If hiking with a professional guide, they will be able to advise you on safety drills before you set off.
Plan your trip in detail
The best thing you can do to minimise any stress or disruption on your trip is to do as much planning as you can before you start. This should include where your accommodation is, how you’re going to get there, and the details of all your walking routes. This will allow you to maximise your time in Greece and mitigate the risk of something going wrong that you haven’t prepared for.
Ensure you’re fully covered for healthcare
As a developed country and a member of the European Union, Greece has a good standard of healthcare, which means you’ll be in good hands if you suffer an accident and/or injury. But one thing to watch out for is the bills you might incur.
One mistake many tourists and travellers make is to assume that all the healthcare they need is catered for by their European or Global Health Insurance Card (EHIC or GHIC). But this isn’t true: these cards only entitle you to a basic level of care, beyond which substantial bills will quickly mount up. That’s why it’s essential to take out insurance cover specific to hiking and trekking before you go.
Get trekking insurance with SportsCover Direct
As this guide demonstrates, there’s plenty to love about hiking in Greece – but there’s also plenty of planning to do to make sure you and your companions have a great time. One thing that you certainly shouldn’t be without is insurance, because you never know what might happen while you’re away.
SportsCover Direct has been providing hiking and trekking insurance to intrepid explorers like you for decades. Our policy provides protection for unforeseen circumstances, including medical care, emergency rescue, repatriation, disruption to travel plans, or any loss, theft or damage that occurs to your luggage. Cover starts from just a few pounds a month, making it a small consideration financially, but an important one ahead of a trip to remember.
Explore our hiking and trekking insurance policies in more detail today.
