A unique experience of olives collecting in Epirus region
Epirus Traveller in collaboration with Positive Impact Tourism (https://positiveimpacttourism.com) organizes an 8 day unique experience of olives collecting, sightseeing and discovering the coastline of Epirus region.
We invite you to take part in a creative process that goes beyond the boundaries of a simple travel experience; an offer to relive a more traditional way of life, in the Greek countryside: a place filled with impressive secrets.
The olive is the sacred gift of the goddess Athena to the city of Athens, which, according to mythology, took its name from her. It is a tree with many symbols, such as peace, rebirth, fertility, and prosperity, and it forms the basis of the Mediterranean diet. No matter how times change, olive oil remains a fundamental ingredient in Greek cuisine and a valuable, beneficial product for our health.
Our visitors will have the opportunity to be in nature and participate in agricultural activities. The fact that one can wander among the olive trees, acquire interesting knowledge, and lend a hand in the olive harvest is a unique experience that strengthens our connection to the food we eat.
The olive harvest, an agricultural task and economic activity with a long-standing presence in Greece, offers guests the chance to participate in the olive-picking process, as part of a journey through activities and sights in the surrounding area.
After the olives are pressed, the visitor can take home a quantity of olive oil produced from their own labor.
Epirus 2024
From Saturday, November 16 until Saturday, November 23
From Saturday, November 23 until Saturday, November 30
Epirus 2025
From Saturday, November 15 until Saturday, November 22
From Saturday, November 22 until Saturday, November 29
Itinerary as follows
Day – 1 (arrival day), Saturday
Arrival in Athens international airport
Transfer to Preveza town late afternoon (journey is approximately 4 hours)
Departure for Preveza is at 14:00 (Greek time)
Accommodation to the hotel
Presentation of the activities
Dinner in Preveza town
Day – 2
Preparation of the day (equipment, clothing etc)
Meet the elderly locals at the farm and start the day
Collecting the olives from the olive trees using the traditional way, cleaning the olives, put them in baskets
A visit to Zalongo historical monument and a nunnery
This monument is a symbol of self-sacrifice dating back to December 18, 1803 when 60 women from Souli and their children committed suicide to avoid the captivation of the Ottoman Empire. It conveys to the whole world a universal message of sacrifice and freedom. The women were trapped and decided to turn towards the cliff's edge and jump down to their death with their infants and children rather than to submit to the Ottoman troops chasing them.
“On dry land the fish does not live
nor a flower blossom in the sand
And the women of Souli do not live
without freedom”
Μeal to Preveza area
Day – 3
Preparation of the day (equipment, clothing etc)
Meet the elderly locals at the farm and start the day
Collecting the olives from the olive trees using the traditional way, cleaning the olives, put them in baskets
A visit to the ancient Nikopolis
Nikopolis, also known as the 'city of victory', which served as the capital of the Roman province of Epirus. The city was founded in 29 BC by Gaius Julius Caesar Octavian to commemorate his victory over Marc Antony and Cleopatra at the nearby naval Battle of Actium in 31 BC. Soon after its foundation, Nikopolis was declared the capital of the broader Epirus region
Places of interest nearby: Roman nymphaeum, Octavian's campsite memorial at Actium, the Roman Odeum, the main gates, ancient mosaics of a Roman villa, the Pre-Christian walls, and many more.
Meal to Preveza area
Day – 4
Preparation of the day (equipment, clothing etc)
A visit to a traditional refinery and observe how they produce your olive oil
At the end of the procedure you will get your pure olive oil for your home
Meal to Preveza area
Day – 5
Preparation of the day (equipment, clothing etc)
Cleaning Monolithi beach in Preveza
A visit to archeological museum in Preveza
The Museum is dedicated exclusively to the city which was founded in commemoration of the victory of Octavian Augustus at the naval battle of Actium in 31 BC. Based on this, the central theme of the permanent exhibition can be summarized in the phrase: One Battle, One City, One Empire. Octavian’s victory at Actium did not only lead to the founding of Nicopolis; it also had great influence on the shape of the Roman Empire and the course of history.
Meal to Preveza area
Day – 6
Preparation of the day (equipment, clothing etc)
Collecting olives and start the preparation for eating
A visit to Arta ancient bridge and the wetlands of Koronisia
Arta Stone Bridge: The bridge of Arta is one of the most important Greek bridges, known for its architectural perfection and the master builder’s legend not only in Greece and the Balkans but also in other countries.
The legend of the master builder, who sacrificed his wife to set the bridge’s foundations, became the subject of many folklore studies and inspired many plays, operas, paintings, and engravings.
Koronisia: Small islands in a circular arrangement joined together by narrow strips of land, forming inland lakes and giving the image of a Polynesian atoll. Today their morphology and the opalescence of water shades create a scenic environment rightly characterized as the Greek ”Polynesia”. At the same time, it is a magnificent wetland harmoniously integrated with the abundance of the Amvrakikos Gulf. The area is famous for the numerous species of fauna it hosts
Meal in Koronisia
Day – 7
Sightseeing, guiding and shopping in Parga town
A visit to the Oracle of the Dead (Nekromanteion) at Acheron River estuaries
The most famous nekromanteion (or nekyomanteion), or oracle of the dead, of the ancient Greek world lies near the northwest shores of the Acherousian Lake, where Acheron and Kokytos, the rivers of Hades, meet. Ancient literary sources describe the Acherousian Lake as the place where the dead began their descent to Hades, and associate Ephyra, the Epirote city located further north, with the ancient cult of the god of death.
Homer provides the earliest reference to the nekromanteion of Acheron in his Odyssey, when Circe advises Ulysses to meet Teiresias, the blind seer, in the underworld in order to get an oracle for his return to Ithaka.
Dinner to Mytikas village with locals
Day – 8
Departure for Athens international airport (journey is approximately 4 hours) at 08:00am (Greek time)
Notes:
Minimum numbers of visitors: 6
Maximum number of visitors: 14
The farms are family owned and not commercialized
Pricing:
Pricing per person: 1379€
All payments are only through bank transfer
Epirus Traveller will send all state receipts to the visitors (bank transaction and state receipt)
Inclusions
All state taxes and VAT
All transfers
Accommodation to a double room (7 nights) to Preveza town
Breakfast and 1 meal per day (total 7)
Certified guiding to all places of interest
Photographic & video material
1lt of olive oil per visitor
Exclusions
Tickets to the archeological & historical sites