This place quickly rose to my list of favourite hikes in Greece. Yes, you read that right.

The region of Ilia (Elis) is fairly unknown to the wider public, not even us Greeks can point it out on the map, in most cases. When it comes to Ilia, most people know about its coastline. Indeed, Ilia is famous for its endless bays, all looking towards the sunset.

There is a totally different side to Ilia, which is Mt Erymanthos and the mountains around. I'm talking about lush green forests, mountain villages, peaks, cooler climate, a different menu at the tavernas, everything is different.

The Centaurs Gorge lies right on the foot of Mt Erymanthos, in the region of Foloi, which took its name from a mythological creature, a Centaur called "Folos". According to the myth, this place was the origin of the Centaurs, the mythical half-human half-horse creatures that roamed around the forests.

What is really special about the Centaurs Gorge is that as you get deeper into the hike, the canyon gets narrower and narrower, until you get to a point where you almost have to walk on the side! At the same time, the forest gets thicker and thicker and you almost need a flashlight even in the middle of the day. There are moments where I really thought a Centaur was going to jump in front of me from behind a rock or something. The silence is insane. You'll almost always not find anybody else on the trail, or it will be just a handful of people at best.

Hiking it begins at the end of the village of Koumani and ends after a good 3-hours hike near the village of Androni, where you will have to walk on the road to get back to your car. Or, you can always hitchhike!