All About Us:

In 2016 Julie Say left the arena of full time legal practice and having fallen in love with the Mani has joined forces with Wendy and Kerry to offer more walking opportunities in this unspoiled part of Europe. Julie has a lifelong passion for hiking, wildlife and fauna having taken career breaks to travel and trekked extensively throughout Europe, Asia and Australasia. She divides her time between the Mani and London.

Wendy and Kyriacos Kousiounis have lived at Agios Nikolaos for 13 years where they have hosted walking weeks and run a popular yoga centre for visitors and locals. Kerry, originally from Cyprus, started life as a scientist but followed his passion, food, running a successful restaurant in Bristol as well as practicing and teaching yoga. Wendy is an ex special needs teacher. After many holidays, Wendy and Kerry moved to the Mani to set up their enterprise. They are integrated into the area and have developed an extensive knowledge of local culture, walking trails, fauna and history.

Spring wild flowers amongst the Kalamata olive groves in the Outer Mani, with the Taygetus mountains in the background, Messinian Mani, Southern Peloponnese, Greece.©Pete Eastland

Julie Say

Kyriacos Kousiounis and Sam

 

Reviews:

Susie and Sean walking up the bluff of the Cavo Grosso.

Nina at Cape Tigani.

Peter and some of our guests enjoying an end of trip meal in Agios Nikolaos

We're always keen to improve on our trips and seek feedback from our guests, here's a few responses from the October 2020 trip:

Peter wrote to us:  "I wanted to say thanks for a wonderful week’s holiday in Greece. The weather was absolutely perfect – not too hot but dry throughout and sunny and perfect conditions for walking outside. It was great that it was warm enough that we could eat outside and that made it feel very safe from a COVID point of view.  All the hotels you arranged for us were lovely. They were very comfortable and the locations you chose were stunning. The walks were also really enjoyable. I loved the unspoiled countryside and the views and it felt very safe. The walking was challenging at times but it felt like an achievement to complete the walks – especially the walk from Kastania to Exochori.  I though the selection of walks you chose were really great.  It’s hard to chose a favourite as they were all different and had interesting things to see. I would not have missed any of them!  The point to point walks were great but I also loved Gerolimenas - especially the beach and swims. The food, wine and company were great.  I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone!"

Sean wrote to us: "My partner and I enjoyed a terrific (and very Covid safe!) hiking trip on the Mani Peninsula with Solwalkingingreece. The days had been carefully planned to be varied in both scenery and length, and there was plenty of time to enjoy swimming on the coast as well. The villages and accommodation we stayed in were all very friendly and pretty and the food of course was lovely. Julie and Kerry are excellent guides and hosts, and I’d say the trip is the perfect balance of comfort (lovely to have bags delivered to each hotel!) and reasonably challenging trekking. Highly recommended."

Susie wrote to us:  "I had an absolutely fantastic trip discovering the Mani Peninsula.  The walks were tough but spectacularly rewarding with a mix of stunning scenery; ancient Byzantine monasteries and Frankish forts. Our lovely guides Kerry and Julie couldn’t have been better. They both have a passion for and are extremely knowledgeable about the culture and history of the Mani.  The trip struck the perfect balance between walking and free time so there were ample opportunities to swim in the crystal clear waters of the Ionian Sea. The food was die for whether it was unctuous Greek yoghurt for breakfast, a picnic lunch or a taverna supper. I couldn’t recommend this trip enough - it’s worth every penny and more!"

Nina wrote to us: "Wow!  What an amazing holiday.  It was perfect in every respect – the location was beautiful, the walks amazing and the views spectacular. With most holidays there are quite a lot of good things but often some niggles. In this case everything was perfect. Julie and her business partner, Kerry had obviously thought of everything and planned things so well (notwithstanding the pandemic and all the associated difficulties that might have caused) that each day flowed seamlessly into the next. The accommodation was of a very high standard throughout and the food always fresh and always delicious.  Julie and Kerry were wonderful hosts and went out of their way to make sure that each member of our group was looked after. It was one of those holidays that restores your mind, body and soul. I will definitely be going again."