Thanks to the efforts of Rolf and George of e4-peloponnes.info the E4 in the Peloponnese is better waymarked and maintained than any section of the E4 on mainland Greece. Their website is also the one from which the most accurate GPS tracks of the route can be downloaded.
The Peloponnese section of the E4 is doable in a 15 day period and variation along the route maintains your interest making it an attractive holiday option. After a walk on a narrow gauge railway up a gorge, a large proportion of the route is on paths through holm oak, pine trees or across pasture, most of the remainder is on forest or farm tracks. Although there are some flatter sections much of the route is on hilly or mountainous areas, of which the pine covered Taygetos range and the Menalon massif are the most notable, so expect to be walking uphill. You pass through a variety of towns and villages from bustling Tripoli and Sparta, to touristy Vytina and Kalavryta, to little villages with a taverna and church around a square shaded by a plane tree (and also villages with no apparent life at all). Byzantine remains at Mystra add historical interest, the wall paintings and architecture are echoed in the many churches that you pass on the E4. These churches with their icons, candles and lamps are found not only in towns and villages, but also in isolation on many of the places where the path or track you are following reaches a high point. Although I only passed one site from the classical period at Stadio, just the name Sparta reminded me that I was in the land of the ancient Greeks. I wild camped for three nights, with a bit more effort you can stay in a hotel or guesthouse every night (or wild camp many more nights). In mid May, when I walked the route the flowers were varied and gorgeous, although there was still some snow on the high mountains, this had little effect on me. I walked a total of 308 kilometres including climbing the highest peak of the Peloponnese, Profitis Ilias.
As I enjoyed Greek coffees in little village cafes, the men there all told the same story of how most of their inhabitants have emigrated or moved to towns to work, leaving the village dying. By walking the E4, sleeping, eating and drinking in these little communities you will maybe bring some life to them, or at least entertain the locals for a while!
The Peloponnese section of the E4 is doable in a 15 day period and variation along the route maintains your interest making it an attractive holiday option. After a walk on a narrow gauge railway up a gorge, a large proportion of the route is on paths through holm oak, pine trees or across pasture, most of the remainder is on forest or farm tracks. Although there are some flatter sections much of the route is on hilly or mountainous areas, of which the pine covered Taygetos range and the Menalon massif are the most notable, so expect to be walking uphill. You pass through a variety of towns and villages from bustling Tripoli and Sparta, to touristy Vytina and Kalavryta, to little villages with a taverna and church around a square shaded by a plane tree (and also villages with no apparent life at all). Byzantine remains at Mystra add historical interest, the wall paintings and architecture are echoed in the many churches that you pass on the E4. These churches with their icons, candles and lamps are found not only in towns and villages, but also in isolation on many of the places where the path or track you are following reaches a high point. Although I only passed one site from the classical period at Stadio, just the name Sparta reminded me that I was in the land of the ancient Greeks. I wild camped for three nights, with a bit more effort you can stay in a hotel or guesthouse every night (or wild camp many more nights). In mid May, when I walked the route the flowers were varied and gorgeous, although there was still some snow on the high mountains, this had little effect on me. I walked a total of 308 kilometres including climbing the highest peak of the Peloponnese, Profitis Ilias.
As I enjoyed Greek coffees in little village cafes, the men there all told the same story of how most of their inhabitants have emigrated or moved to towns to work, leaving the village dying. By walking the E4, sleeping, eating and drinking in these little communities you will maybe bring some life to them, or at least entertain the locals for a while!
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ReplyDeleteThanks for this useful info. We plan to hike this section of the E4 in May of 2021.
ReplyDeleteSpring flowers will be beautiful, hopefully, by then Covid-19 will not interfere with your plans.
ReplyDeleteJohn