The sea kayak, the red, the 5 metres, the 2 cockpits, the paddle that is the dipping into the Ionian off the coast of the Paxos (the turquoise, the 28°C, the view of the sea-bottom at the 20 metres through the transparent water), and the sense that the Greece is the not the only the archaeology and the beach, the Greece is the kayaking, the hiking, the climbing, and the sailing, is the essential Greek outdoor discovery. The Greece is the 80% the mountains and the 20% the sea, and the Greek outdoor activities are the among the best in Europe. Here are the 5 great outdoor activities in the Greece.

1. Sea Kayaking in the Ionian

Sea kayaking in the Ionian, the Paxos and the Antipaxos: The kayak hire is the €30/day, the guided day-trip is the €60, and the essential: the West Coast of the Paxos, the sea caves, the white cliffs, the blue water (the deepest blue in the Ionian), and the beach-access-only coves that are the inaccessible by the road. The essential Greek kayaking experience: the kayak into the sea cave of the Mongonissi, the roof, the echo, the water that is the lit from the below, and the best kayaking in the Ionian. The alternative: the Milos sea-kayaking, the Sarakiniko (the white-moon landscape, see #1222), the Kleftiko (the pirate cove, the paddle the through the arches, the best kayaking in the Cyclades).

2. Hiking, The Samaria Gorge, Crete

The hiking, the Samaria Gorge (the Crete, the most famous Greek hike): The 16 km, the 5–6 hours, the descent of the 1,200 metres, the narrowest point is the 3 metres across (the “Sideroportes”, the Iron Gates), the April–October (the gorge is the closed for the snow from the November to the March), the €5 entry, the essential strategy: the bus from the Chania to the Omalos at the 6.30am (the €8), the start at the 8am, the finish at the Agia Roumeli at the 2pm, the swim in the Libyan Sea (the southern coast of the Crete), the ferry from the Agia Roumeli to the Hora Sfakion at the 5.30pm (the €13), the bus to the Chania (the €8). The essential preparation: the water, the 2 litres, the good walking shoes, the hat, and the sense that the 16 km is the descent all the way, the hardest on the knees.

3. Sailing, The Saronic Gulf

The sailing, the Saronic Gulf from the Athens: The flotilla sailing, the Sunsail, the Neilson, the 7 days from the Athens to the Hydra, the Poros, the Spetses, the €1,200 for the week for the cabin, and the essential Greek sailing experience. The alternative: the yacht charter, the bareboat, the 40-foot, the €2,000–4,000 for the 7 days for the 4 cabins. More Greece →

4. Rock Climbing in Kalymnos

The climbing in the Kalymnos (the Dodecanese, the essential Greek climbing): The Kalymnos is the world’s best sport-climbing destinations: the 3,000 routes, the limestone, the tufa, the stalactite, the view of the sea, and the essential climbing season: the October–November and the March–May (the summer is the too hot). The essential Kalymnos routes: the Grande Grotta (the most famous cave in the sport-climbing, the 50-metre roof, the 6a to the 8c, and the essential photograph: the climber the on the roof with the sea the below), the Arhi sector (the beginner-intermediate, the sea-view, and the best sector for the first-time Kalymnos climber). The accommodation: the €30–50/night for the studio on the Masouri, and the essential: the Kalymnos Climbing Guidebook, the €30, and the essential investment.

5. Mountain Biking in the Zagori

The mountain biking in the Zagori (the Epirus, the essential Greek biking): The Pindus Mountains, the Vikos Gorge (the deepest canyon in the world relative to the its width, the 900 metres deep and the 1.2 km wide at the narrowest, and the UNESCO, the stone bridges, the cobbled paths, and the best mountain-biking in the Greece. The essential Zagori biking: the Monodendri to the Oxia, the 5 km, the view-point of the Vikos, and the best ride in the Zagori. The essential tour: the Spartan Trail, the €700 for the 7-day guided mountain-bike tour of the Zagori, and the best mountain-biking holiday in the Greece.