The Kardamyli Festival
The Kardamyli Festival
Kardamyli, home for many years to Patrick and Joan Leigh Fermor, and surely one of Greece's most beautiful seaside villages, has, since 2021, been the setting for a festival that attracts the sharpest minds from across literature, history and the arts.
We have been involved since its inaugural year and are delighted to be returning again in 2025, offering Slow Cyclists the opportunity to stretch their brains each morning and their legs each afternoon. If previous years have proven anything, it is that this combination, against the backdrop of the Messinian Gulf, is very appealing. Our 2025 Kardamyli Festival group is now fully booked. Get in touch if you'd like to express interest for future years.
Journey Highlights
- Listen to world class speakers at the most intimate festival you’re likely to attend
- Swim in the Messinian Gulf before breakfast, or after dinner, or both
- Visit the home of Paddy and Joan Leigh Fermor, one of Greece’s finest, at the festival’s opening drinks party
- Cycle and walk in the stunningly beautiful hills, valleys and gorges round Kardamyli
- Dance to traditional Greek folk songs as the sun sets on the festival’s gala dinner on Kardamyli’s quayside
- Eat sumptuous food cooked by locals at lunches in the mountains and hilltop villages around Kardamyli
Itinerary
There are direct flights into Kalamata and Athens today. When you arrive in Kardamyli we will be there to greet you and ensure you're settled at your accommodation, Salvia. We will take you for dinner in Kardamyli this evening.
Your time in the Mani begins today with a wonderful bike ride taking in some of the region's most incredible landscapes. We climb towards the Ridomo Gorge, arriving for lunch in a meadow with our friend and local restaurateur Thomas. In the afternoon we will pedal through olive groves and tiny villages amid the foothills that rise to become the Taygetos peaks. We'll pause at a monastery with stunning views over the deep-cut gorge before turning for home with a long descent to Kardamyli. This evening the festival opens with drinks at the former home of Patrick and Joan Leigh Fermor on a cliff above the sea. We have not included dinner this evening but will happily book you a table at any of Kardamyli's best restaurants.
After this morning's festival talks, and lunch in Kardamyli, you have a few options. The first is to walk with us up through the ruins of Old Kardamyli before climbing up on an ancient Spartan track, past tiny chapels, the majestic Taygetos mountains unfolding ahead of us. We will loop back around to Kardamyli, enjoying spectacular coastal views. Alternatively you may wish to relax and explore Kardamyli, or make use of a speed boat and captain who can show you some of the best secluded swim spots in the area. Whatever you choose to do, we will make sure you are ready for dinner in Kardamyli because Hellenophile, musician and translator Joshua Barley will entertain the festival's Slow Cyclists at a Literary Dinner this evening.
After this morning's festival talks we will drive you to the tiny hill-top village of Kastania - home to 11 Byzantine churches - for lunch in a family-run taverna. From there, it’s an easy and incredibly beautiful ride down to the sea in Kardamyli. We have not included dinner this evening but will happily book you a table at any of Kardamyli's best restaurants.
After this morning's festival talks we will leave you make your own arrangements for lunch at one of the town's charming restaurants before an afternoon of relaxing or exploring. We will be on hand to provide shuttles to nearby beaches, although the town's pebble beaches are superb too. This evening is the festival's Gala Dinner, hosted in previous years on a jetty in the centre of town, during which a stellar cast of festival speakers will entertain us into the night.
After this morning's festival talks you will be transferred to the hamlet of Malta for lunch in the home and olive oil press of sisters Artemis and Corinna. From there it’s a gorgeous 2.5 hour walk, close to the coast and back to Kardamyli, picking up ancient tracks and with extraordinary views over the Messinian Gulf. Dinner will be in Kardamyli to celebrate your last evening in the Mani.
It's the end of your time with us in Kardamyli. Again, we have not included an airport transfer but we will be happy to assist with any travel arrangements.
Dates & Availability
If you would prefer to travel to The Kardamyli Festival in a private group, enquire now for availability.
What's Included?
It’s rare in small group travel, but at The Slow Cyclist we include everything from the moment you land in Greece. We are often told by our guests how great it is to forget about their wallet and focus on the experience.
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Electric Bikes
A premium electric mountain bike, best suited to the terrain.
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Guides & Hosts
A dedicated Slow Cyclist host to look after you along the way and two passionate local guides.
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Transfers
Airport transfers on arrival and departure, and you never need to carry any bags as your luggage is transported ahead each day.
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Accommodation, Food & Drinks
Characterful guest houses, delicious locally sourced and home-cooked food and all drinks and snacks.
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Activities
All cultural visits and activities. And as ever with The Slow Cyclist, plenty of surprises too.
