A lovely, low-impact walk
If it’s your first time in Kardamili, this is the best walk to familiarise yourself with the area. You’ll get a feel for how much elevation varies all around, and, setting off from Kardamili high street, you’ll catch glimpses of typical daily life in rural Greece: the soft hustle and bustle of locals, their houses and gardens, the quaint neighbourhoods, the small cafés and shops.
Heading south and following the main road out of the village, you’ll come to the top of a rise which has lovely views of St. John’s Harbour. Further along, the countryside broadens with panoramas of the Taygetos foothills. A constellation of pretty villas occupy lovely positions. The thoroughfare leads to Kalamitsi Bay, where malachite cypresses and aquamarine waters unfold from a majestic vantage point. The seascape here is breathtaking, kaleidoscopic, spectacular, very much worth being seen on foot rather than by car.
From this point, the main road veers hillside, away from the sea. The Mediterranean disappears and the countryside thickens with olive groves and birdsong.
We recommend setting off at around 10:00, and even earlier, say 08:00, during high summer. The air is cooler and colours are crisper in the morning. The walk is mostly along the main road, which doesn’t have a dedicated pedestrian sidewalk, so do remain vigilant to passing traffic whilst you’re enjoying the splendid views all around you!