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Gigantes and grilled lamb - a real taste of the southern Peloponnese

When it comes to food, the Peloponnese has a wide range of regional dishes that focus on the freshness of local ingredients and simple yet delicious recipes.
Peloponnesian food culture is one of the oldest in Europe and its brawny, hearty flavours are the very essence of rustic Greek food. The locals have always prided themselves on food that has simple, clean flavours of the earth and sea. On his latest visit to the south Peloponnese, our Chairman, Noel visited one of the many family-run tavernas close to our Kalamaki Villas.

The Kalamaki Villas are located on a small private hillside estate, set within a larger forested area. From the estate, there are panoramic sea views (enjoyed from all the villas) across the huge Gulf of Messinia, culminating in the 2,400m Taygetos mountain range beyond, in the east. The hillside is about 300 feet above sea level; it’s an easy 5-10 minute drive to the nearest seaside villages of Petalidi and Chrani which have a choice of tavernas where you can get a taste of the real Peloponnese cuisine (Petalidi in particular is known for its fish restaurants).

View of the Taygetos mountains from Kalamaki Eleni Villa

Sunrises are spectacular, as the mountains are often snow-clad until surprisingly late in the year, and keen photographers and artists alike will enjoy the challenges of capturing sparkling water with bright blue skies and the many different light patterns created.
The nine individual villas are all quite private, each with its own swimming pool and set within mature, semi-wild gardens. They offer considerable flexibility for parties of all sizes. Two people in one villa will be as comfortable as a family of six in another, a group of friends occupying two nearby villas or a party of 40 holidaymakers occupying the whole estate. The properties are an easy walk from each other, and are located on three different levels on the hillside.

High above the coast and just 20 minutes’ drive up a winding road from the Kalamaki Villas is the tiny, olive growing village of Achladochori, with a population of just 100, mostly older, inhabitants. George and Dimitra, who look after the Kalamaki Villas, come from this village. The young have fled to the cities, but happily return later in life. It is a picturesque village with an ancient church and a tiny square shaded by an enormous plane tree.

Kalamaki Eleni Villa

To one side of the square is the taverna ‘O Platanos’, run by Georgios, one of the only youngsters in the village, and his father Evgenios (Eugene). Elsa, Georgios’s mother cooks all the dishes except for the BBQ, which is grilled by Evgenios, as this is deemed the man’s job.
It’s our Chairman’s favourite restaurant locally and serves a range of traditional dishes. You will find giant beans in tomato sauce (Gigantes), ochra (Bamyes), delicious meatballs, beef stew, briam (a vegetable dish) and, of course, grilled lamb cutlets, pork and chicken kebabs and whatever else Elsa chooses to cook. In fact, if you have a favourite dish you can request it, giving a day or two’s notice. If you can’t recognise the dishes from the menu (recited by Georgios in good English) then you are invited to walk into the kitchen and have a look at what’s on offer/choose your preferred starter and main course, as used to be traditional in such establishments. Georgios speaks excellent English, learnt at school.

Gigantes, traditional Greek white bean stew

It’s a very simple place with good home cooking - thank goodness such places still exist. The locals are always curious to chat and, after a few carafes of wine, language barriers tend to disappear. You will go there time and again - it is so charming and welcoming.

Grilled lamb cutlets

And, by the way, you will also find a big bag of deliciously juicy locally-grown oranges at your villa, ready for squeezing, along with your welcome pack. It’s one of the first things that we buy (from local farm stalls along the road from the airport) when we visit, and the juice is delicious.

Locally grown oranges

By Noel Josephides

20^th March 2019

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Noel Josephides

Noel is Sunvil’s Chairman. Born in Cyprus in 1948, he joined John der Parthog at Sunvil in 1973. Before that and following university, he spent 3 years as a trainee buyer at C&A Modes and then worked for a large Cypriot builder and property developer for whom he set up a London Office buying electrical components for the Middle East and importing lemons from orchards in Cyprus. He still researches new destinations for Sunvil and is heavily involved in matters relating to the travel industry. He is a previous chairman of ABTA, a long standing director and previous chairman of The Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO) and former chairman of The Travel Foundation - the travel industry’s sustainability charity.

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Gigantes and grilled lamb - a real taste of the southern Peloponnese

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