Exploring The World On Walking Holidays
Places in Greece such as the Peloponnese or Crete can be magnificent locations to explore on foot as you follow in the footsteps of history.
In fact, walking holidays might be by far the best way to really discover this incredible countryside - but you might enjoy the experience even more with a little advance preparation.
Reading up on the history
Greece and the Greek islands might be defined by many things including sun, sand, scenery, superb cuisine and of course, friendly people. Yet above all, perhaps Greece stands out more than anywhere else on Earth for its contribution to European history and global culture. You may be able to enjoy all that so much more if, before your walking holidays, you make a little effort to read up on some of the history of the areas you will be walking through.
For example, the Peloponnese (a large area to the west of Athens) was home to a variety of peoples and cultures including the legendary Spartans. One area, where the city of Sparta itself is located, was called Laconia from where we get our modern word laconic. Many great historic events have taken place in the Peloponnese and this history will come alive as you walk through its hills and valleys.
By contrast on the island of Crete you have an even more ancient history in the home of Europes first true civilisation (The Minoan). For example, at Knossos you can see the first true paved road ever constructed in Europe.
Of course, an experienced tour leader will be very familiar with much of that history and you may be able to put into your own context if youve done some reading before you go.
Assess your fitness
Whether you are walking in Greece, France, Italy or anywhere else, you will find a vast range and diversity of walking holidays suitable for virtually all fitness levels. However, sometimes we are not always familiar with our own levels of fitness, particularly if we are forced to lead relatively sedentary lifestyles at home. So, before choosing your tour, try some sample walks in and around your own home area to try and get a feeling for the distances per day and terrains you would be comfortable with.
Brush up on some basics of the language
Although many people around the globe have some understanding of English, on walking holidays you may be in areas that see relatively few tourists and English speakers may be few and far between.
Take France, as an example. A walking holidays along some of the beautiful spots of the Cote DAzur might involve areas that have been long frequented by English speaking visitors. By contrast, following the stunningly beautiful pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela in Spain involves walking through some very rural areas where large scale tourism may be much less commonplace. Apart from anything else, having a few sentences of the local language under your belt might just help you get the maximum cultural experience out of walking holidays.
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