Kayak and Wild Camp Remote Greek Islands
Paddle around the Ionian Archipelago, discover uninhabited islands and wild camp under the stars
Kayak and Wild Camp Remote Greek Islands
Paddle around the Ionian Archipelago, discover uninhabited islands and wild camp under the stars
DURATION
4 nights
LOCATION
Greece
ANNUAL LEAVE
2 days off work
SEASON
May-Oct
GROUP SIZE
Up to 14 people
MEETING POINT
Aktion National Airport, Greece
ACCOMMODATION
Wild camping · Campsite · Guesthouse
DIFFICULTY
Moderate
No previous kayaking experience is required, but you will need a reasonable level of fitness and the ability to swim in open water.
Discover picturesque beaches, deep blue coves and hidden sea caves that were once used to hide submarines in World War 2
Wild camp on an island inhabited only by wild goats and dine on traditional Greek food cooked over the campfire
Snorkel in clear turquoise waters, eyes peeled for sea turtles and dolphins
All our reviews are verified
— Laura, September 2022
Amazing first solo adventure holiday experience, hosts were very knowledgeable about the local area and ensured activities were undertaken safely. Food was great and prepared for you from camping meals to dining out at the end of the trip. A great group of like-minded people. Would thoroughly recommend.
— Lucy, September 2022
We had an absolutely magical time in Lefkada kayaking and camping on the islands. Alex, Charitini and Markos were all brilliant hosts and kept us in line through some sometimes quite sea-traffic-heavy crossings. The camping was very well-organised, with tents easy to put up and containing everything we needed including air mattresses, sleeping bags, etc - by the end of three days we had a very well-established routine! Whilst we did spend one night on Thilia, an uninhabited island (which was gorgeous) we were more often camping on tourist beaches. If the remoteness of the trip is a major factor of appeal you might want to keep this in mind - however, the flipside is that we were never too far from a shower/supermarket/bar, so it worked in our favour, and waking up on the beach to a mirror-calm sea was an absolute highlight for me. Alex did a brilliant job with the food, making sure that we were well-fed on a variety of different things over the course of the trip - vegetarians and vegans in our group were also well-catered for. Eating freshly bbq'd fish on the beach in Thilia was a highlight, but we also thoroughly enjoyed our evenings at tavernas eating local seafood and specialties! Keep in mind that whilst basic drinks are covered, alcohol isn't, so be sure to bring cash with you for beers/cocktails/wine if needed - but otherwise we didn't need to buy extra food at any point, and were very well-fed indeed. Everyone in our group was in double kayaks, and very few of us had any prior experience. The seas were very calm while we were there so everything felt quite easy. If you have previous kayaking experience and are looking for a challenge this might not be the trip for you as generally the distances are quite short and the pace is very gentle - however, if you're looking for an easy and beautiful introduction for kayaking, I would highly recommend this trip. As well as kayaking we also had plenty of downtime for reading, sunbathing and generally relaxing together, both in the mornings and the evenings, and we enjoyed a couple of great nights out along the way as well. Overall I would definitely recommend this trip. The hosts are fabulous, and I've come away with some wonderful memories and a thirst to return to Greece as soon as possible! Thank you so much Alex, Charitini and Markos for an amazing trip!
— James, September 2022
Would highly recommend this trip to anyone. Lovely warm hearted guides and made great friends. Some hard physical stretches of kayaking rewarded by incredible scenery and evenings of fun. Exciting and relaxing in equal measures.
— Hollie, September 2022
Our trip was amazing! Alex, Chartini, and Markos were brilliant. We got to kayak just the right amount, swim and snorkel in caves and bays, see spectacular views. My highlight was jumping off rocks in to the sea. The health and safety measures were great and I never felt unsure or unsafe. We were never hungry! Delicious food was provided for all preferences and I would highly recommend the vegetarian options we had. The trip was very sustainable everywhere we stayed. Our group was lovely. Everyone shared things like plasters and head torches, and shared meals and stories.
— Chrissy, August 2022
Caves are cool, food is great but the trip could be more adventurous and remote. Lots would need to be reviewed.
— Gary, August 2022
Exactly what it says in the write up. I had a fantastic time. Cannot wait to book another experience
— Elaine, August 2022
The trip was OK, but not quite the experience I was expecting. When advertised as remote Greek islands I didn't expect the beaches to be covered in tourists.
— hannah, June 2022
Amazing, beautiful trip with truly brilliant local guides. Vegan/veggie options were a bit lacking so take some extra snacks with you. And it's more kayaking than the MBA website suggests - up to 20km on one day. Which was really great fun but definitely challenging. Overall a really excellent trip and I would love to go back.
— Ryan, July 2022
Great adventure! Everything was well managed and it didn't feel like the kayaking was rushed.
— Tony, June 2022
Awesome trip, above what I was expecting. Extremely well organised and knowledgeable guides. The food on the trip was very good. Two nights in local tavernas, fresh fish and pork on the Beach BBQ with fresh salad. I didn’t take any extra food, everything supplied was tasty and plentiful. I took my own sleeping mat and pillow for comfort. Lots of stops to cool down in crystal clear sea. Sleeping outside on the beach was just beautiful and cool. Definitely recommend this trip, expect a bit of roughing it, but worth it. Thank you Alex and Co. So glad I booked. Awesome trip again
Included
Guides
Expert, English-speaking guides
Accommodation
1 night in a guesthouse, 3 nights wild camping
Meals
Munch on tasty local food throughout
Transfers
To and from the airport and everything in-between
Equipment
All your camping and kayaking equipment
Not Included
Flights to and from the meeting point
Travel insurance
Personal expenses
The Area
Logistics
Starts
Aktion National Airport, Greece
12:00 on Day 1
Ends
Aktion National Airport, Greece
11:00 on Day 5
Transfers
Your host will pick you up on arrival and drop you off in time for departure. If you arrive early and would like a private transfer to Nydri, where the trip starts, this can be arranged with your host. Please see Optional Extras for prices. Book any departing flight that leaves after 13:00.
Travel options
There are regular flights to Aktion from major airports across the UK and Europe.
Day 1
Wild camping · Twin share
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 2
Wild camping · Twin share
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 3
Campsite · Twin share
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 4
Guesthouse · Twin share
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 5
Departure day
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
What is the food like?
Greek food is fresh and full of flavour. Breakfasts are typically light and might include fresh fruit, olives and yoghurt as staples. Lunches will mostly be picnic style whilst dinners are beach barbecues where you'll enjoy fresh fish, salads and steaks for the meat-eaters.
Vegetarian, vegan and most other dietary requirements can be catered for on request.
What is the accommodation like?
Nydri
You'll stay in a traditional guesthouse in a twin-share room.
Wild Camping
You’ll set up camp on remote beaches and sleep in twin-share tent. You’ll also spend one night in an established campsite with washing facilities and a bar within walking distance of the beach.
Upgrades
For solo travellers looking for their own space, an optional private room and tent can be booked for an extra charge, see Optional Extras for the price. Please request this at the time of booking (this is subject to availability).
Day 1
Welcome to the Greek Islands
Kayaking
6 nautical miles
Heading to the coastal town of Nydri (1 hour transfer), you'll get set up with your kayaks and island hopping can commence! You’ll paddle from Nydri to Madouri, stopping off on the private island of Skorpios. Covered in thick forest, Skorpios has over 200 varieties of trees that were all imported to this once barren island. You'll end the day in Thilia, where you’ll set up camp and enjoy your first beach barbecue.
Day 2
Sunrise swimming and stargazing
Kayaking
6 nautical miles
If you’re an early bird, enjoy a superb sunrise, or alternatively grab a little more sleep before a pre-breakfast swim. Snorkel and paddle through the ‘fjords’ until you reach the gulf of Atherinos. Build a fire on the forest-flanked beach of Limonari before settling in for another night spotting shooting stars from your wild camping spot.
Day 3
Explore the caves
Kayaking
9 nautical miles
Swap your kayaks for snorkelling gear and dive into the Papanicolis and Giovanni caves - so huge they were once used to hide submarines in World War 2. Take a well-earned rest and then set off on the longest paddle of the trip as you cross the Gulf of Rouda back to Lefkada, where you’ll spend the night in Mikros Gialos Bay.
Day 4
Secluded beaches
Kayaking
8 nautical miles
Slowly make your way up the coast as you head to the finish line back at Nydri. Stop at some secluded beaches to swim, explore some more caves or just catch a few rays. You’ll arrive back in Nydri in the late afternoon and after checking into your guesthouse, there will be a post-adventure celebration dinner with your group at a local taverna. Ouzo at the ready!
Day 5
Time to head home
Enjoy a well-earned lie-in, tuck into a last delicious Greek breakfast and then head back to the airport.
15% Off Outdoor Gear
What's included?
- Single or double kayak
- Paddle
- Life jacket
- Sprayskirt
- Dry bag
- Waterproof jacket
- Safety equipment
- First aid kit
- Throw rope
- Extra paddles
- 2-person tent
- Sleeping bag
- Sleeping mat
What do I need to bring?
Bags
- Small rucksack to carry items throughout the day
Clothes
- Lightweight breathable clothes for kayaking in
- Long-sleeved shirt and trousers
- Waterproof jacket and trousers
- Warm jacket and/or jumper for the evenings
- Hiking shoes/trainers for exploring
- Socks
- Beach sandals/kayak shoes to walk in water
- Swimsuit
Sleeping
- Sleeping bag liner (optional)
Other
- Towel
- Sun protection
- Insect repellant
- Head torch
- Water bottle
Please inform your host if you are bringing your own sleeping bag as space and weight are carefully measured for the kayaks.
Private transfer to/from Nydri from airport
Payable Before Departure
Private transfer to/from Nydri from airport
… Per Person
We've crunched the numbers to work out the total carbon footprint of this trip, and plant enough trees to suck 2x as much back out the atmosphere.
What's the number?
It works out on average at 83kg of CO2 emissions per person, including all local transport, accommodation, food, activities, guides, staff and office operations.
The only thing it doesn’t include right now is flights and travel to the destination. We do make an overall estimate across all our customers separately, but as we don’t book flights, have customers from all corners of the world, and no way of reliably knowing their travel plans, we simply can’t include an individual number in the figure on display here. We’ve got a goal for 2022 to fix that, so that when you book, there is a way to measure and mitigate the carbon emitted by your flight too.
But what does the number mean?
Yep, hard to picture eh? To give you an idea:
- Driving 1000miles/1609km would be approx. 281kg of CO2 in an average car (or 140.5kg per person if there was 2 of you in it).
- A return economy class flight London - New York would be approx. 1,619kg (1.66 tonnes) per person.
- 10 trees in a temperate forest are estimated to remove approx. 250kg of CO2 from the air in a period of 5-10 years.
What are we doing about it?
Our trips are relatively low-carbon by design, and we're working with all our hosts to develop long term carbon reduction plans. For every person booked with us since 2016 we’re planting enough trees to suck at least 2x more carbon out the atmosphere than is emitted by their trips. All native trees, as part of amazing projects that are re-foresting degraded land, tackling the biodiversity crisis and supporting local communities at the same time. We go further than that too, also funding re-wilding projects worldwide to help protect important keystone species from extinction. See the reforestation and re-wilding schemes we support. See our carbon action plan.
Want to know more?
Amazingly, no international travel company has ever publicly published their carbon measurements before, as far as we know. We believe that must change, quickly. So we’re openly sharing the method we used in the hope that other companies will be able to more easily follow suit and build on what we've done so far. You'll find it all here.
No previous kayaking experience is required, although you will be on the water for a few hours each day so a reasonable level of fitness is required.
You must also be able to swim and should ideally feel comfortable in the open sea for extended periods (although the option to return to shore is always available).
Sure can! Over 50% of our travellers travel solo, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people.
From May to October the temperature ranges from 20°C to 25°C, with the sea temperatures lagging only one degree behind. Days are often breezy, but they’re also clear and sunny with practically no chance of rain.
Absolutely. Anything you don't need can be left with your host at the port and collected when the trip is finished.
Our recommended travel insurance provider is Campbell Irvine.
Travel insurance is compulsory on all of our adventures. Your insurance should include adequate protection for overseas medical treatment, evacuation/repatriation, your baggage and equipment and the specific activities involved on your adventure.
Your insurance policy should also include specific Covid-19 cover, including cancellation and curtailment cover if you, your travel companion or a close relative are diagnosed with Covid-19.
We fully endorse Campbell Irvine as their insurance offers all of the above, so get in touch with them or call on 020 7938 1734 to get your insurance sorted. We suggest that you book travel insurance as soon as you book your adventure, just to cover you for any last minute life changes. We know you’re an active lot and injuries do happen!
We automatically convert prices from the local currency that a host receives to your chosen currency. We update our exchange rates on a daily basis so this does mean that prices displayed on the site are subject to currency fluctuations, which is why you may see them change over time.
If you wish to change the currency you pay in, head to the bottom of the page.
All of our group adventures are specially designed for adults to enjoy (18+) as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded. Children can be accommodated on some private departures.
Full Financial Protection
Your money is safe. Every booking is fully financially protected.
Covid Refund Guarantee
If your trip is cancelled due to Covid choose from free date changes, account credit, or a full refund.