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Peloponnese - Footpaths between Heaven and Earth• two-centre holiday • grade 2 • exciting walking in mountains & woodland with some longer days • explore two very different landscapes • hire car included Grade: 2 The heart of the mountainsIt is in the heart of these mountains that you will find the first base of your holiday, the friendly Hotel Byzantion, in Greece’s best preserved Byzantine city, Mystras, a three-hour drive from Athens. This family-run hotel makes an ideal base from which to visit Mystras and contains spacious albeit plain rooms and a swimming pool in the back garden for the perfect way to relax after a day’s walking. Rooms in the back overlook a pleasant garden with fishpond, but all are comfortable and spotless. You are here for three nights and there are several small tavernas in Mystras if you don’t want to go to Sparta to eat. Mountain streams and mule tracks Varied walking opportunitiesYou can enjoy the well-laid mule trails to picturesque villages and chapels on one walk and explore the rugged beauty of the Viros Gorge and its large boulder-strewn stream-bed on another. From Sotirianika, walk through lush green valleys to drier coastal regions or, from Kardamili itself, past monasteries, chapels and medieval valleys surrounded by rich orchards. You can also drive to take a very rewarding walk into the ‘Mouth of Hell’, a cave that is reputed to be one of the mythological entrances to Hades! You return via Cape Tenaro, where a lighthouse stands on the southernmost tip of the Peloponnese making it a romantic spot from which to contemplate the sweeping sea views. Prices & travel 2008All prices in £ per person based on 2 people travelling together and sharing a double/twin room
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The impressive Taïyetos Mountains separate the fertile Laconian Plains of the central Peloponnese from the southern area called The Mani. Mount Profitis Ilias is capped by a pyramid of rock which can be seen from Sparta as well as from Kardamili. Within these mountains there are many gorges and ravines, such as the Rindomo Ravine and the Viros Gorge, while the high peaks, such as Profitis Ilias, Xerovouna, Neraidovouna and Zitali, are covered with snow deep into April. 
You first exploration of the eastern slopes will take you back into Byzantine times with a visit and walk around the ruined city of Mystras and a choice of walks into the tree-clad slopes of Taïyetos. Running water from the tiny mountain streams accompany you as you walk the beautiful paved kalderímia (mule trails) to discover deserted villages and cave chapels along the way. An archaeological walk takes you to the ruins of the ancient city of Sparta and its centuries-old columns, theatres and bathhouses surrounded by peaceful olive groves. From Mystras you drive across the high Taïyetos to the seaside town of Kardamili where charming old houses line the central street. Your base for four nights is the Notos Apartments with comfortable studios just over one kilometre outside town. Breakfast can be enjoyed on your own private balcony facing the sea. It is a perfect base for exploring the Outer Mani’s secret gorges and leafy valleys, as well as for some well-earned relaxation on the tranquil beaches nearby.