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We enjoyed this two-centre holiday in the Pelopponese and Messolonghi with Naturetrek, birdwatching and visiting the ancient sites of Olympia and New Pleuron with an English guide and a Greek guide. We stayed in local hotels and enjoyed lots of local cuisine. There were 10 clients in the group meaning we all had plenty of room as well as access to the expertise of our wonderful guides who really knew their wildlife. We had an additional guide at Olympia who was also excellent. The organisation of the trip was very good and we were taken to some very good areas to see a variety of different species and habitats. Naturetrek also organised an extension to this holiday for us in Athens, choosing an excellent hotel exactly where we wanted to be.
A.H., Gloucestershire, Jan '26
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Western Greece in Winter
Tour Code: GRC26An 8-day birdwatching and history holiday to western Greece timed to coincide with the overwintering of over 40,000 wetland birds in Strofylia and Messolonghi National Parks.
£2,095
£1,795
Highlights
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Summary
Western Greece’s coastal wetlands are arguably some of the finest in Europe. The mild climate and varied habitats offer a home to a staggering number of species during the winter, all seeking refuge from the harsher climates of the northern continent. An estimated 40,000 ducks, grebes, divers and waders fill the many salt pans, channels and inlets of the coastal lagoons, whereas the oak and riparian forests that line the surrounding hillsides are rich with woodpeckers and warblers. On our new 8-day holiday, we'll split our time across two of western Greece's key wetland habitats: Strofylia and Messolonghi National Parks, plus visit archaeological sites of Pleuron and Ancient Olympia - the birthplace of the Olympic Games!
- Dalmatian Pelicans in large numbers in Messolonghi National Park
- Greater Flamingo, Black Stork, Eurasian Spoonbill and Middle-spotted Woodpecker in Strofylia National Park
- Ancient Olympia and Pleuron archaeological sites
- Possible raptors include Griffon Vulture and Greater Spotted Eagle
- Led by an expert naturalist guide
Grading
A/B. Easy to moderate day walks.
Outline Itinerary
What's Included?
- Flights
- Accommodation:
We stay in comfortable hotels with private facilities throughout.
- Food:
All meals are included in the price.
Reviews
Dates & Prices
2027
Tour Leader: Mike Crewe
Born and raised in Oxford, Mike has lived most of his life in East Anglia, with a short stint in West Sussex and a spell in the USA. He has been a birdwatcher ‘since birth’ (so he says!) and initially took up a career in horticulture, which kick-started an interest in plants. Over time, Mike has evolved into an all-round naturalist with interests in all branches of natural history, working a short time for the British Trust for Ornithology and as an environmental consultant before taking up wildlife tour guiding in 1996. Indeed, he first led walks for local wildlife trusts and bird groups as long ago as 1982 and has continued as a professional guide since the late 1990s, except for six years in the USA, where he worked as Program Director for the famous Cape May Bird Observatory in New Jersey.
Now settled back on the Norfolk coast, he lives with his wife, who is also a professional birdwatching guide. He has served as a committee member on the Suffolk Birds Records Committee, edited various natural history newsletters and bird reports and recently authored two identification guides on the flora of Breckland. Most recently, he has taken on a role as Assistant Editor for British Birds magazine and serves as the Norfolk tutor for the national ‘Identiplant’ training scheme. Somehow, he also manages to find time to maintain two identification websites on the flora of East Anglia and the wildlife of Cape May County, New Jersey!
Tour Leader: Christos Kotselis
Christos was born in Athens. His passion for nature started at a very early age, when he would spend hours snorkelling and observing the underwater world. Later he became a diver and started to systematically study marine-life. Because of this passion of his, he also began wildlife photography (of which he is highly skilled) and monitoring numerous marine species.
Later, Christos became a passionate birder and has travelled all over Greece to find and photograph every species on the Greek birding list. More recently his biggest passion is for herpetology, of which he has also seen, and photographed, the vast majority of Greek species. He has worked in many scientific programs studying birds, reptiles and aquatic species.
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At Naturetrek we craft expertly-guided group and tailor-made wildlife holidays and cruises to all seven continents. On one of our holidays, you can be assured that our passionate team will enable you to experience and enjoy the best of the world's wildlife and natural spectacles in as comfortable and rewarding a manner as possible, caring as best we can for the environment in the process. We are proud to provide:
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