Tour highlights
• Explore the beautiful lake Doxa and the historic monastery of Aghios Georgios
• Meet with local producers in Goura village and learn about the cultivation of Greek pulses
• Taste delicious local food made of local products
• Visit the Environment Museum of Stymphalia lake
• Have a wine-tasting experience in a traditional wine estate
Itinerary
We start our day from central Athens heading south until we reach the Isthmus of Corinth where we have a short stop to admire the Corinth Canal, one of the first major constructions of modern Greece, which connects the Gulf of Corinth with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea. After this short break we head towards the broader area of Doxa and Feneou up in the mountains of Corinthia region.
Our first stop will be at the man-made lake of Doxa, which was created in 1996 with the construction of a damn that retains the water of the river of the same name. Its circumference is no more than 5 km, but it is rich in variety. On the end of a strip of land that juts out into the water and reaches the middle of the lake, we will find the church of Aghios Fanourios. A short distance away we will visit the 17th century monastery of Aghios Georgios, which is known for its brilliant views over the water as well as the rose spoon sweet that the monks have been making here for 20 years.
Continuing our tour we will follow the route that leads to the villages of Feneos plateau surrounded by mountains.Today, across an expense of 20,000 hectares and at an altitude of 700-800m, PDO pulses are grown, including Fasolia Vanilies Feneou (Feneos “Vanilla Beans”), yellow split peas (fava in Greek), belonging to grass pea and other pulses. We will meet with local producers and we will learn about their cultivation. In a traditional restaurant we will have a delicious meal tasting local traditional food made of local products.
Next we will head towards Stymphalia lake and the interesting Environment Museum. Unlike Doxa, which is man-made, Stymphalia is a natural body of water. In myth, the basin was said to be home to the Stymphalian birds – the man-eating beasts that Hercules defeated as his sixth feat. Visiting the lake we will see flat, cultivated expanses, the pretty view up to the slopes of Mount Ziria, as well as shepherds with their flocks.
At the Environment Museum of Stymphalia we will explore the history of ancient and modern humans around the lake – as well as how they have lived off it. During your visit you can enjoy a view over the water and engage in some birdwatching.
Our last stop will be at a traditional wine estate at the nearby village of Klimenti where we will meet with local wine makers and have a wine-tasting experience with vine Greek varieties of Roditis and Agiorgitiko. Late in the afternoon we will start our return back to Athens.
