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Packages in Greece: Special Interest packages for groups: SUGGESTED BOTANICAL AND WALKING TOUR – CORFU Day 1: CORFU Arrival in Corfu – assistance and transfer to the hotel. Balance of day at leisure. Overnight in Corfu. Day 2: CORFU Breakfast at the hotel. In the morning we leave for a visit to the historical center of Corfu town: an unique and beautiful town situated on the East coast of the island and which presents a remarkably balanced blend of diverse architectural features. Corfu is an old town and throughout the centuries its position has remained unchanged. There is no street planning as such as many of its old “cantounia” of cobbled back alleys which are accessible to pedestrians only. It is a town made up of the most diverse elements, relics of the several civilizations it has known. We shall enjoy a walking sightseeing with the highlights , the Old fortress, the English Cemetery (showing a lot of the 50 different species of orchids to be found on Corfu island) and the Mon Repos estate (the palace of the former king of Greece) with its tropical garden. Afterwards we leave for Kanoni, one of the most fascinating spots on Corfu with a narrow causeway leading to the monastery of Vlaherna. In the afternoon we shall go to Gastouri to view the Achillion Palace built by the Empress Elisabeth of Austria (Sissi). Nowadays it has been converted into a Casino except for a few rooms which have been made into a small museum. The garden of the palace presents a large variety of flowers and plants. Overnight in Corfu. Day 3: CORFU - SPARTILAS - KASSIOPI Breakfast at the hotel. In the morning the coach takes us on a spectacular hairpin road to the mountain village of Spartilas and to the slopes of Corfu’s highest mountain Pantokratoras (906 meters). We leave the coach at the village of Strinilas where there is time for refreshment at the elm tree tavern in the tiny square, before taking the stone track, dropping 500 meters to Episkepsis. Closer to the sea and still descending, we pick up another track which winds through the olive groves to the coast of Roda. We shall return via the beautiful coastal road via Saint Spyridon Lagoon and Kassiopi. As we descend from the upper slopes, we shall notice the change in the flowers in the meadows and by the footpath. This is a typical Corfu area which in May will be a plant hunter’s paradise. Walking distance: 17 kilometers – moderate walking – mostly downhill. The coach will take us back to the hotel. Overnight in Corfu. Day 4: CORFU - NISSAKI - KALAMI - KOULOURA - AGHIOS STEFANOS Breakfast at the hotel. In the morning departure by boat (kaiki) to the coastal resort of Nissaki. The route takes us across the beach, through the gardens of the Nissaki Beach hotel to Agni and on to the coastal path to Kalami, the former home of the naturalist Lawrence Durrell. We arrive at the pretty harbor of Kouloura where we stop for refreshment. We continue on the path to Kerassia, a cove shaded by eucalyptus trees and then on to Aghios Stefanos where we can take our lunch. This stretch of coast is very good for plants and particularly orchids. Walking distance: 10 km – very easy walking. The kaiki remains all day with us and we sail relax back to the port. Opportunity to swim in the beautiful crystal water. Overnight in Corfu. Day 5: CORFU - LAKONES - PALEOKASTRITSA Breakfast at the hotel. In the morning our coach will take us to the traditional village of Lakones located high above Paleokastritsa and called the “balcony of Europe” because of its fantastic views over all Corfu’s rough West coast. We stroll through the cobbled stone through the village over Mount Arakli. Byzantine cobbled paths and halfmoons of terraced moons full with a.o. olive groves. We continue to walk to the sunset tavern of Old Krini village followed by a downhill over Corfu’s oldest trees to the Byzantine castle of the Angels (Angelokastro). Enjoy free time for lunch and the amazing views. We descend through shady oak and woodland to Paleokastritsa where we shall have leisure time for a swim or a visit of the monastery. Walking distance: approx. 15 kilometers – moderate. The bus will take us back to the hotel. Overnight in Corfu. Day 6: CORFU - TROUMBETA - SPARTILA - DASSIA Breakfast at the hotel. In the morning the coach will take us to the hamlet of Troumbeta where we take the track across the ridge of the escarpment to Sokraki. On the top we shall see an orchid field. Time here for a refreshment. We leave the village of the Zigos road and after 1 km turn right into the track to Spartilas, passing terraced plots, fringed with ancient oak trees. The track drops down into terraced vineyards and olive plots, eventually emerging at Spartilas where the coach will take us down the hairpin road to Dassia. This is a wonderful day walk through hilly pastures which are a blaze of colors at this time of the year. Banks along the side of the track are very productive in huge number of flowers. In the wooded areas we hope to find several new orchids such as the four spotted orchid. Walking distance: 10 kilometers – easy walking on gravel track. The bus will take us back to the hotel. Overnight in Corfu. Day 7: CORFU - ANO GAROUNA - MOUNT AGHIA DEKA Breakfast at the hotel. In the morning departure to the mountain village of Ano Garouna (South of Corfu town) where the walk takes us through the tiny streets to the foot of Mount Aghia Deka (576 meters). The path narrows and climbs steeply through scrub (protection for the legs is advisable). Within a few minutes we get a magnificent panoramic view stretching from the West coast right across the island to the East and beyond to Albania. At the top we reach a shallow depression, the crater of an ancient volcano, to find an abandoned monastery, surrounded by orchards and cultivated plots. There is time for rest in the shady sanctuary before beginning the long, but comfortable, descent to the garden hiding the waterworks which were built 250 years ago by the Venetians to supply the town of Corfu. The eastern side of the monastery supports some of the oldest woodland in Corfu and here we shall see scrubby oak forest of the type which covered Corfu before the days of man. In this forest we shall see strawberry trees and cypresses growing wild. Walking distance: 10 kilometers – moderately strenuous ascent. The bus will take us back to the hotel. Overnight in Corfu. Day 8: CORFU Breakfast at the hotel and transfer to the airport. 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