Maybe you wonder about that. My experiences with groups that I take to Zakynthos are very positive. Read in this blog what makes it so much fun! It is a report of the autumn walking trip 2024.
Getting to know each other
Although I had had some contact with everyone beforehand, it was still quite exciting to leave for Zakynthos with a completely unknown group of women to spend a week together. But when we met at Schiphol, the ice was quickly broken and we spent the waiting time at the gate until departure chatting pleasantly. A mixed group, on average in their early sixties, with one outlier at the top and one at the bottom (83 and 23 years old respectively).
On the road with a local guide
But we were on the same page regarding the goal of the trip: to experience an active and varied week of walking together in the beautiful nature of the Greek island of Zakynthos, accompanied by a local guide. Who - as it turned out - not only showed us the way around the island because he was born and raised there, but also contributed to the group feeling through his care and cheerfulness, which gradually developed and became stronger as the trip progressed. The program included ‘hikes’ of between 5 and 10 km per day, sometimes in flat and easy terrain and sometimes in mountainous areas on unpaved roads, which required a good level of fitness and sometimes had to pay close attention to where you put your feet while ascending and descending.
A varied walking week: tasting the island's culture, history and dishes
The goal was to discover the island in a week. And in between, enjoy delicious local dishes during the communal meals, learn about the island's traditions and agricultural production. For example, we visited a cheese factory, an olive press and an agricultural cooperative in a mountain village, run by women. We also visited a centuries-old nunnery that is still inhabited and managed by nuns. A very special extra was a short but intense hike to an even older 'monastery'; carved into a rock, where monks once spent their time. The narrow path through the forest in the mountains that leads there is also called the 'path of faith', because you really have to dare to trust God to reach the cave and not slip and fall prematurely...
Fortunately, we all arrived safely at the cave (the oldest participant had stayed with the nuns, given the difficulty of the walk). The youngest nuns make the journey regularly to keep the cave clean and to light candles.
A refreshing dip in the blue water of the Ionian Sea
Another highlight of the week was a boat trip along caves with incredibly blue water, where we could even swim. The temperature was perfect, even though it was early October. And we hoped to spot the ‘caretta caretta turtle’, because that is what Zakynthos is known for: as the island where this turtle lays its eggs, in a now protected nature reserve. Many volunteers protect the nests, do research there and provide information to the public.
Around the island in a week; mountains, rocks, green nature and the city of Zakynthos
During the daily walks we enjoyed the fantastic views over the island and the sea and the sometimes bizarre shapes that nature creates in the rocks; such as a gigantic arch in a cove, where tourists climb and jump into the sea. We also took a dip at a ‘hidden beach’ where our guide led us.
We spent the last morning visiting the cozy capital of the island. We rounded off the trip with the ‘sunset hike’, a steep climb and ditto descent, where it was still exciting whether we would actually see the sun set in the sea, because it had been cloudy all day. But fortunately not at that moment, which not only resulted in beautiful photos, but also a joint moment of peace and reflection among the olive trees.
We looked back on a special week with the group that had gotten to know each other better and better, had shared (sometimes intense) life experiences with each other and – with or without a glass of rosé – had also laughed a lot together. We ended the week with the promise to visit each other in the Netherlands for a nice walk through the Dutch dunes or in a heathland near 't Gooi.
Not convinced yet? The reviews of participants speak for themselves and hopefully these photos do too:
Here you will also find a nice film impression of the autumn walking holiday 2024
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