Folegandros is another lovely island with a good local map of footpaths:

ΦΟΛΕ- ΓΑΝΔΡΟΣ FOLE- GANDROS

Some good local maps also exist. E.g if you are visiting Tilos you just *must* buy their famous “Blue Map”, the Nisos Tilos, which is the original footpaths & road map for this very nice little Dodecanese island.

Nisos Tilos

It is also available online, but that one is not completely updated.

The good map series you can find for the Greek islands also in most cases will show the major footpaths. Some even include walking guides. Always ask for these from local bookshops and shy away from cheap tourist maps that are drawn it seems often from pure fantasy wrt both paths and roads.

Road Editions

Anavasi Topo Islands

There are walking guides for mainland Greece too, of course. When I visited Kardamili I bought the above book, “Walking in Mani (Book 1)” by Mat Dean. Not sure what has happened to this intended series (obviously?). There is a new book now, “Inside the Mani – a walking guide” by the same author, covering the same ground:

There is an accompanying web page at http://www.insidemani.gr/, but their book shop is dead, so I am unsure if even this one is still in print. Check local book shops. If not available anymore there are several other alternatives, including Sunflower Books and Marengo Publications.

“A Walking Guide to Aegina” by Gerald Ephraim Nektários Thompson is more than ten years old now and in need of an update, but still a good booklet with some hand drawn maps of more dubious quality. Lots of information (perhaps too much for a walking guide) about history etc built into the text makes it a bit hard to follow at points. But still I am certain you will have lots of fun with this one too! Available in bookshops on the island.

This is an excellent booklet with at least some overview map. It is sold locally and at Amazon. In my experience, the best walking guide for the north of Lesvos, with very detailed walk descriptions, and it’s even updated every year it seems. Keep up the good work, Mike!

Paxos has been mentioned before, and not without reason. Paxos just about the ultimate little Greek island. What I have not  mentioned yet is “The Bleasdale Walking Map of Paxos” by Ian & Elizabeth Bleasdale. This book can be bought locally. Actually I am not sure if it’s a map with an accompanying booklet or a booklet with a map. Regardless it is excellent and the most detailed description of the Paxos path system that you can find.

Nearby Alonnisos has this book sold locally in English and Danish. For more information and updates see my Alonnisos page.

Some select Greek islands have their own printed walking guides that are either written by people stationed on the island or by very frequent visitors. One of the books that has provided me with just about more fun than any other walking guide I have ever used is “Skopelos Trails” by Heather Parsons. For more information about this book visit my Skopelos page.

When I first encountered it, it was known as “Sotos Walking Guide to Skopelos” and looked like this:

OBS: For recent updates to the book, visit Heather’s blog on Blogspot.

While on the subject of 2011, the exploration of the Mediterranean coast is still on. I will probably not have time for Italy this year, so in 2011 it is fairly certain I will take this book for a spin around Amalfi: