Wines, Lakes and Legends: Corinthia and Stymphalia

Wine and Beer Tasting
1 day

An insight to the real, yet not well known, Greece: mythology, natural scenery, archaeology, local wines and traditional cuisine, all rolled into an unforgettable experience!

Enjoy the sublime bouquets of organic wines
Travel back in time to Hercules and his Stymphalian Birds Labour
Be revived by the lakeside walk at Stymphalia and the hike to the ruins of ancient Stymphalos
Relish the local flavours at a typical taverna

This delightful and meticulously-researched tour fuses several attractive themes into an irresistible proposition for a same-day programme that gives an insight to the real, yet not well known, Greece: mythology, natural scenery, archaeology, local wines and traditional cuisine, all rolled into an unforgettable experience!

The tour sets off early in the morning from Athens, via a short stop at the lovely seaside town of Loutraki, so as to embrace the evocative sights, sites, aromas, sounds and flavours of the Corinthia region of northern Peloponnese. Rich is the Corinthian land in history, in magnificent relics of ages past and in legends and rich it also is with the treasures of its land – its wine and its food.

Driving past the impressive Corinth Canal and through the forested mountains of Corinthia, the first destination is an old yet modern winery specialising in the production of organic fine wines created from varieties grown at local vineyards, at an altitude between 650 and 750 metres in a small region of Corinthia noted for its very own and particular micro-climate. The wine tasting is harmoniously accompanied by local Corinthian appetisers.

The tour then proceeds to Lake Stymphalia, the location where legend has it that the ancient hero and demigod Hercules cunningly managed to destroy the predator Stymphalian Birds which plagued the region by performing his Sixth Labour.

Lake Stymphalia and its complex wetland ecosystem is a Natura 2000 natural protection area and is also home to the delightful and rich Environment Museum of Stymphalia, which is one of the tour’s highlights.

The best way to take in any location is on foot and the shores of the lake befit just that. the walk reaching the ruins of the acropolis and town of ancient Stymphalos.

Fittingly, the modern explorers of fabled Corinthia will rest and relax at a local Greek taverna, to sample the local delicacies.

All good things come to an end and the tour finishes in Athens at the designated drop-off point, however what will remain alive are happy memories of the vibrant nature, the myths, the legends, the historical sites and the aroma and flavours of the wine and the food of this blessed land: arguably one of the best ways to end any day!

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

Download the tour information here

Corinth Canal | Lake Stymphalia | Environmental Museum of Stymphalia

Included

Luxury, air-condintioned minibus or coach
Tour guide
Wine tasting and cheese platter at the winery
Museum entry ticket
Meal at a characteristic taverna, including two glasses of wine
One bottle of mineral water during the drive

Not Included

Extra Beverages
Gratuities at the taverna for the tour guide and for driver (optional)

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.

Related

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.

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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.

Related

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.

Related

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.

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Richard A.

Eternal Greece Ltd