Tour Information
Note: The information presented here is an abbreviated version of our formal General Information for this tour. Its purpose is solely to give readers a sense of what might be involved if they take this tour. Although we do our best to make sure that what follows here is completely accurate, it should not be used as a replacement for the formal document which will be sent to all tour registrants, and whose contents supersedes any information contained here.
ENTERING GREECE: United States citizens will need a passport valid for at least six months beyond your intended date of departure and with at least one blank page for an entry stamp. No visa is required for tourist visits of fewer than 90 days.
Citizens of other nations should contact the nearest Greek Consulate for entry requirements.
COUNTRY INFORMATION: You can review the U.S. Department of State Country Specific Travel Information at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Greece.html, and the CIA World Factbook background notes on Greece at https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gr.html.
PACE OF TOUR: Most days will start with an optional pre-breakfast excursion lasting between one and two hours and visiting one of the many excellent birding spots close to the hotel. After breakfast we will usually head out for the day. Provided the weather is fine, we’ll have a picnic lunch. Some days we may return to the hotel for a break in the afternoon, but generally we’ll be out birding until about an hour before dinner at around 8:00 pm.
The tour is not strenuous, but in a couple of places we will walk on stony ground and up rocky valleys. Leisurely walks of up to 1 or 2km over easy terrain will be all that is required.
HEALTH: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all travelers be up to date on routine vaccinations. These include measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine, varicella (chickenpox) vaccine, polio vaccine, and your yearly flu shot.
They further recommend that most travelers have protection against Hepatitis A.
The most current information about travelers’ health recommendations can be found on the CDC’s Travel Health website at https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/greece.
Smoking: Smoking is prohibited in the vehicles or when the group is gathered for meals, checklists, etc. If you are sharing a room with a nonsmoker, please do not smoke in the room. If you smoke in the field, do so well away and downwind from the group. If any location where the group is gathered has a stricter policy than the WINGS policy, that stricter policy will prevail.
Miscellaneous: Insects can be a nuisance at times. We recommend using insect repellents with a high concentration of DEET.
CLIMATE: It is generally warm and pleasant in late April with temperatures ranging between 15°C (59°F) and 23°C (73°F) in the daytime, but cooler in the early morning and evenings. However, the weather is unpredictable at this time of year, and we could experience rain during our stay.
ACCOMMODATION: Throughout the tour we will be staying at a comfortable, good quality hotel. All rooms have a private bathroom with a shower. Hairdryers not provided, bring your own if you think you need one.
There is a nice (outdoor) swimming pool at the hotel, and guests are welcome to use this, but we are seldom if ever at the hotel at a time of the day when the temperature is conducive to swimming. Alternatively, the sea is just in front of the hotel, less than a minutes’ walk away.
Internet Access: Our hotel has a reasonably good Wifi connection and guests can use this on their own devices free of charge. Mobile phone access is very good throughout most of the island.
FOOD: Meals at the hotel are a buffet consisting of a variety of local foods. Our picnic lunches are based around a Greek salad provided by the hotel augmented by local cheeses, cold meats, and fruit purchased by the leaders. On our final evening we will head into the nearby coastal village for a meal at a local restaurant. Vegetarians are well catered for.
Food Allergies/Requirements: We cannot guarantee that all food allergies can be accommodated at every destination. Participants with significant food allergies or special dietary requirements should bring appropriate foods with them for those times when their needs cannot be met. Announced meal times are always approximate depending on how the day unfolds. Participants who need to eat according to a fixed schedule should bring supplemental food. Please contact the WINGS office if you have any questions.
Drinks: Bottled water, a soft drink, beer or wine are provided at meals. In addition, we keep a supply of bottled water on the tour vehicles.
TRANSPORTATION: Transportation will be in minibuses driven by the leaders. Participants must be willing and able to ride in any seat in our tour vehicles.
Updated: 02 October 2023