Jeep Safari in North-eastern Greece
A weekly program that gives you the opportunity to visit the unique Kerkini lake, protected by the Ramsar Convention as a national park and to see the rare and unique species of Greek flora and fauna that live there.
DAY 1
Arrival at the airport of Thessaloniki, the second largest city in Greece (after the capital Athens) founded in 316
B.C. by Cassander, the brother-in-law of Alexander the Great. Your guide will be waiting to transfer you to Kerkini
lake at the traditional guesthouse we've chosen for you. Later we have a welcome dinner where you will taste
some of the local cuisine specialties.
DAY 2
After our breakfast we start our 4x4 journey heading for Mandraki village.
We have the chance to enjoy seeing species of birds that live in the lake and we will meet the water buffaloes
that live near the lake as well. As we continue our course to Lithotopos village, we see a dam that was first built
in 1932. We also see the area where the famous Greek film director "Theodoros Angelopoulos" built an
abandoned village for the needs of one of his movies. Late in the afternoon we return to our guesthouse.
DAY 3
Today we canoe in Kerkini lake. A unique experience as we get into the lake using two seat canoes and observe
from a short distance all the species that live there. Afterwards we visit Ano Porroia village for lunch and
relaxation. The rest of the day is free.
DAY 4
Today we visit the Krinides village and get prepared for this day's water activity. First, we attend a small course
about the way we should paddle and the safety rules we must follow. For the next 1.5 hours we paddle down the
Angitis river. In the afternoon, we stop at Alistrati village to visit an amazing cave with unique stalagmite and
stalactite formations. Later on, we check-in at our guesthouse in Paranesti village and dine at a local tavern.
DAY 5
Early in the morning we depart to explore the area of Dipotama and the waterfalls of "Dipotama", "Lepida",
"St. Barbara" and "Traxoni", that we can reach after a few minutes of trekking. Late in the afternoon, on our
way back, we visit the "Sotiros" monastery and enjoy the magnificent view of the valley. During our journey we'll
have a break to taste some delicious traditional homemade pies.
DAY 6
Today we visit the Natural History Museum at Paranesti, where we get to know the area's flora and fauna. We
head for "Platanovrisi" and "Thisauros" barriers in order to see the 2 artificial lakes created to use Nestos
river's waters for hydro-electrical purposes. We visit the unique river cave of "Maara", one of the largest river
caves in the world and afterwards we visit the city of Drama, where we have dinner.
DAY 7
Early in the morning we make our way towards the "Virgin forest" and the forest of "Fraktos". These forests
were declared “preserved natural monuments” in 1980, due to their ecological and historical value. If the
weather conditions are good, we will explore these forests further.
DAY 8
Return to the airport of Thessaloniki for your flight back home, full of wonderful experiences and treasured
memories.
