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We create unique experiential and cultural trips, food & wine experiences, hiking adventures and family trips all around Greece.

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Culinary trip to the Messinian Mani

Culinary trip to the Messinian Mani

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(1 Review)

Discover the finest in food, wine and local products that the broader area of Messinia and Mani have to offer!

Feed the body. Feed the mind. That’s what this journey is about!

Tasting the locally distinct foods of a destination can be equally charming and enlightening as exploring a region’s unique culture, history and nature. By a region’s food, one can understand its true, unchanging character. How people eat and the different types of foods, herbs and spices can explain a lot about a culture, without any words!

 

During this culinary journey we will discover the finest in food, wine and local products that the broader area of Messinia and Mani have to offer. We will learn how to make homemade pasteli, a sesame & honey bar, we will taste organic olive oil, we will learn how to collect natural sea salt, we will visit a 100 year old traditional bakery, we will taste local wine; a revelation of the best kept culinary secrets of Morea just for you!

 

Although the main focus of this tour is gastronomic, the Messinian Mani has a wealth of Byzantine churches and places of interest to explore, treasures of exquisite beauty that you will enjoy during this trip!

Key highlights of this journey:

– Explore the picturesque village of Kardamyli
– Learn about olive oil making, pasteli making from local craftsmen and sea salt collection
– Taste authentic gastronomic traditions of Messinian Mani
– Discover the byzantine villages and churches of the 13th century, from Kardamyli to Areopolis
– Stroll through the old city of Kalamata and its Castle

Customize this trip!

This trip can be customized to your personal travel wishes! To learn more about the trip and enquire about prices, please fill in the form and our team will be in touch with you as soon as possible.

3 days
Food & Wine Trips
Multi-day Trips
  • Destination
    Peloponnese
  • Departure
    Airport/hotel pick-up!
  • Departure Time
    8:30 AM
  • Dress Code
    Casual. Comfortable athletic clothing, hiking shoes, hat, sun screen

From our gallery

Photos of the places we visit during this trip

Tour Plan

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Day 1: Kalamata

We leave Athens and begin our journey at Zevgolatio where we experience making our own homemade pasteli, an invigorating and energetic sweet known since the times of Herodotus. We depart for Kalamata, the capital and central port of Messinia, situated at the site of ancient Farai. We walk at the old part of the city to enjoy its picturesque ambience and visit the Castle of Kalamata, which was built in 1208 by William II of Villehardouin. We explore the food market of the old city and discover hidden little shops with local delicacies, herbs and spices and wines. Our lunch will be prepared by a Messinian chef, who will acquaint us with the culinary treasures of the region. We continue our tour to the village of Doloi to see the historically preserved part of the old cobbled path over the settlements Kitries- Doloi and the byzantine church of Agia Paraskevi with the beautiful frescoes of 1698. We depart for the village of Kardamyli, where we have a food tasting experience with traditional local products. We spend the night in Kardamyli.
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Day 2: Byzantine Treasures in Messinian Mani

We start our day with a short walk on the footpath that leads to the house where Patrick Leigh Fermor, the famous British travel writer and scholar, used to live. At the village of Trahila we learn about the collection of natural sea salt at the saltpans and depending on the season we collect our own. Byzantine churches with interesting architecture, fine art paintings and frescoes are our main focus during our road trip through the villages of Platsa and Nomitsi. We continue for Areopoli where we take a short walk in the picturesque village and taste traditional bread and whole-wheat crusts made in a 180 years old wood fired oven. Our lunch is at the village of Old Itilo, where we taste home cooked local recipes. Leaving Itilo we visit the 16th century monastery of Dekoulou. At the afternoon we return to Kardamyli for some free time.
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Day 3: Kardamyli & Stoupa

There is an optional early morning walk at an old footpath from Petrochori to Kardamili. It is led by a local expert in herb collection, with whom you will observe local herbs. Alternatively you can stroll in the old town of Kardamyli. We visit the Tower of Mourtzinos, that belonged to the last “captain” (local lord) of Mani and is a typical fortified house of Messinian Mani. A selected menu of old recipes of Mani will be cooked just for us in Stoupa, after we visit the village of Kastania, a major Byzantine center since the 13th century, which despite its historical significance is still untouched by tourism. In the evening we begin our return to Athens.

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What's included

  • Accommodation in hotels or characterful local guesthouses with breakfast
  • Private vehicle throughout the tour
  • Experienced tour leader
  • Culinary tasting experiences with organic olive oil and local products
  • Information material
  • Liability Insurance
  • All applicable taxes

What's not included

  • Personal expenses
  • Entrance fees to museums
  • Food, drinks and beverages if not mentioned above
  • Tips
  • Anything not specified in the “what’s included” section
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