Greece E4 Peloponnese

Chrispacks on the go · October 14, 2021
Greece E4 Peloponnese
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Where to go in autumn? It shouldn't be too cold, and it should be a small thru-hike. And because we've always loved Greece, we came up with the idea of traversing the Peloponnese, a section of the E4 hiking trail (Portugal-Cyprus).


Planning

Rolf Roost's guidebook was very helpful: https://www.e4-peloponnes.info/deutsch/buchkauf/

We also downloaded a GPX track to our phones.



Best time: Spring or Autumn

Duration: approx. 260-280km, 10-12 days



Camping is usually possible, but due to the terrible fires this year and the generally very dry landscape, absolutely no fires should be made, no trace should be left behind, and a sufficient distance from private property should be maintained....

We stayed in hotels twice, which is also possible more often, but you should make reservations and arrange transportation.



Screw-on gas canisters are rare in Greece; we got some in Athens at alpamayo.gr.



From Athens, you can easily reach the starting point Diakophto on the north side by train. A bus goes from the destination in Gythio back to Athens.
Landscape and climate in autumn

In fact, the landscape and climate often reminded us of the PCT in Southern California. The first 3 days were still very hot, and water was not available everywhere. In the first 3 days, you pass streams, after that there are only springs and wells. We had a filter with us for safety, the water from wells and springs can be drunk without problems.

Otherwise, the landscape is very diverse, from savannah-like to pine and fir forests at over 2000m, everything is there. From small mountain paths (sometimes prickly overgrown) with a lot of scree to walking on forest roads and small asphalt roads, everything is there.
Provisions

We had prepared our breakfast and some dinners at home; the trail leads through a small village with a taverna and sometimes a mini-market almost every day, so starving is out of the question here ;-). The later in the year, the more tavernas are closed or have limited opening hours! Larger supermarkets on the trail can be found in Tripoli, halfway through the route.
Miscellaneous

The Greeks are always very friendly and helpful! In some villages, we only met older people who spoke little or no English, but no problem ;-)



You have to be a bit careful with the sheepdogs that guard the sheep and goat herds.... Don't be intimidated, just keep walking calmly (don't run away!) and talk to the dog. If the dog(s) come too close, it helps to pick up a stone and feign a throw. Good luck ;-)



Don't forget your swimming trunks for the start and finish!



We didn't meet any long-distance hikers on our tour.



If the weather is good, definitely make a detour to Profitis Ilias, the highest mountain in the Peloponnese.



In autumn, it can freeze at night, so the sleeping bag shouldn't be too thin!



As often with long-distance hikes, we can recommend the Altra Lone Peak for this trip too.

Great tour, and ideal for soaking up some sun before winter!