Camping to the wild - Greece

I decided to write this article about camping in the wild in Greece based on many years of experience in this beautiful country. It is such a small guide for those of you who want to go to the Balkans by caravan or car on their own axis. But especially for backpackers who go for the first time with a backpack on their back and do not know what to expect from the occasional sleep in the wild. We used it very often, although the network of campsites in Greece is quite dense. But on the less visited islands we go to, there was often none, and to be honest - every Euro saved is worth it. However, in order to use this style of overnight stay, you need to follow certain rules. Of course, a lot has changed since we first visited Greece. Something worse, something better. However, the basics there remained the same. Friendly people, a mix of anarchy and freedom and of course beautiful nature. 

You can get to Greece in many ways and at the time of cheap flights it is no longer a problem to choose one of the low cost airline connections. Alternatively, you can use the bus line to Athens. And although some do not recommend this way of travel because it is said to be too long - believe that the journey can also be a destination. When traveling by bus across the Balkans, you will get to know many countries and attentively tune in to stay in the South. We also tried traveling by car several times. This is on the Balkan route through Hungary, Serbia and Macedonia, as well as through Italy, followed by a ferry to the Greek mainland. But I'll talk about these ways later.

But now let's take a look at wild camping. In all guides you will read that camping in the wild is strictly forbidden. But it is actually forbidden in our country as well. We were also worried about this when we first took a bus in 1997 to the city of Larissa and then to the islands of the Northern Sporades. However, we soon realized that not everything that is forbidden in Greece is strictly observed. Of course, this does not mean that you do not have to follow certain rules when camping in the wild in Greece. We learned that and we never had a problem with the police or the locals.

A prerequisite for relaxed travel is to have humility in your backpack and a few basic phrases in your head in the local language. Usually enough - hello, goodbye, thank you, sorry, please and learn to count to ten. Not because the Greeks don't know English, but even a few words will make it much easier for you to get there.

Greece is a country of many kilometers of beaches - so we chose camping directly on them or near them. But don't imagine that you are retreating with your caravan or car anywhere to the sea, unpacking a family tent for 6 people and setting up your dream vacation here. 

The possibility of wild camping is open, of course, mainly for backpackers. In practice, this means that in a remote part of the beach, preferably farther from the city, you set up your tent or lay out a mat and sleeping bag. The climate in Greece is really hot in the summer and in the vast majority of cases we only built an indoor mosquito net. It sufficiently protects against the wind and mosquitoes, which can be annoying in some areas. You can often find a beach in nature, especially on the islands, where you will be almost alone like Robinsoni. You can spend a few days without interest in the area, provided you have a sufficient source of drinking water nearby. Most of the secluded beaches already have their own beach bar or tavern, where they let you get some water if you go there occasionally for a beer or dinner. In addition, you can use, for example, an outdoor shower, which is often at the entrance to the beach. 

Rule No. 1 is while wild camping in Greece is that Under no circumstances will you make a fire. Even though we have seen it in some wild camping sites in nature (especially from the locals), you should definitely not try it! If you decide to spend the night on a busier beach or near a village or town, I recommend setting up a tent at dusk, when the last visitors start leaving the beaches. But if you only build mosquito nets with a floor, it is not a problem to leave them built on the beach all day. They are very similar to beach tents, which are widely used today. And don't ask the Greek to compare, they don't really solve it. What you should definitely not try, however, is sleeping in the wild (even without a tent) in near a campsite. Let the place seem deserted and the beach, the most beautiful.

Twice I witnessed the owner call such a wild camper to the police, who politely but emphatically warned them to move to a nearby campsite.

How about security?  Although the security situation across Europe is unfortunately mostly changing for the worse, Greece remains a safe country. If you are camping on more remote, less frequented islands, you do not have to worry. It certainly requires more caution near a big city. This is a matter of course near the Albanian border, large urban agglomerations, or on islands affected by the migration crisis. Some lesser-known Greek islands, such as Samothraki or Ikaria, have so-called free camps. These are used mainly by local free-thinkers for free camping in large numbers, and the police and the authorities do not report them from there.

Although we have never been a caravan in Greece, I have noticed on my travels that caravans use wild camping in this country much more than anywhere else in Europe. There are just enough beaches, they are often large sandy and especially on those farther from civilization it is common. As with camping, a fire ban must be observed, and local firefighters and police officers are really allergic to frequent forest fires. I probably don't have to remind you that after leaving the camp it is necessary to take all the garbage with you 

And I can advise you one more tweak. Often we didn't even have to set up a tent to sleep in. You can clearly sleep right on the beach on a mat and in a sleeping bag. In this case, you probably do not risk reproach from the police.

What equipment do we use when traveling to Greece?

• Sleeping bag -  if you have a two-kilo model at home up to -15 ° C, leave it there. Due to the fact that the temperature rarely drops below 20 ° C here at night from mid-June to mid-heat, an ultralight model is enough for you. I have, for example Coleman Biker
• Cushion - enough foam, it is not worth the risk of punching the samonafukovacka, the Greek landscape is full of thorny plants and even close to beaches
• Stan - light double skin. You can divide it into two parts. The lighter one - the tropic, will carry your dear half, and the sticks and mosquito net you. Then you only throw the tropic over the inner tent just when it rains exceptionally. We used a tent from Jurek S + R but the companions had this tent by Trimm

Next time I will write to you about the Greek camps that we have visited many times during our expeditions.