Eumelia Organic Agritourism

Eumelia Agritourism is an organic, eco-friendly, farm stay in the Laconia region of southern Peloponnese, Greece, an area rich in historical sites, picturesque villages and enchanting rural landscapes. There is a lot to do at Eumelia, it’s a unique sustainable development agritourism and eco-tourism, and guests can partake in as much or as little as they like of such things as fruit, vegetable and herb collecting, olive oil and marmalade making, wine tasting & making, cooking & baking classes, massage therapies, yoga and natural soap making workshops.

THE ACCOMMODATION:

The have a number of cute, ecologically friendly, cottages which have all modern comforts, including flat screen satellite TV, and are stylishly minimalist with soothing pastel shades all around. They can sleep up to four people each and all come with a lounge area with fireplace, and a well equipped kitchen where guests can cook with ingredients that they are welcome to collect from the farm. And though the accommodation is self catering there is a farm to table restaurant at the property which serves healthy organic fare all day starting with a Greek breakfast. Outside they each have their own terrace with views over the farm and the surrounding mountains, and a small private garden area.

All the buildings on the farm use geothermal power for heating and cooling, and they use a standard bearing root system natural waste management, the first of its kind in the south of Greece. They also host organic & eco weddings, yoga retreats and various workshops and events for wellbeing.

THE FARM:

A range of organic fruit, vegetables and herbs are grown on the farm, from which they make a variety of things, including their own branded virgin olive oil (which you can buy to take home), home made wine and various other bits and pieces. They also have some animals at the farm; hens, sheep, rabbits and dogs.

You can join in as much farm activity as you like with a whole host of activities to choose from depending on the season; fruit, herb and vegetable harvesting, olive and grape pressing etc. and the enthusiastic farm owners are always very happy to show guests around the farm and explain a little about some of their homeodynamic/biodynamic/permaculture farming principles

They have a rather unique, something akin to homeopathic, approach to farming in that the plants that grow are treated collectively as a complex, inter-dependant, organism just like the human body. Almond trees were planted alongside olives trees for example with this philosophy in mind, and later they began to intersperse cypress trees, pine trees and grape vines. Water is recycled and used for irrigation, and compost is made from all the organic material at the farm including household waste.

THE LOCATION:

Eumelia agritourism is in the Laconia prefecture of the Peloponnese, near the little village of Gouves. An area not as much visited by foreign tourists as the infamous Greek Islands of course but one which has great swathes of lovely countryside full of cute villages, old Greek rural traditions and historic sites including the site of ancient Sparta, less than an hour away by car. There are some good beaches nearby too and the area is great for eco-tourism activities such as hiking, mountain biking (you can hire bikes for free from the farm stay), horse riding and kayaking, especially around the Evrotas River and the Parnonas and Taygetos mountains which have many peaks over 2000 meters.

The central part of the Taygetos mountains are a protected habitat; an ‘Important Bird Area’ of Greece, and has many species of bird life seldom seen in other parts of Europe, 87 recorded species in total including eagles such as the golden eagle, the short toed eagle and Bonelli’s eagle. You might also spot some of the 100 species of butterfly, or the 19 species of mammals which call the area home, such as foxes, weasels and even some of the very rare European, or golden, jackals.

The nearest city to Eumelia agritourism is Sparta, about 45 minutes away, while the larger city of Kalamata is about two hours to the west. The journey from Athens should take just over three hours. Kalamata though also has an airport with daily flights from Athens via Olympic Airlines.

WHAT OTHER GUESTS SAY:

“The location is absolutely fantastic. Very peaceful surrounded by beautiful nature. The owners are super warm and welcoming and inspiring and and we loved staying there. The food was absolutely amazing and prepared with much love. A beautiful place to stay – highly recommended!!..”

“Delightful, welcoming stay for a family of five! Not easy to do in Europe. A beautiful location on such an interesting farm. The owners were so welcoming and warm; had a great dinner recommendation and breakfast the next morning was a wonderful way to start our day. Could not say more and look forward to our next opportunity to visit!…”

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