The Mani Peninsula is the undiscovered mountainous ‘middle finger’ of the Peleponnese, in Southern Greece.

The Taygetus Mountains run down the spine of the Mani and rise to a height of 2407 metres to form a spectacular panoramic backdrop to our adventures here. The highest peak – ‘Profitis Ilias’ is often snow-capped in Spring and late Summer and is visible from all directions and from our base on the coast.

Kardamyli has been chosen as the base for our Mani Adventures. It is part of the Messinian Mani, the northern section of the peninsula, less than an hour’s drive from Kalamata, our destination airport. It is a small, friendly, relaxed and typically Greek town with an ambience of tranquillity balanced perfectly between the mountains, gorges, olive groves and blue waters of the Ionian.

It is an idyllic place to run, hike, mountain bike and generally hang-out and chill-out for a while.

Mark Brooks, Co-Race Director at Puretrail knows the area very well indeed. In his own words: “I’ve been returning to this place for almost 20 years. I’ve seen most of Greece and most of the Islands, but this is a bit special. The mountains really do run down to the sea here in the Mani. The trails are deep, steep and highly technical in places. Sometimes there’s no option but to walk, but that’s not such a bad thing. It’s just lovely to be there and take it all in. The Mani trails are generally dry and rocky, interspersed with what I call ‘Yellow Routes’ – Dirt tracks snaking through olive groves, connecting the little hill villages scattered throughout the middle and higher lands. It’s picture-postcard stuff. For a bit of R and R you can’t beat the combination of mountains, olive groves (there really are olives everywhere- Kalamata olives) and the crystal-clear waters of the Ionian Sea. It’s why I’ve been coming back for all these years, and there’s still so much to discover.

Where We Fly To:
We fly from Gatwick to Kalamata. Using Easyjet. The flight takes 3 hours 40 minutes from Gatwick.

Shuttle bus transfers to and from our base in Kardamyli (transfer time approximately 1 hour) are included with the Gatwick flight.

A flight from Gatwick to Kalamata via Easyjet is NOT included in the pureTrail Adventure. It is YOUR responsibility to book flights in order to arrive for your transfer on time.

*Please note that September/October 2021 flights are met by our shuttle bus from the Gatwick flight only and this is included in the price, arrivals from other UK airports will incur a surcharge.*

Our Trail Base – Kardamyli on the Mani Peninsula is a hidden gem, the undiscovered jewel of trail running locations in Southern Greece.

SALOMON  know a thing or two about mountains and trail running, that’s why they’ve put their name to the Taygetus Challenge – a series of mountain races held in March each year, organised by our friends at 2407m.com in Kardamyli.

As we approach the town, from high above to the North, we see the terracotta red rooves in a sea of grey-green olive trees to one side and the turquoise waters of the Messinian Sea on the other. With the gorges running down viscerally to the shore, it’s a dramatic first impression.

We have procured the delightful Hotel Vardia  for your stay, just above Kardamyli town with incredible views over the olive groves and rooftops and facing westward for magnificent sunsets over the Messinian Gulf.

DAY 5

Mani Adventure September/October 2021 Price:

Hotel Bed and Breakfast –  4 nights double occupancy (two people sharing) £845 limited availability*

Single Occupancy £695  limited availability*            

*Please contact mark@puretrail.uk for hotel enquiries*                            

Self Catering – 4 nights, Double occupancy £745 (2 remaining).  Single occupancy £625 (2 remaining).