Five Must-Visit Magical Guesthouses in the Peloponnese

Foresta in Medias Mores

Nestled in the central Peloponnesian village of Vlahokerasia, only a two-hour drive from Athens and solely an hour from Kalamata, Nafplio or Gytheio, is the bucolic guesthouse Foresta in Medias Mores. The identify, drawing inspiration from the Latin phrase “in medias res,” refers to a forest inside the historic area of Morias and precisely conveys the sense that its guests have of being on the coronary heart of all of it.

One 12 months earlier than the guesthouse opened, Tasos Mitsios, a famend mountaineer, unveiled a shocking 14-km round mountain climbing path across the village. This meticulously designed path weaves by means of numerous landscapes, skirting rivers and is derived and passing outdated fountains and water mills, all surrounded by lush vegetation, together with airplane timber, chestnuts, cherries, and walnuts. The trail begins on the banks of the Eurotas River and runs by means of the legendary Skiritida forest, as soon as dwelling to the elite Spartan warriors often called the “Skirites.” The forest, spanning 12,500 acres and dotted with chestnut and black pines, offers a magical backdrop for mountain climbing and biking adventures. Mountain bikes can be found upon request from the guesthouse.

The village of Vlahokerasia has emerged as a chief vacation spot for hikers, sustaining its enchantment even in the course of the quieter winter interval. The guesthouse itself radiates a summery vibe regardless of being outfitted with fireplaces in every room. The decor is a mixture of simplicity and magnificence, that includes white and inexperienced hues, wooden and stone accents, and vases stuffed with amaranths, and all of the rooms supply breathtaking views.

In the summertime months, there are loads of actions, particularly for youngsters, together with an journey observe and a mock Indian village. There are additionally yoga and Pilates periods, and the courtyard is usually filled with diners having fun with al fresco meals.

Breakfast is served within the café with the hearth and contains eggs from the institution’s personal hens, jams made by the proprietor of the guesthouse, native cheeses comparable to manouri and Tripoli graviera, and. relying on the season, apple pie, conventional milk pie, orange pie, and pies with fennel. Potatoes and different greens are from the backyard.

The proprietor’s daughter Nadia prepares hearty lasagna (utilizing native pasta); trahanas (fermented cracked wheat) with PDO Tripoli feta; boiled goat; child goat on a spit; and savory pies. In winter, roasted chestnuts are served, too. Winter can be when you may take part in one of many actions organized by the social cooperative enterprise 5 Ente in Doliana Kynourias (half-hour away); it collaborates with Foresta and operates within the wider space.

You possibly can hike with them by means of winter surroundings gathering mushrooms or chestnuts after which prepare dinner them outside or within the hearth at Foresta, the place you may as well get pleasure from the native “tsoukalokauto,” made by boiling a neighborhood pink wine along with sugar, cinnamon and different spices. It’s the last word winter hotter!

Archontiko Anyfanti

The 2-storey stone constructing took its present architectural form in 1840, serving because the Anifantis household dwelling. The household resided on the primary ground, the bottom ground housed a textile workshop and retailer, and the dyeing room was within the courtyard. Earlier than that, the construction had been a single-level warehouse, used for storing nitre to provide the gunpowder mills of neighboring Dimitsana throughout Turkish rule.

The home was later bequeathed to the village by Dr. Panagiotis Liberopoulos from Zatouna, with the stipulation that or not it’s remodeled right into a resort. Its renovation, devoted to the unique designs and underneath the steerage of architect Yannis Kizis, spanned from 2005 to 2016. That’s when Natassa Theochari and George Tsiouris entered the image: “One weekend, whereas strolling within the village, we seen the development work. Somebody recommended we get entangled, and with out a lot deliberation, we determined we’d. That’s typical of how we each make selections.”

Their tasteful interventions have introduced trendy magnificence to conventional appeal. Natassa’s brother, Kostas Theocharis, a famend artist and designer, contributed considerably to the decor, creating eight distinctive silkscreen items for the rooms and designing 9 distinct place mats depicting village life in three colours: white, black, and gold. He additionally crafted the guesthouse emblem, which contains a handcrafted font impressed by Byzantine manuscripts.

The constructing boasts wood ceilings painted in conventional Arcadian colours in addition to giant home windows, cornerstones, and domes, all contributing to a grand ambiance that displays its lengthy historical past. The guesthouse presents six spacious rooms, together with two suites with balconies and one with a hearth; all of them have wood flooring, desks, TVs, and comfy bedding. Further facilities embody room service, in-room breakfast, and laptop entry. The sitting space has a extra trendy really feel, and actions embody yoga and Pilates lessons, cooking seminars, and arranged picnics. The picnic baskets include sandwiches with do-it-yourself bread and muffins from the guesthouse, freshly squeezed juice, and extra. They’re good for an satisfying meal by the river or within the space’s dense fir forests.

Basically, top-quality meals is a crucial a part of the philosophy of the guesthouse, reflecting its homeowners’ ardour for hospitality. Theochari and Tsiouris, each avid meals fans, enjoyment of cooking, in refining their recipes, and in enhancing their culinary expertise at the same time as they draw on their households’ wealthy culinary traditions. They create their experience and keenness to bear within the kitchen of the Archontiko Anyfantis restaurant, which presents personal eating choices and serves dishes epitomizing consolation meals. 

Zatouna, positioned in a fertile area simply 4 kilometers from the extra cosmopolitan village of Dimitsana, presents a serene escape but stays inside simple attain of the opposite picturesque villages of Arcadia, and of the River Lousios with its monasteries and mountain climbing trails. Regardless of its very small inhabitants (solely 35 individuals stay right here), Zatouna itself is charming; it has streams and fountains, the Mikis Theodorakis Museum – commemorating the village’s connection to the late, nice composer – and is positioned in a verdant space of nice pure magnificence.

Eumelia

“Eumelia,” which implies “melody” in historical Greek, displays the deep love for music shared by homeowners Fragkiskos Karalis and Marilena Karademou. Different passions of theirs are mirrored within the many books and magazines on Laconia, wine, olive oil, and sluggish journey to be discovered on the guesthouse. Conversations right here typically revolve round permaculture and its myriad features: pure and biodynamic farming, dwelling in tune with nature, and correct vitamin.

Pushed by an eagerness to be taught and a want for sharing and communication, Karalis and Karademou have embraced an alternate way of life they need to share with as many individuals as potential. This imaginative and prescient led to the creation of their agritourism guesthouse in the village of Gouves, simply 12km from the city of Skala in Laconia. The guesthouse, accessible by way of a 2-km grime highway from the village, presents soothing seclusion in a rural setting.

The expansive farm that surrounds it contains an historical olive grove and 35,000 sq.m. of land on which grapevines, almond timber, pine timber, and cypress develop, every contributing to the ecosystem. The development components utilized in the primary constructing and the 5 particular person guesthouses incorporate permaculture rules, emphasizing bioclimatic design to scale back power consumption and environmental impression. The homes are largely energy-self-sufficient.

One other notable function is the pure wastewater purification system utilizing sand and reeds; the recycled water irrigates timber, whereas stable waste is composted for 2 years earlier than serving as fertilizer.

The guesthouse’s wine listing, curated by Karademou, options solely pure wines created from Greek varieties. Their quality-certified olive oil stars in tastings led by Karalis, who explains the manufacturing course of, the distinctiveness of every selection, and correct tasting methods. This olive oil additionally kinds the premise of the handmade soaps Marilena crafts for visitor use. She additional showcases it within the inventive dishes served in the primary constructing; dinner is included with the lodging, as is participation in agritourism actions. For the homeowners of this guesthouse, farm-to-table isn’t only a philosophy; it’s a lifestyle.

The presence of livestock, mixed with the property’s open out of doors areas (through which you’ll even discover a swing) and an assortment of toys, makes Eumelia an excellent place for youngsters.

Pets are additionally welcome, and get their very own particular mattress and bowl within the room.

Mpelleiko

Round 1650, a person named Bellas constructed a household dwelling at an elevation of 1,170 meters overlooking the village of Stemnitsa. This home was handed down by means of generations, from Bellas to Bellas, till it was inherited by Nena Grintzia. In 2003, after spending fifteen years in Piraeus, Grintzia returned to Stemnitsa and remodeled Mpelleiko right into a guesthouse as a way to protect the constructing. By 2006, the guesthouse was able to welcome its first visitors. Initially, it operated from October 28 till Easter, catering largely to Greek guests, however this has since modified.

For the previous seventeen and a half years, the enthusiastic hostess has welcomed visitors to her charming institution, distinguished by its beautiful glass window with mountain views, its heat hearth, the do-it-yourself liqueurs, and a set of board video games. Grintzia is captivated with introducing guests to the realm, offering detailed steerage on locations, and recommending native companies she helps. In the summertime, foreigners comprise 85% of the visitors (the ratio is reversed within the winter), attracted by the chance to benefit from the relaxed mountain village way of life and to interact with native residents.

Stemnitsa, a picturesque conventional settlement in Arcadia, is a perfect base for exploring the close by villages of Dimitsana, Vytina and Lagadia, and the famend monasteries of Lousios; it’s additionally a fantastic base camp for hikers, because it’s the place to begin of the Menalon Path, a well-known 75-km path that runs by means of Arcadia. Grintzia has pioneered the promotion and group of the path alongside a bunch of volunteers.

The guesthouse’s 5 rooms function carpets woven by Grintzia’s grandmother Athanasia; colourful patchwork duvets and cushions crafted by her sister and her mom; hemstitch curtains; reproductions of work by folks artist Christos Kagaras; antiques; and newly made furnishings that enhances the home’s character. The mattresses and cushions are eco-friendly, and rooms have books, CD gamers, CDs, and useful facilities comparable to flashlights and earplugs.

Grintzia’s do-it-yourself breakfast contains eggs and yogurt (created from both sheep’s milk or goat’s milk) from a neighborhood natural farm, native cheeses, and pastries based mostly on recipes that both her mom, her sister or she herself created. Greens from their backyard, omelets, and savory pies with foraged components they accumulate themselves, together with over fifteen kinds of jam created from fruit both picked by them or supplied by associates from their natural gardens, are all on the menu.

This culinary expertise extends to the “Gathering / Cooking with Nena” workshop hosted on the guesthouse, the place the proprietor leads visitors on nature walks in order that they’ll forage, prepare dinner, and dine collectively.

Pritanio

Antonis Papanikolaou, who left Athens and his advertising and gross sales profession behind 20 years in the past, settled within the then-uninhabited village of Polydroso on the slopes of Mt Parnon. He leased the old fashioned, inbuilt 1892, reworking it right into a guesthouse he named Scholarcheio. This enterprise, providing a mix of lodge and guesthouse hospitality, shortly earned a popularity as a comfortable retreat for these in search of to attach with nature. Due to its pleasant various ambiance, it was absolutely booked each weekend. In 2011, when his lease ended and wasn’t renewed, Papanikolaou wasn’t prepared to go away, so he established Pritanio.

Pritanio options eleven rooms unfold throughout three stone buildings that encircle a well-kept courtyard. The rooms boast comfy beds with tender bedding, giant home windows with forest views, fireplaces, and small dwelling areas. They’re embellished in earthy tones with classic gadgets (comparable to trunks, outdated sofas, and even shovels) that the proprietor collected from throughout Greece. This rustic appeal enhances the mountainous environment, including heat.

The communal corridor with its distinctive hearth is a comfortable and unpretentious house, with breathtaking forest views by means of the glass door; a library; handmade wood lamps; tilework; outdated objects; and work by Haris Liamis Yannakos. Papanikolaou believes the draw to Pritanio isn’t the guesthouse itself however the want to attach with nature and expertise real hospitality. He says, “Touring right here is therapeutic: tranquility, a serene forest, pristine water, and infrequently no cell phone sign. We’ve turn out to be overwhelmed by providers and merchandise. How far more can we eat?”

Regardless of that viewpoint, the breakfast buffet he presents is beneficiant, and options do-it-yourself jams, truffles, trachanas, kagianas (a neighborhood model of scrambled eggs), savory pies, pancakes, loukoumades, and salads. You possibly can even get 4 signature cocktails on the bar.

With a welcoming employees and Papanikolaou’s private contact, it’s tempting to hold across the institution, however visitors are inspired to discover the realm. Antonis guides giant teams on off-road mountain adventures; Mt Parnon, nonetheless largely untouched by important vacationer growth, boasts charming villages comparable to Kastanitsa, dense forests of fir, walnut, and chestnut timber, and a complete community of trails, providing wholesome train for the physique and respite for the thoughts.

Polydroso, often known as Tzintzina, with its solitary taverna and café, serves as an excellent place to begin for mountain hikes, with a community of 9 marked trails starting from mild 40-minute walks to longer round hikes. Well-liked routes embody the trail to the cave that homes the Church of Ai-Giannakis and the path to the monastery of Agioi Anargyroi, with loads of choices for cyclists.