A well-kept secret in plain view! Only a 20-minute ride from downtown Athens will get us to Ymittos mountain, a protected NATURA 2000 nature reserve - ideal for hikers, mountain runners, and anyone interested in Byzantine sights. Accompanied by experienced Trekking Hellas Athens guides, we hike in this Mediterranean forest, adapted to the distinctive climatic regime of summer drought and cool, moist winters, as we explore nature, wildlife, historic monasteries, and one of the few remaining medieval sites in Athens. We will visit two of the oldest Byzantine monasteries (one of them still operating) and learn how the monks cultivated their land and pass by the old olive grove. *You can choose one of the excellent picnic spots around the monastery for your break, or we will stop at the site called Kalopoula for a snack & refreshments in the woods