Pasta Making & Olive Oil Tasting in Messinia

Indulge yourselves with a wildlife habitat as your backdrop!

Discover the incredible flavour and aroma of pure extra virgin olive oil and learn how to make Greek hilopites.

You can either attend an olive oil tasting session on its own and unravel the secrets of this staple of the Greek diet or combine it with a traditional pasta-making workshop.

And while you’re there, enjoy Gialova Lagoon, which belongs to a unique protected ecosystem, in terms of natural and cultural heritage.

Where

You will visit a small village, located in Messinia, 55 km (35 mi) from Kalamata.

It is a coastal village in the Bay of Navarino, Municipality of Pylos-Nestor, just 15 minutes away from the luxurious Costa Navarino Resort.

It is the site where the naval Battle of Navarino was fought in 1827, the last significant battle between wooden sailing ships.

Gialova Lagoon, together with the Bay of Voidokilia, the Bay of Navarino and the island of Sphacteria, belongs to a unique ecosystem which forms part of the Natura 2000 network and has been named a zone of special protection. It is a wildlife habitat that is home to a multitude of mammals, reptiles, amphibians and fish.

When

All-year round, excluding Sundays and official holidays.

Tips

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

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

Tour Details

Join us for an olive oil tasting session and a pasta-making workshop.

Part 1: Olive Oil Tasting

During this 45-minute session, you’ll get to smell, taste and explore the incredible flavour and aroma of pure extra virgin olive oil:

• Discover what “extra virgin” means and how to use terms such as “fruity”, “bitter”, and “spicy” to describe olive oil.
• Get to taste 3-4 different olive oil varieties and discover their health benefits.
• Appreciate the different olive oil flavours, learn how to choose the best olive oil and recognise good olive oil from bad.

By the end of the session, you will have learnt how to correctly combine specific olive oil varieties with different foods, so as transform a simple dish into something extraordinary, simply by using extra virgin oil.

Part 2: Pasta-Making Workshop

During this 90-minute workshop, a traditional Greek mum will show you how to make Greek hilopites (egg pasta).

You will be split into groups of 2 and use special machines to make the hilopites.

She’ll tell you stories about how, in the olden days, they used to make the hilopites only during summer, to last them all through the winter months.

Once the pasta is prepared, you’ll get to cook it on the spot and enjoy it hot. It just takes 5 minutes to cook and will be served with local myzithra cheese and olive oil.

And what’s more, you’ll take the recipe with you, to make your own hilopites all-year round!

Part 3: Visit to the Local Delicatessen

You’ll visit a local delicatessen right next door, where you can buy traditional local products from Messinia and other parts of Greece.

You can choose between local delicacies, cosmetics and handmade art.

Part 4: Visit to the Folklore Museum of the small village (Time permitting)

The Folklore Museum of the small village is located on the beach, just minutes away from the area where the workshops are hosted.

The Museum aims to preserve and promote the cultural character of the small village and the wider area of Pylos.

The Extras

You may also choose to participate in extra activities upon request:

Wine-Tasting Session

You’ll get to taste different labels of Messinian wine, guided by an experienced sommelier, during a 1-hour wine-tasting session.

Marmalade-Making Workshop

In this 1-hour family friendly workshop, a Greek mum will show you how to make traditional Greek marmalade, step by step.