Androusa Castle, Messinia
A fun and informative tour about olive oil that starts with a relaxing “olivewalk” inside the 13th century castle of Androusa, a visit at an old olive grove and a garden, continues at the traditional and the modern olive oil Mill and ends up with a revealing olive oil tasting workshop by a certified olive oil taster, accompanied with traditional olive oil based dishes.
Enjoy an easy walk inside the olive grove with the 1.000 olive trees and start your morning in the relaxing landscape…visit the family vineyard and garden and pick up seasonal fruits such as figs, mandarins, oranges, grapes, apples, pears etc.
Our next stop is at the magnificent 13th century castle of Androusa, located 5 minutes drive from the Olive Grove. Walk inside the castle with the breathtaking view of the endless olive valley, learn about different varieties of olive trees and discover the history, the tradition and the mythical story of the castle’s olive trees…An interactive ”olive game” will keep you smiling the whole time!
Only 200m away from the castle, in the center of Androusa village, visit a unique olive oil mill that is located there for more than 120 years. Discover the history of the traditional olive oil Mill and find out about the procedure of the extraction, the storage and standardization process of the extra virgin olive oil in the past and nowadays at the modern olive oil Mill.
Inside the traditional olive oil Mill the dining table is set with the special blue olive oil tasting glasses awaiting you to become a tasting expert! Taste the extra virgin olive oil of the Koroneiki variety, learn about its sensory characteristics and recognize the elements that define the extra virgin olive oil. Taste different varieties of Greek extra virgin olive oil such us “Manaki”, “Chalkidikis”, “Makris” etc and feel like an olive oil taster!
What about food? The extra virgin olive oil of different varieties is matched with traditional recipes including yogurt, fruit and vegetables. You will be surprised!
The day, full of emotions and new knowledge, ends with a variety of traditional dishes..Fresh vegetables from our garden, Greek Gruyère cheese, tzatziki, Kalamata olives, olive tapenade, lalagia (local breadsticks), smoked sausage, spinach pie and of course wine & ouzo.
The history, the soul, the tradition, the gastronomy of Messinia are revealed through the olive oil paths… enjoy a unique experience in our endless olive groves filled with the wisdom, the flavor and the aroma of Peloponnese.
Messinia
In only 10 minutes drive from our Olive Groves you can visit the city of Ancient Messene.
Messene is a significant ancient city in terms of its size, form, and state of preservation, and still has much to offer. It possesses not only sanctuaries and public buildings, but also imposing fortifications, and houses and tombs. It enjoys, amongst other things, the advantage of never having been destroyed or covered by later settlements, and is located on an unspoiled inland site. Its natural setting combines the grandeur of the mountains of Delphi with the low-lying, riverine tranquillity of Olympia, the dominating bare limestone mass of Ithome, the site of the ancient acropolis, with the low fertile valley around the ancient city.
Descending from Mavromati village, we reach the Museum. Passing through the vineyards and the olive fields, we see on the right the theatre of ancient Messene with its spectacular walls, and on the left, the Arsinoi Fountain. Moving on to a narrow path, we see on our left the Market, and after that, the sacred area of Asklipieion.