Agia Mavra Castle guards the entrance to Lefkada. A large medieval fortress on a low spit of land beside the causeway and floating bridge that link the island to the Greek mainland. Also known as Santa Maura, the castle sits at the narrow strait between the island and the coast. A position that controlled the … Read more
Gramvousa rises dramatically from the turquoise waters off Crete’s north-west coast, a pair of rocky islets crowned by a crumbling Venetian fortress that once sheltered pirates. The larger island, Imeri or Wild Gramvousa, draws visitors to its steep summit for sweeping views and to the sandy beach below, where a rusting shipwreck lies half-submerged in … Read more
Apano Kastro is a ruined hilltop fortress standing on a rocky peak in the Tragaea valley of central Naxos, above the village of Tsikalario. The name means Upper Castle, and the Venetian dukes of the Aegean built it as an inland refuge on far older foundations. Cyclopean walls, cisterns, chapels and commanding views survive on … Read more
The Exomvourgo hike climbs the rocky 640-metre peak that crowns the centre of Tinos, a steady ascent of about an hour to the ruined Venetian fortress and the widest view on the island. From the summit, a 360-degree panorama sweeps over the villages, the sea and the neighbouring Cyclades. This guide covers the Exomvourgo hike, … Read more