Anyone who has been on this tour - did you pack a towel with you from home? I see that it does stop in a few places where we will be able to enter the water - so another question is - at this time of year is the water warm? Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thank you, Stella
Stella, I took that particular tour in June last year. To answer your first question, I packed only a chamois-type travel towel as I was going to be staying in at least one Hostel, but I didn't use it during the tour. I preferred to spend my free time getting photographs and exploring, so didn't have any time for swimming. In one of the small villages we stopped at for lunch, there were lots of people swimming in the bay so I assume the water was warm enough (I'd have to check my notes for the name of the town). The Guide can provide information on the best locations for swimming in each stop (if possible). There's a free day in Kardamyli, which would be a good place for a swim. That's also a good stop to get laundry done. It will likely be a "service wash" arrangement, where you drop your laundry at the front desk of the Hotel, and pick it up the following afternoon. Your Guide will have details. It was a fantastic tour, and I'm sure you'll have a great time!
Stella - I took the same tour at the beginning of September 2008. I too brought a microfiber towel just in case I needed it for the beach, but I just used it for pressing the water out of my hand washed laundry. Most of the hotels we stayed at had towels for taking to the beach or we just took towels from the room. It was really hot for much of our trip, so the water was a nice relief. Not sure how much it cools down at the end of September and the weather is just not predictable from one week to the next. If it is nice, there will be plenty of opportunities for swimming in Kardamyli, Monemvasia and Nafplio. Enjoy your trip!