Andreas Brokalakis

Evros is the river that marks the borders between Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria. Its delta is an extensive wetland that is one of the most important wetlands in Europe. It is the refuge for a large number of bird species and especially for wintering birds and those that use it as a migration station. The wetland is especially famous for the flamingos that you may witness there in large numbers. H...

Avlemonas is a small fishing village in the island of Kythira. The picturesque village with the white houses is built around a small inlet of the sea in the rocks that forms a kinda of natural sea pool. The waters are amazing, turquoise and crystal clear and because of the inlet the are always calm as they are protected from the winds. There is no actual beach per se, but there is a stone trail...

Askifou plateau is located in the heart of the White Mountains sierra in western Crete, approximately 50 km from the city of Chania. At an altitude of around 1200m, the plateau is surrounded by many of the high peaks of the White Mountains (most of which are above 2000m of altitude) and in winter time it is often covered in snow, creating a magnificent spectacle, especially when someone overloo...

La Boca is one of the liveliest neighborhoods in Buenos Aires and natural one of the most touristic places in the city. It is the heart of tango, a magnet for artists and the home of maybe the most popular football club, Boca Juniors. The neighborhood retains an intense italian flavour, since most of its early settlers originated from the city of Genoa in Italy. It is the harbour and as such al...

In ancient Greece, Delphi was regarded as the centre of the world. The sanctuary of Delphi, was for many centuries the cultural and religious centre and symbol of unity for the Hellenic world. The history of Delphi begins in prehistory and in the myths of the ancient Greeks. Initially, the sacred site was dedicated to Mother Earth and according to greek mythology it was guarded by the serpent P...

Meskla and Zourva are two villages located at the roots of the White Mountains sierra, island of Crete, Greece. Both villages are easily accessible by road, however there is a path that connects them that is a hiker's paradise. Starting from Meskla, one enters the woods and soon enough arrives at the small gorge of Sarakina. The gorge, despite being short, is very impressive. It follows the ban...

This trail takes you through a ravine formed by a small river. In the past, when electricity and power motors were not available in the island, almost twenty watermills were operating here. As such, besides the bursting nature and the numerous waterfalls, hiking this trail is also a historic walk to the past of the island of Kythera. The trail starts from the central square of the village of Ky...

Gyaliskari is one of the most beautiful beaches at the southwest of Crete, near the small town of Palaiochora. It is approximately 4km away from the town and the route is perfect to cycle. Once in Pakaiochora, if you haven't brought your own bike, you can rent one as there are numerous bike rentals. In the description, I have marked as a starting point the main street of the town where you can ...

The lagoon of Balos is located on the northwestern end of Crete and it is probably one of the most famous beaches in Crete. Famous for its turquoise waters and an impressive surrounding landscape that includes mountains and small islands, it is visited by thousands of tourists each year. The lagoon may be approached in two different ways. The easiest is by ferry from Kissamos port, however sinc...

Usually I am not very fond of such type of activities as they end up frustrating the animals and disrupting the habitat. However, whale watching in this part of Iceland actually saved the whales as it has almost stopped the whale hunting that significantly reduced their population (the profits from tourism outweighed the profits from hunting). Dalvik is a village close to Akureyri, the second b...

On the northern side of the island of Kythera, lies the village of Karavas. It is one of the greenest areas of the island as a result of multiple water springs in the area. Once you enter the village, head for one of its older and most beautiful neighborhoods, Mavrogiorgianika, and from there there is a ravine that leads you to the fresh water springs of Amir Ali. I suggest that you leave your ...

Near the village of Trikomo lies a spectacular old stone bridge built during the 16th century. The three-bowed bridge rises 15 meters above the river Venetikos and is more than 70 meters long. The bridge is located in a magnificent landscape surrounded by the high mountains of Pindos mountain range and forests. In winter, the area is covered by snow and this makes the site even more impressive...

Vikos canyon is one of the most magnificent canyons in the mountain range of Pindus, with a length of 20km and walls that range from 120 to 490m deep and a width ranging from 400m to just a few meters at its narrowest part. The canyon is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the deepest canyon in the world in proportion to its width. The main part of the gorge stretches from the village of ...

Pahnes is the highest summit of White Mountains sierra (Lefka Ori in greek) at western Crete. It is located at the heart of what the locals call "mountain desert", a unique geological area at an altitude of 2000m and above, where one may encounter more than 30 peaks lying above in cone-like shapes. The easiest way to get to the trail is to follow the dirt road that starts from Anopolis and ente...

At the southwest end of Milos island lies an extraordinary beach named Kleftiko. Kleftiko is by no means a beach in its typical definition but a unique landscape formed by a cluster of volcanic rocks standing above turquoise waters. Kleftiko owes its name to the pirates that were using it as a place to hide (kleftis in greek means thief). It is quite hard to approach it by land - there is only...

Areopoli is one of the most significant towns of the Mani area in southern Peloponnese, Greece. It has retained the traditional architecture of the area, based on stone buildings and high towers that used to offer fortification and protection - either from the Turks or the pirates. The town reached its heyday during the mid-19th century and to this day its glory is preserved in its historic cen...

Metsovo is a traditional village/small town in the center of Pindus mountain range in northern Greece. It is located in a majestic landscape high in the mountains surrounded by evergreen forests and deep canyons. It is famous for its architecture and art works, as well as for its great wineries that produce some of the finest wines from high altitude vineyards. Although there are plenty to see...

In Central Greece lies an area where enormous columns of rock rise from the ground. The area is called Meteora, which in greek means "suspended in space". The vertical rocks are an amazing and unbelievable sight to witness and can be seen from miles away. Even more impressive to the geology of the area, is that fact that on top these rocks lies the largest complex of monasteries (only second t...

Not only can you hike at the Rogovo Ovires Natural Lakes... but you can also take a dip!Half-way on the road from Mikro to Megalo Papigko, two of the most beautiful villages of the Epirus region in northern Greece, lies an amazing rocky landscape named Rogovo Ovires (Ρογκοβό Οβίρες in greek). Rogovo Ovires is a small gorge that at its basin a series of small natural lakes are formed. The water ...

Samothrace is a small island in the northern Aegean sea. It is mostly mountainous with the highest peak reaching up to 1671m of altitude. The island is full of springs and small rivers and it is famous for its vathres. "Vathres" are how the locals call the natural pools that are formed throughout the island by the flowing streams and rivers. They form impressive landscapes and they are more tha...

Just like most islands in the Aegean sea, the capital of the island has the same name as the island and is usually referred to as Chora (Χώρα). Chora in Kythera is located in the south upon a hill overlooking the surround areas. It is one of the most picturesque landscapes that you may encounter in Greece. The village/small town became the capital of the island during the venetian occupation of...

Kalami beach is one of the most secluded beaches in the island of Kythera. The reason that this amazing beach remains secluded is because it takes considerable effort to get there - at least for people who are not into hiking. From the village of Mylopotamos you take the small road towards the monastery of Panagia Orfani (approximately 10min - 4km). At the monastery there is a small parking are...

Sarakiniko beach is one of the most unique beaches in Milos island. Don't expect to see a sandy beach or something like that. Sarakiniko is landscape formed by white volcanic rocks with complete absence of vegetation, making the whole scenery look like a lunar landscape. It is located on the northern part of Milos and it takes its name from the Sarakines pirates that used it as a base. If you s...

About 16km from the city of Chania, Crete, is the monastery of Gouverneto. You can park you car at the parking area near the monastery and start your descent towards the sea through a small, yet very interesting gorge, Katholiko gorge. The first part of the descent is through rock steps, curved by the monks to connect the monastery of Gouverneto with the (now) abandoned Katholiko monastery from...