A Growing Trend: the Agritourism Destinations of Greece

 

Farm-to-table dining is nice, but a meal at an actual farm is better. Here, you get to choose your eggs from the coop and pull your carrots from the soil.

Greece has a lot more to offer than sandy beaches. Take a look in the produce aisle of a supermarket and you’ll see the proof; plump stone fruit, oranges, sweet watermelon, grapes and tomatoes are just some of the many products grown in the country’s farms. Most of them are small and family-run; some feature guesthouses or restaurants and happen to be the perfect places to visit for alternative, agritourism vacations. By stepping into the role of a farmer for a day or a week, you get to know the locals and their traditions, while also reconnecting with nature.

You’ll find agritourism enterprises surrounded by olive groves and vineyards on the islands and in the Peloponnese, or in the mushroom-filled forests in the mountains of the mainland. You’ll even find a few just outside Athens. Staying in their guesthouses, you’re invited to join in the daily work, which, depending on the season, could be anything from planting vegetables to pruning trees, herding sheep or harvesting olives. Sharing meals and learning from the people who have worked the land their whole lives, you’ll soon feel like a local.

Foodies will find it especially rewarding. It’s the ultimate farm-to-table experience; before each meal, you’ll visit the vegetable patch, the orchard and the chicken coop, and gather the freshest ingredients you’ll ever taste. You’ll learn that Greek cuisine is different in every part of the country, shaped by the local terroir, and by recognizing what grows nearby, you’ll gain an understanding of the local cuisine (a farmhouse in the forest-clad mountains of Pindus will use ingredients such as fruit and mushrooms, whereas one on the island of Crete will be stocked with bread rusks, olives and raki).

You’ll also sample organic niche products such as natural wine, truffles in central Greece and acorn flour cookies on Kea. Traditional cooking classes and tastings are available on demand, and every meal, cooked with only seasonal local products, is authentic, rustic and delicious.

Για την ομάδα: Εύα Μπέλλου