Tayegots Hike
Rising behind the ruins of ancient Sparta is the majestic Taygetos mountain range. The highest peak (Profitis Ilias) is your destination and also the highest point in the Peloponnese at 2400m. Needless to say, the views from the top — and all along the way — are breathtaking.
Depending on your group’s eagerness, there are 2 options for this hike: (a) a 900 m ascent which begins from a mountain shelter, or (b) a more challenging 1350m ascent which begins at a creek and climbs through thick forest to meet up with the path of the first option.
In either case, the top part of the hike is very exposed, with only a few scrambling sections. We were there in June and this top section still had some snow even though the temperature at the start of our hike was 35 degrees!
"Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow in to you as sunshine flows in to trees"
John Muir
Mount Parnonas
Another challenging hike, with about 1000m ascent over 15km. The peak is about at 1900m above sea level, and when not covered in clouds offers amazing views of the Argolic bay, and many of our sailing destinations.
You can start this hike from the Malevi monestary (45 minute drive from Astros) and the first half of this hike goes through a Juniper forest which offers some much needed protection from the sun. Near the top, there is a grand alpine pasture where a small chapel has been built in honor of the prophet Elijah (all chapels in mountain peaks of Greece are named after this prophet, so you’ll often hear the name Profitis Ilias all over Greece). The chapel is surounded by three different rocky peaks (100-150m each), and you can scramble up the tallest of these in less than half an hour.
"I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees"
Henry David Thoreau
Links to local hiking and cycling information and resources:
Detailed Taygetos hike description (in Greek, so use Google translate)