Eternal Greece Ltd

Ancient Eleusis, Aegosthena and Porto Germeno

The magnificent archaeological site of Eleusis combined with the archaeological site of Aegosthena and the charming coastal village of Porto Germeno, all in an one-day tour in...

Itinerary

Western Attica is dotted with sites of superlative archaeological value as well as spots of great natural beauty, yet is relatively little-known when compared with such famous mainstays as the Acropolis of Athens and the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion.

This one-day tour addresses this glaring gap on the map by combining the magnificent archaeological site of Eleusis with the archaeological site of Aegosthena and the charming coastal village of Porto Germeno.

The day is off to an early start with our visit to Eleusis, the second most important sacred site in ancient Greece after Delphi. Fittingly, it was recently selected as the European Capital of Culture in Greece for 2021. Eleusis was famed for its Eleusinian Mysteries, was home to the famous legend of Demeter and was also one of the prominent Gates to Hades of ancient Greece.

We then proceed among the verdant mountain scenery of NW Attica for lunch at the seaside modern village of Porto Germeno. This attractive, yet little-known to foreign visitors, locale has its own long sandy and pebbly beach and is dotted with tavernas, small shops and coffee shops.

A short walk from Porto Germeno will whisk us to Aegosthena, an ancient Greek fortified city-port on a sheltered bay in the eastern reaches of the Gulf of Corinth, guarding the strategic pass between forested Mt Kithaeron and Mt Pateras. Aegosthena boasts the best-preserved tower from ancient Greece as well as two charming small Byzantine chapels within the ancient fortifications. We will explore the extensive site and its beautiful settings before returning to Athens.

Are you more independent-minded?
This programme is also available in a self-drive version!
Find out more on Self-Drive Tours

Map

Included

  • Air-conditioned minibus or coach
  • Tour leader and licenced guide
  • Lunch
  • Entry tickets to archaeological sites and museums
  • Pick from and return to central Athens hotel or agreed meeting point

Not Included

  • Tips and gratuities to driver, guide and at taverna
  • Travel insurance

Points to Note

The tour is accompanied by an expert, licensed guide who is fluent in English. Transport is by air-conditioned coach and lunch will take place at a picturesque seaside location and restaurant gratuities.

The programme does not include flights to and from Greece and personal travel insurance. An example of how to obtain travel insurance can be found here.

Good and comfortable walking gear is a must. As the tours take place nearly all the year, waterproofs in non-summer months are recommended, even though they may well prove unnecessary. As the safety and comfort of all our travellers are of paramount importance to us, we might need to adjust at our sole responsible discretion the routeing and/or the activities should weather or other conditions so dictate.

The final applicable price will depend on the number of participants of the tour.

Testimonials

  • An excellent tour of fortresses in the Peloponnese which also took in many of the classical sites.

    Our guide Eric organised the tour, hotel airport transfers, and advised on other sights so we really had nothing to do but enjoy the experience.

    Already looking forward to another trip with him again.

    Recommended on TripAdvisor Eternal Greece Ltd
    Peloponnese fortress tour, by Anhourused
  • Eric Cauchi, representing Eternal Greece Ltd, was one of the main people responsible for organising the tour for about 40 people.

    He paid great attention to detail both before and during the trip and on the tour nothing was too much trouble. I would not hesitate to go on future Eternal Greece tours.

    Recommended on TripAdvisor Eternal Greece Ltd
    Peloponnese fortress tour, by Auxfireman
  • We travelled through the Peloponnese with the Fortress Study Group on a 10 day tour organized by Eternal Greece Ltd. We visited a mix of sites from classical and pre-history, through Venetian and Ottoman times. This mix gave us a picture of the breadth of Greek history instead of just a single slice of time which we much appreciated. We had an excellent archaeologist guide and an excellent driver.

    Eric Cauchi, the proprietor of Eternal Greece, travelled with us as the tour director and trouble-shooter in chief. His own passion for archaeology and for his country added to the trip experience. The hotels he booked for us were excellent, all very clean and comfortable, with friendly staff and most on the sea with beautiful views. The restaurants he selected for our meals served delicious traditional Greek food family style, far superior to what one might expect for a group meal.

    Having never been to Greece before, we came into Athens 4 days early. We had many pre-trip questions which Eric always answered very promptly. He assisted us with several aspects of our planning before we set foot in Greece. He booked an Athens hotel in an excellent location for us and arranged airport transports which worked perfectly. When we decided to do a day-trip to Delphi and asked if he could recommend some companies for us to contact, he responded with the name and cost of a group tour company with pros/cons and the offer of arranging a private driver and guide for us with pros/cons. He also offered to, and subsequently did, email the rest of the group participants to see if anyone might be interested in sharing the private tour to bring down the costs. The driver and guide Eric arranged were very professional, tailored the day to our interests, and made the day a wonderful memory for us.

    When, as part of our planning, we decided that we might like to use our free time on the last evening of the Peloponnese tour to see an additional site some distance away from our hotel on our own, we emailed Eric to enquire as to whether time-wise this might be feasible and if we would have trouble finding a taxi to take us and wait. Eric advised that renting a car would be better. We expressed concern about finding a car rental place that would be open till 9:00 p.m. on a Sunday evening. Eric responded within hours with contact information for a rental location around the corner from our hotel that would be open till 9 p.m.

    Eric’s level of service was superb. We would travel again on a trip arranged by Eternal Greece and we definitely recommend Eternal Greece.

    Summerclouds053117
  • Dear Eric,

    Thank you so much for all the work you put in to organise such a wonderful trip. The time has flown and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I hope to come across Eternal Greece again.

    Recommended on TripAdvisor Eternal Greece Ltd
    Pamela M.
  • Dear Eric,

    Hope I am not disturbing you from your well-deserved slumbers, but just to thank you so much for organising an excellent programme for the FSG and looking after everyone so well.

    I hope our paths meet again some time.

    Recommended on TripAdvisor Eternal Greece Ltd
    Richard A.