26 Mar 2022
My wife and I were in Greece and had someone book a hiking trip and kayaking trip for us. We did not know anything about Explore Messinia. We are so glad we booked the trips because the hiking and the kayaking were some of the best parts of our trip. Fotis took us on a hike in Kardamyli. It is a great hike through the hills and through little villages along the way. We had lunch in the most beautiful spot facing the snow capped mountains. His lunch was the ultimate Greek lunch with fresh vegetables, bread and olive oil, cheese, olives, all sprinkled with his secret ingredients of sea salt and oregano. He is a life long resident of the area so he is the ultimate animator, bringing the hills to life with his stories of history and his real life experiences harvesting the olive trees. If we had another day we would have booked another hike with him.
Instead we had a trip with another person in the family business, Giorgos his cousin and his colleague George. Their first priority was to make sure we had fun. Their experience showed through at every turn as they guided us on the shores of the Gulf, giving tips on appropriate technique and safety, along with interesting stories about the culture and the sea. The lunch was as good as what Fotis put together with his own twists of fruit and cheese.
I cannot say enough good things about Explore Messinia. Instead of treating us like customers, they treated us like friends and family. When we go back, we will definitely plan a trip with Explore Messinia.