History Walks
Join us and discover Ithaca’s history on a walk into the past at some of the island’s most important sites. Learn more about the island’s rich past, while admiring magnificent landscapes and views, beautiful frescos, and heritage architecture.
Our walks
Check our programme and register below.
Our History Walks are informal, passing through nature on public land, not guided tours of archaeological sites.
Aetos
Friday, 2 August 2024
(Note: date changed!)
Begins at 17.00
Difficulty: Strenuous, steep slopes
*We may announce changes to the time of this walk owing to weather conditions.
Ancient Ithaca
Join us for a walk at one of Ithaca’s main sites of ancient significance.
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The acropolis at Aetos is perched on the small strip of land which joins north and south Ithaca, offering a spectacular view of the island’s strategic location in the central Ionian. The site has been explored by several pioneer archaeologists since the early 19th century, including by Schliemann. It is proposed by some scholars as a likely candidate for the political centre of classical Ithaca.
‘School of Homer’ + Northern Ithaca
Saturday, 29 June 2024
Begins at 18.30
Saturday, 20 July 2024
Begins at 18.30
Difficulty: Medium
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At the site of Palaiokastro below Exogi, where an old chapel of Agios Athanasios stands, the British pioneer archaeologist Sir William Gell was shown what a priest claimed was the place where Homer once taught. While the tale was already treated as a fictitious invention by Gell and his successors, the name ‘School of Homer’ has stuck, testament to the strong local traditions relating to Ithaca’s antiquity. The site has been excavated several times and is a suitable entry point to understanding the story of modern archaeology in Ithaca. The site presents very interesting architectural remains dating to the Hellenistic and Roman periods, and other small finds attest the existence of a Neolithic settlement in the area. Other remains are disputed, with some scholars dating them to the Bronze Age.
Palaiochora
Sunday, 30 June 2024
Begins at 18.30
Saturday 27 July 2024
Begins at 18.30
Saturday 10 August 2024
Begins at 18.30
Difficulty: Medium.
Mediaeval and Venetian Ithaca
Explore world of Ithaca’s recent past, with a walk through abandoned Venetian settlements, including beautiful frescoed chapels and magnificent views.
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The main Venetian township of the island was centred here, in the hills behind modern Vathy. The Venetian-period documents talk about how the islanders settled on higher ground for fear of piracy, before descending to the bayside in the 18th century. We will walk a beautiful path through the old township with stunning views, visit ruined 18th-century chapels with impressive frescos, and explore the vernacular architecture of the Venetian period.
Old Anogi
Sunday, 4 August 2024
Begins at 18.30
Difficulty: Medium.
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In the north of Ithaca, the largest Venetian-period township was at Anogi, the highest settlement on the island. The old township was located just higher than the modern village, where ruins of houses of impressive dimensions can still be seen, despite damage by earthquakes. This walk allows us to appreciate the vernacular secular architecture of the Venetian period. We will also visit the most important example of religious architecture on the island, the Church of the Dormition, with 17th century frescos, and other wall-paintings claimed to be Late-Byzantine.
Highlights from our History Walks
See some photos of our past experiences walking through Ithaca’s most wonderful landscapes.
Register
Use the form here to register your attendance at one of our walks.
If you have questions, contact us here.
Our History Walks are free for all
While our walks free, we rely on the support of generous donors, which allow us to maintain our reach and activities.
Support us with a small donation in-person, or online here.