GREECE, short cultural itineraries
MESSINIA
Discover a different view of Southwestern Greece, the Peloponnese and Messenia of the Olive. At the south-west end of Greece, Messinia endowed with a beautiful nature and rich cultural heritage, is an interesting destination 365 days a year. In Messinia some of the earliest testimonies about the olive have been discovered, such as the olive tree ideograms and the olive oil storehouses in Nestor’s palace in Chora, which prove that Messinia is one of the oldest olive countries. The thread of olive history continues in the neighboring Ancient Olympia and Laconia, where there is one of the most interesting Olive Museums in the Mediterranean…
In the Peloponnese, many are the routes that you can follow to experience the olive culture… On your way you will see beautiful olive groves, century-old olive trees, traditional and modern olive presses, important olive-related industrial monuments, monasteries and small churches illuminated even with olive oil lamps and numerous taverns where you can taste the famous Kalamata olives and local dishes cooked with the olive oil of the region, one of the best olive oil in the world…
If you leave Messinia in the direction of Patras, it is worth taking a detour to Ancient Olympia, the birthplace of the Olympic Games closely related to the history and symbolism of the olive…
If you head to Sparta, visit the Olive & Greek Olive Museum in the center of the Laconian capital, one of the best Olive Museums in the Mediterranean…
NOTE:
These routes are suitable for all ages.
For organized tours, please contact us: info@olivetreeroute.gr
Route 1: Kalamata-Stavropigio-Kardamili and return to Kalamata (via Doloi)
Starting from Kalamata, take a stop at Stavropigio and visit the classic Skarapalezos olive oil mill. If you go there during the olive season, you can watch the oil production as it used to be, and try fresh olive oil in “kapsales” (toasted or half-baked bread slice)
Through the beautiful olive groves of Mani, continue towards Kardamili, look for the ruined olive oil-soap factory ‘Liakea’, one of the most important monuments of the industrial history of Greece, now abandoned, on the beach of this beautiful town. If you have time, visit the old town and enjoy a meal overlooking the Mediterranean.
Returning to Kalamata and taking to Stavropigio the direction to the sea and picturesque Kitries, after Dolloi take a stop at the chapel of Ag. Nikolaos you will find on your way and turn on the lamp that burns even today with olive oil… At the end of this road, turn right to Kalamata or left to scenic Kitries, 1 km from there …
Route 2: Kalamata-Ancient Messini-Samarina-Androussa-Chora
If you choose this direction and regardless of the starting point of your tour, visit Ancient Messina, one of the best preserved ancient Greek cities surrounded by a beautiful olive grove landscape … Outside the archaeological site, look for Arcadian gate and the city wall, from which the view of the Messinian plain is impressive…
In Androusa, besides the castle of this small town, you can also visit the modern olive oil mill M. & T. Kontopoulos, a family business with a long tradition of producing quality olive oil.
On the outskirts of Androusa, look for the beautiful chapel of Samarina, a jewel of Byzantine architecture in a beautiful landscape with olives, oranges and vineyards…
A necessary stop for this route is the Palace of Nestor in Chora of Trifilia, an important monument (1200 BC) with rare finds for everyday life in the Mycenaean times. Here, the ideograms of olive oil and olives of linear B’ script are discovered, which are some of the oldest testimonies about the presence of the olive.