Athens and the Heart of Greece in 14 Days:
Kardamyli: Boating and Hiking
This coastal location has so much to offer! It is not flooded with tourists, so we took this opportunity to do things in nature and in town that we did not do in other locations. We went on a fun and unique hike through a gorge, rented a boat on the ocean, and had a fantastic sunset dinner!
The Hike
This hike was something that the locals, our guide, and previous Greece travelers recommended! It went through a very old church and village, and then launched into a gorge and dry riverbed! It was fun to see all of the rock formations and trails. We heard wild boars, and even saw one later that night! Be sure to have a phone and have a back up map in case you go off the grid by accident!
The Boat
This was just outright awesome! My aunt and uncle have a boat that we go on in Wisconsin on one of the lakes. The second we saw that this was an option, we jumped on the chance to finally boat on the ocean! Our boat vendor was amazing and helped us navigate to some caves, where we went swimming inside of them! After taking us swimming, he recommended cool locations to check out and how to get back to the dock.
There Are 18 Photos to Click Through!
The Dinner
My sister is obsessed with sunsets, and this location had a great view of the sunset! We had been eating at venues that were off the beaten path up until this point, and the food was amazing, but we wanted to take advantage of the location and have a fancier meal right along the coast. The Greek salads are just as tasty as you would imagine them to be! Everywhere we went had a great salad with super fresh tomatoes and feta! The seafood was also amazing everywhere we went, but especially here!
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Lasting Memory
The highlight of the entire trip was swimming in the caves! What was the most fun about it is that none of it was planned! We had met the owner of a boat rental company in a pub after a very long hike through a gorge, and he offered to help us navigate the waters. He came out on a separate boat and helped us in and out of the cave. Once inside, he had a flashlight that he used to help us get safely into the cold cave water, and then he turned it off! After a few seconds, you could see the water glowing this rich turquoise, and it was a very cool experience!