Day 2: Explore the town, visit the museums and learn everything about “lemon”
In the morning and after breakfast we will wander to the historical center. The heart of the town is a charm! Since cars are not allowed, follow your guide to the picturesque old city of Andros, Hora, that maintains its original medieval road layout, while the architecture is an excellent example of a combination of Byzantine, Venetian and neoclassical styles. Suggested Museums to visit : Goulandris Museum of Modern Art , Archaeological Museum, Nautical Museum, Kydonieos Foundation, Kairios Library. Free time to visit one of the two beaches of the peninsula or just relax at your hotel. The choice is yours!
Early in the evening we will travel back in history and learn everything about “lemon” this important fruit for the local society. In Andros, lemon production is recorded as a strong component of the local economy since the 17th century. You will walk through the orchards where you will experience harvesting a few lemons. After a short walk to the Megalos Potamos riverbed you will end in the heart of the city at the restaurant “Skalakia” where Harikleia will introduce us to the magic world of lemons, using family recipes that have remained unchanged over the centuries
You will enjoy a fresh homemade lemon juice, lemon cake and a Greek Coffee whilst you learn to cook lemon “spoon sweet”-“glyko tou koutaliou”.
Day 3: Sightseeing tour to the North
With this magnificent sightseeing tour, you will cross the island’s inland, from the eastern to the northern part and then to the west.
You will pass through the traditional village Apoikia, the famous seamen’s village, where Sariza spring is located with a memorable visit to St.Irene’s Monastery and it’s small museums. The tour will pass from the mountainous Vourkoti to the verdant village of Arni and reach the central part of the island before ending in Batsi Town, the cosmopolitan area of Andros. You will discover the charm of this little traditional seaside village, with the neoclassical architecture and the red tiled houses that spread amphitheatrically around the bay. Take a walk to the small labyrinth of narrow Cycladic streets or enjoy the sandy, large and organized beach.Free time for swim & lunch before the way back . Evening free.
Day 4: Olive Oil Stories
The day is dedicated to the olive oil . You will learn the way that locals use this product with a visit to the Cyclades Olive Oil Museum. You will get a ride to Ano Pitrofos, where Dimitris Chelmis the owner of this restored oil mill building, dating back to the 16th, will bring you back to the old process of an old animal oil producing unit. The tour through the rooms under his passionate storytelling , all the things that you will learn about the history of oil as well as the projection of a short video of the first milling after the restoration, offers you much more than a simply museum tour. And now it is time to taste it!
We will head on to Pitrofos at “Tou Zozef” restaurant. Greek cooking by and large is a simple cuisine, a cuisine whose basic tenet is that food should be served as close to its natural state as possible. Greek cooks tend to roast, fry, grill or boil foods. Olive oil is used in all those technics, as well as in many others. Greeks love to consume olive oil raw, and with good reason since Greek olive oil is almost all extra-virgin and thoroughly delicious. Taste local extra virgin oil, savored over bread and rusks, drizzled over vegetables and bean salads or boiled greens. There is a whole category of dishes in Greece named for olive oil. They are known as «lathera», which means «oiled». An endless catalogue from savory to sweet recipes! Taste several different dishes and be part of our local gastronomy. Your evening is free.
Day 5 : Sightseeing tour to the South
This sightseeing hopping tour first takes you to the verdant landscapes of the valley of Dipotamata, where we will stop for a short half-hour walk to visit the area and the old stoned watermills. Next stop is the Upper Castle, built from the Venetians on the top of the slopes above Kothi Bay. We will pass by the villages of Paleokastro, maybe the most unspoiled villages on the island, as they are renowned for the preservation of their culture and tradition. In Lardia and Episkopio discover the traditional stone houses, windmills, dovecotes and scenic springs. This time we will stop to explore Episkopio on another short walk to the beautiful stone bridge and the watermill. Our cultural tour heads to the charming side of Korthi Villages. Aidonia is a charming village worth seeing, with a beautiful old marble spring and imposing castle-houses (pirgospita). Final destination is Ormos, where we will have enough time to relax, eat, swim or visit for a swim the “Grias Pidima” beach .
Evening Free.
