Western Greece
Wildlife & History

Saturday 21 - Saturday 28 April 2012 (8 days)

Join us for our much-acclaimed imaginative tour to another 'undiscovered' part of Greece: the west coast, with its bird-rich lagoons, flower-rich gorges, hill-top monasteries, amazing bridges and stunning historical sites.

We start with a morning exploring historic Athens, and then set off across the Corinth Canal, and over the dramatic new modern bridge at Rion. We are heading for the Amvrakikos Gulf, a deep indentation in the western coastline of Greece. The whole area of the Amvrakikos Gulf and wetlands has been designated one of Greece's eleven Ramsar sites and is now protected as a National Park.

From the village we explore, hoping to see the rare Dalmatian Pelican which breeds here, and the herd of water buffalo, which have been reintroduced in order to maintain the diversity of wetland through their grazing

Further north in Ioannina town we keep an eye open for Lesser Kestrels, and travel over the lake to Nisa island, where we look for breeding grebes, Ferruginous Duck, Nightingale and warblers.

Finally, the Epirus Mountains are one of Greece's best-kept secrets. We stay in Vitsa in a traditional stone guesthouse with wonderful views.

Accommodation: We stay in a mixture of good quality hotels and guest-houses with all rooms en suite. Single rooms are available throughout, but some may have to be in nearby accommodation at Vitsa.

Price: £ 1,895
Single supp.: £ 295 per person
Deposit: £ 300 per person

The price per person includes return flight London - Athens, airport taxes, accommodation, all meals, incidental tips, entrance fees, minicoach transport and the services of the leaders.

The price excludes holiday insurance, optional tip to the driver, drinks, and other personal expenses.

*For an ex-flight cost of the tour (Athens/Athens) please deduct £ 175 per person from the tour cost.

Leaders: Liz Charter and Gareth Trewartha

Numbers: Max. 14 clients

Western Greece map

Outline Itinerary
Day 1We fly from London-Athens, where Gareth will be waiting to greet us, and we head for our hotel in time for an evening meal. Afterwards we can view the Acropolis by floodlight. Overnight Athens
Day 2Morning visiting the Acropolis. Five hour drive west to the Gulf of Arta. Overnight Arta
Day 3We head for the heart of the Amvrakikos Gulf National Park. Overnight Arta
Days 5-6Each morning we awake to the sounds of Cuckoos and Nightingales, and spend the days exploring the nearby valleys and their traditional bridges. Two nights Vitsa
Day 7We head back east towards Delphi. Overnight Delphi
Day 8We have a morning in Delphi before leaving for Athens and our afternoon return flight to London.

Click here for a full, printable itinerary