*By Liliana De Brouwer
Old trails offer a different way of experiencing the landscape and can breathe new life into destinations beyond the summer months. Phoebus Tsaravopoulos, founder of Paths of Greece, discusses their revival, the relationship between Greeks and hiking, and the obstacles that continue to hinder the development of hiking tourism.
Before the car revolutionised the way people travelled in the Greek countryside, footpaths were the lifelines of daily life. The locals knew them “by heart”, as they were the routes children took to school, farmers to their fields, and families to nearby towns to sell their wares.
However, as roads began to be built and more and more people left the countryside, the mountain passes fell into disuse and weeds gradually overgrew the tracks.
Phoebus Tsaravopoulos He developed a special relationship with this landscape as a child, influenced by his father, the archaeologist Aris Tsaravopoulos. It was from him that he learnt to observe nature and “read” the signs of the past in the ground.
Years later, whilst searching for old roads on Kythira, he came across forgotten paths that led to inaccessible corners of the island. He realised that if the paths were lost forever, the living history of the people who had walked them would also disappear with them.
So, in 2010, he founded Paths of Greece to preserve this heritage. Today, the group’s work covers more than 2,000 kilometres of trails across the country, whilst through Hike Greece it organises hiking trips, with or without a guide, in the Greek mountains and on the Greek islands.
Maps aren’t always enough
“We’re basically looking for old trails to give them a new lease of life,” says Tsaravopoulos. “We don’t want to forget that they exist and go off and create new ones. These trails hold a lot of memories.”
The group visits cafés and houses, looking for “people who will pave the way for us,” he explains. One of them was Mr Tzimis in Kythira, who led them to one of the island’s most important ancient passages, which did not appear on any map. Thorns had blocked the path, and everyone was forced to walk along the dry-stone wall that marked its boundary.
Mr Tzimis, who was nearly 80 years old, was balancing on the stones “like a goat”, as Tsaravopoulos recalls. At one point he stopped and told them: “This dry-stone wall was built by my father. It was one of the most moving things I have experienced during these searches,” he says.
“You cannot walk a path indifferently”
To anyone passing by the same spot without knowing its history, the dry-stone wall may look like nothing more than a row of stones. Whether they realise what lies behind it depends on how the path is highlighted.
If hiking is presented solely as a sporting activity, it is very likely that someone will pass through an area without feeling anything. “If ”If you try to highlight all the points of interest – from the humblest resin pit or lime kiln to the most impressive Byzantine church, ancient temple or even archaeological site – you will come to appreciate the efforts of people who lived in a culture different from your own.”
“You don’t walk on wheels. You toil and conquer the path step by step. That makes you realise,” he continues. The gaze lingers on the ant carrying a crumb, on the tiniest flower by the roadside, and on the terraces that the residents once cultivated. “”I think the path shapes you. You can’t simply walk past it and remain completely indifferent.’
This observation highlights not only the beauty, but also the scars of the landscape. On the “Regeneration Trails” in Penteli, on which Paths of Greece is collaborating with WWF Hellas and the Municipality of Dionysos, walkers pass through areas where burnt and unburnt sections alternate. Along the way, special signs explain how the forest regenerates after a fire. “We use this contrast so that people realise, even if it comes as a shock, the impact of a fire.”
A missed opportunity
From the Samaria Gorge, which attracts visitors from all over the world, to trails that criss-cross mountains and islands, Greece offers routes to suit a wide variety of hikers. “The same trails aren’t suitable for everyone”,” says Tsaravopoulos.
Some seek challenging climbs and “flirt with very high peaks”. He prefers a “balcony-like” path, which runs at roughly the same height and allows him to view the landscape from above, “as if he were on a plane”. Others want a bit of everything. On the islands, every turn can reveal a different view of the sea.
This diversity could attract visitors to these destinations even after the end of the summer, but the country is missing out on a significant part of this opportunity.
Paths of Greece received a request from a small group who wanted to spend Christmas hiking on Kythira. The weather was mild and the island, free from the summer crowds, seemed ideal. The problem wasn’t the trails. “They had nowhere to stay. They had nowhere to eat. Everything was closed,” he says.
Hiking tourism can support the local economy during the months when visitor numbers are low. However, for that to happen, someone has to take the first step. “It’s hard to persuade a hotelier to stay open if they receive a booking. They want to receive the enquiry first and then decide. But if they’re closed, they won’t get a booking. It’s a vicious circle.”
Accommodation is only one aspect of the problem. In many destinations, using the KTEL often requires a knowledge of Greek, and local bus routes are few and far between or non-existent. Visitors therefore end up spending large sums on taxis or hiring a car, only to leave it parked whilst they walk.
“As a country, we must be open, we must be ready, and the demand will come”,” insists Tsaravopoulos. “If we wait for it to happen first, it’s not going to happen.”
The Greeks were slow to take the mountains – and the islands
In France, the majority of walkers are French. In Greece, the opposite is true. “We are a country with plenty of hiking trails, but the vast majority of those who walk them are foreigners,” says Tsaravopoulos.
He attributes this difference to urbanism, but also to an older view that saw walking in the countryside as more akin to exertion than to recreation. “”We Greeks still don’t walk that much. People are now, little by little, starting to look for ways to get out of the city and no longer consider it shameful to go to the countryside for a walk.’
His optimism is bolstered by the growing interest shown by people who were born and brought up in cities. “How do I go hiking there? Where is it? Will I find a map? Is the path clear?” Such questions, he says, are becoming increasingly common. People do want to spend time in nature, but what they often lack is the familiarity needed to get started.
The first visit can even begin with a story or a TikTok video. Even so, the experience can give him a reason to return. “The joy and enjoyment he derives from it will make him want to go again. In the end, the path conquers you, rather than you conquering it,” he concludes.
Source: news247.gr