Walking tour & lunch in Kalamata

Duration

3 hours

Group size

Up to 10 people

Type

Food tours

Language

English - US, Greek

Mama's Flavours

Hello everyone! I am Maria Monastirioti, I am Greek and I welcome you to my beautiful country, Greece! I come from Lefkada and Corfu, two of the most beautiful islands in the Ionian Sea but since 2006 I have been living with my family in Kalamata city in Messinia region in the wonderful mainland of Peloponnese.

I have a Bachelor’s degree in Librarianship and Information Systems and after graduating, I had the chance to work as a librarian in several kinds of libraries where I got very much experienced. But since 2014, I have been working on Mama’s flavours, a Social Cooperative Enterprise specialized in the authentic travel experience and the Greek gastronomy tourism.

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The Experience

Discover the sights of Kalamata with a local!

If you’re looking for authentic hospitality, fun and relaxation in one of the most beautiful cities of the Peloponnese, this 3-hour walking tour is just for you.

Join us for a wonderful journey through space and time, where legends come to life and become a game, weaving the marvellous history of Kalamata in Messinia region.

Where

You’ll stroll around one of the most beautiful coastal cities of the Peloponnese: Kalamata.

Our journey through time starts from Homer and the heroes of the Iliad. It then continues on to the Byzantine years with the Franks, the Venetians and the Turks, reaching all the way up to the 19th and 20th century, when Kalamata was reborn through the ashes and transformed into the beautiful modern city it is today.

When

The Walking tour experience is available Monday-Sunday all-year round, either in the mornings or in the afternoons. Official holidays are excluded.

Your Itinerary

The Walking tour experience

Put on your walking shoes and enjoy a beautiful stroll through the streets of Kalamata!

Meeting Point

Maria, our passionate food lover and local host, will be waiting for you at the beautiful central square of Kalamata, Vasileos Geogiou Square, (Πλατεία Βασιλέως Γεωργίου) in front of the Statues (Agalmata) of the Messinian war Heroes of 1821.

What you’ll discover

After a warm welcome, you’ll set off on your walking experience and together we’ll discover some of the more interesting sights. You’ll not just find out all about their history, but also about the people of the time, their way of life and funny stories about their day-to-day routine.

Some of the Walking Tour highlights:

Cultural centre - Nikolaos and Regina Pantazopoulou Neoclassical building
General State Archives Building
Church of Agios Nikolaos
19th century Classical and Neoclassical Buildings
Mavromichali Square
Victoria G. Karelias Collection of Greek Traditional Costumes Museum
Frangolimna Square
Old Karelia Tobacco Factory
Upper Square / Church of Presentation of Jesus (Ypapanti tou Sotiros)
St. Constantine and Helen Convent
The area around Kalamata's Frankish Castle
Archaeological Museum
Amfeia Square or Paplomatadika (Quilt Makers)
Byzantine Church of the Holy Apostles
Othonos Square
Varvoutsis and Lontos Galleries

The leisurely stroll continues around the small alleys of the city and walk around the sights that interest you.

Half-way through the tour, you might feel a bit peckish, so stopping at a small traditional shop for a few minutes is a must! It’s the ideal way to get to know the rich culinary tradition of this area, tasting one of its local delicacies.

During our walking tour, you’ll have time to do some shopping and at the end you may wish to enjoy a mouthwatering local lunch in one of the cosiest Coffee Shop-Cum-Ouzo taverns in Kalamata.

Why tour with a local

Visiting a new place is always a unique and beautiful experience. You usually visit museums, marvel at monuments and the sights, go shopping around the main streets and maybe watch the people go by.

How would you feel if you were able to discover the old, hidden stories behind everything you see? Or if you found out about true stories of love and betrayal that have become novels?

If you have a local walking next to you, you’ll get to do all that and so much more!

Before we bid our farewells, we’ll give you all the inside tips about where to shop, where to have the most delicious meal and where to have fun in Kalamata. You just need to ask!

Tips

To make your experience even more memorable, here are some tips:

Wear comfortable clothes and shoes, a hat and sunglasses, as you will spend quite a bit of time outdoors.
Notify us of any special dietary needs (e.g. vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, flexitarian, etc.)
Notify us of any allergies (e.g. food allergies, allergies to bees, etc.)

Inclusions

All taxes

Local delicacies / coffee / bottle of water

Local host throughout the experience

Exclusions

Light or full lunch (upon request)

Personal purchases from local shops (optional)

Tips and gratuities (optional)

Transfer services may be provided upon request and at an extra charge

We emphasize the ''faces behind the places'' and to our local personality, providing experiences located at the source of production, with fewer crowds, less traffic and pollution.

We are specialized in the authentic travel experience and Greek gastronomy tourism.

We design, organize and offer tailor made, personalized, authentic, gastronomic experiences and unique agro tourism activities in the mainland of Peloponnese, Greece in: Messinia, Arcadia, Laconia, Argolida and Korinthia.

Our exciting experiences include: traditional food tours, cooking classes with local chefs and the Greek mums in agrotouristic, eco-friendly farms, exciting olive oil tastings with visits in traditional olive mills and in traditional olive groves, unique wine tastings in local wineries, honey tastings, harvesting of fruits and vegetables from local fields and gardens, tasting of Greek traditional handmade products, visits in distilleries, dairy farms, breweries, visits in small Greek villages and local workshops, Greek mouthwatering lunches and dinners with endless mezedes and more...