Greece
Follow in the footsteps of Icarus from ancient Greek mythology, take to the skies and soar like a bird!
Epidavros is an old fishing village in the Peloponnese, situated only ninety minutes south-east of Athens airport. The village has been developed by tourism but is unspoiled, and derives much of its income from the orange and olive trees which carpet the area. It was an important town in ancient Greece until around 500 B.C., when part of it sank under the sea. The ruins are still visible from the air when landing on the beach from one of the flying sites. The village is particularly known for its amphitheatre, which is well worth a visit during your stay, and provides plenty of facilities, shops and restaurants for the visiting pilot. The larger town of Napflio is only a short drive further along the coast.
Our hotel is situated only fifteen metres from the secluded beach and quarter of an hour from one of the flying sites, Tintin, from where we can fly down to land on the beach right by the hotel bar! Our accommodation generally consists of twin rooms equipped with ensuite bathrooms, air conditioning, fridge and TV. In the hotel grounds are deck loungers and a conservatory bar with comfortable chairs, music and television.
Our guide Christophe is French, but speaks excellent Greek and English (with just a hint of an accent!) as well. Having lived in Greece for over eight years, he has dedicated his life to extreme sports and has a wealth of experience in free flying. His particular area of expertise is concerning reserve deployment and repacking. Ably assisted by Maria and Farid, there will always be someone available to deal with any needs or problems you may have.
Set in their own microclimate, the flying sites we use are all exclusive to Christophe, who has dedicated many hours preparing and flying them over the years. There are three main sites we concentrate on whenever possible, all within thirty minutes of one another.
Tintin, the site we start out at, gives pilots who haven't flown for a while a gentle reintroduction to flying and their equipment, with both dynamic ridge lift from the gentle sea breeze and thermic lift in abundance. The take off overlooks the hotel and the beach where we can land, having first flown out over the sea and the stunning underwater ruins of Epidavros. With the possibility of flying over the water, this site also gives an excellent opportunity for basic SIV or to try a live reserve deployment under Christophe's supervision and with a rescue boat at hand.
The other two main sites, Ted's Cafe and Pete's Paradise are both further inland and are pure thermic sites. They provide excellent thermal practice with short cross-country hops for newer pilots and plenty of serious cross-country possibilities for the more experienced. The backdrop of orange groves, sites of archeological interest and ancient towns provides fantastic photo opportunities from the air, and the open valley floor and good road networks make for particularly easy XC retrieves.
After a hard day's flying, or a restful day's sunbathing if you prefer, the evenings' entertainment is guaranteed with traditional Greek food to feast upon at the waterside, or a barbecue on the beach by the hotel, and festive Greek dancing, singing and cocktails aplenty.
You can come to Greece either purely with flying in mind, or as a normal holiday that your family is welcome to join. Alternative activities such as water skiing, mountain biking, archeological visits and sunbathing on the beach are readily available to both flyer and non-flyer alike. In addition, non-flyers and flyers are all welcome to fly tandem with one of the instructors.