MANI PURETRAIL ADVENTURE

Puretrail Adventures
Mani Peninsula, Peleponnese, Greece.
October 18-23rd 2018

For our first Puretrail Adventure overseas, we’ve found the ultimate trail running destination under the sun.

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.

Deep river gorges cascade precipitously down from the high peaks and form the natural access routes into the hills. The myriad of mule tracks and goat trails reach tentatively upward through the olive groves from Kardamyli, a small town at the foot of the mountains on the crystalline shores of the Ionian Sea.
        

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 place 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. Its 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 20 minutes.

Luxury shuttle transfers to and from our base in Kardamyli (transfer time approximately 1 hour) are included.

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

 

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.

ACCOMMODATION
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 Ionian 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.

Breakfast is included within the Puretrail Adventure package.
The town is easily accessible within a 5-10 minute walk to the centre and for sea swimming.
Kardamyli has a such an ambient vibe, very low-key and laid back. October is warm, the sea is at its warmest for swimming and the late summer light is mellow in the afternoons and evenings. Daytime temperatures average 24-25 degrees, still quite warm, so our runs are tailored to make the most of the afternoons for relaxing and soaking up the rays.
April is slightly cooler, the sea hasn’t had the burning summer to warm it through yet, but the landscape is green, carpeted with wildflowers and orchids and the wildlife abounds. Typical daytime temperatures range from 21-24 degrees.
ITINERARY
DAY 1
The first day is travelling to our base in Kardamyli.
Arrival at Kalamata airport at 11.20am.
Shuttle transfer to Kardamyli hotel.
Arrival in Kardamyli at approximately 1pm.
As the first day is begun with an early flight from Gatwick, airport transfer to the hotel and meeting and greeting your guides, you will be given the opportunity to explore the town, swim, and generally chill out before the running begins next day.
 
DAY 2
An introductory guided run/hike up through the olive groves and old villages along the edge of the Vyros Gorge. Duration is likely to be 3-4 hours with a brief stop for lunch at a restaurant up high on the edge of the gorge.
      
DAY 3  THE LONG DAY
Day 3 is the longest day out on the trails. It will extend to between 4 and 5 hours, again with a brief stop for lunch. It will include some sharp, technical climbs, and steep descents, but also a hike along the bed of the Vyros Gorge, boulder-strewn with towering walls of limestone on either side. Incredible views to the mountains and out across the Ionian will be afforded at most times for the duration of the run.
DAY 4   REST DAY
We take a break from the trails to allow you to do some other activity if you so wish, or just chill for the day. Kardamyli is a great place to just hang-out.

We can arrange mountain bike hire, horse riding, yoga, rock climbing and scuba diving all in the vicinity of Kardamyli. Please let us know in advance if you would like more information on these additional activities.

DAY 5

We return to the trails and once again find a new route amongst the olive groves and hill villages. Once again, the duration of the adventure will be approximately 3-4 hours including hiking up/running down with a brief stop for lunch.

DAY 6
Shuttle bus pick-up from our hotel at 9am for transfer to Kalamata Airport, in good time for the Midday flight.
Arrival back at Gatwick at 1.20pm local time.

Price £595 based on 2 people sharing which includes transfers to and from Kalamata Airport, 5 nights accommodation, breakfast, 3 days hiking/running, pureTrail technical t-shirt and multi-functional headgear.

A single person supplement of £22 per night will be applied to solo travellers staying in a standard double bedroom with balcony and sea views at the Hotel Vardia. Breakfast included.

EARLY BIRD price for the first 5 rooms/10 people: The price is reduced to £495 based on 2 People Sharing a room at the Hotel Vardia, Kardamyli. A non–refundable deposit is payable when booking of £247.50 per person and final payment £247.50 per person due before 1st September..

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

The flight is scheduled to leave London Gatwick airport at 05:30 Thursday 18th October 2018, landing at 11:20am. The transfer back to the airport is 09:00, with the flight scheduled for 12:00pm on Tuesday 23rd October 2018, landing at 1:20pm.

It is also possible to reach Kardamyli using Athens as your destination airport. It will mean a 3-4 hour journey south, by car to Kardamyli.

If you arrive in Kardamyli by a separate transport method PureTrail Adventures need to be informed via email to admin@puretrail.uk

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Current flight as at 26th April shows £86.24 RETURN, this is a fluctuating price and is more likely to go up than down over time but must be booked separately to our pureTrail Adventure, Greece price above.
A daily kit-list will be required and is included in our terms-and-conditions