Efi Greece Guided Tours

14/09/2026

The recently restored Castle Town of Mystras and its new museum exhibitions at the Palace of the Despots are a totally off-the-beaten-track gem of Greece, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, unknown to most of our visitors.
The active history of the fortified medieval city of Mystras spans from its foundation in 1249 until its final abandonment in 1832.
Located in Laconia, Peloponnese, and near Sparta, Mystras is the only Byzantine-period palace complex preserved on the mainland of my country, together with the churches and its monastery on a well-fortified hilltop with breathtaking views.
The new permanent physical and digital exhibition “Dominant Narratives” provides a coherent interpretive framework, highlighting, across time, the role of imperial families in the administration and intellectual flourishing of Mystras. The exhibition features handmade costumes from the emperor Palaiologos' court, inspired by Byzantine iconography, which were all created with handmade embroidery by the monastic sisterhood of Pantanassa within Mystras.
Don't miss it on a guided visit across the Peloponnese!

11/09/2026

10/09/2026

The charming little fishing port of Agia Kyriaki and old mountain village of Trikeri above it are located on the southernmost tip of Mt. Pelion in Thessaly.
Fresh delicious seafood straight from the boat, narrow alleys shaded by plane trees, the traditional shipyard for the fishing boats, all create the perfect scenery 😊🇬🇷💦

06/09/2026

Private guided visit at the Angitis water stream at the Baptistery of St. Lydia.
That's where Christianity started in Europe with St. Paul's preaching in ancient Philippi.
Enjoying moments like that 🙂🇬🇷

03/09/2026

Trikeri is a tiny car-free island with just 20 inhabitants on the southernmost tip of Mt. Pelion, Thessaly.
The connection with the mainland is done by water taxis. Today, it's a quiet corner of the earth, full of olive groves, the monastery of the Virgin Mary on top, a few rooms to rent, and a couple of seafood tavernas.
From 1947 the island of Trikeri was used as a concentration camp for female left-wing political prisoners during the Greek Civil War. Around 5.000 women, some with their children and babies, were isolated in very hard conditions, barely surviving and suffering from hunger, typhus and tortures till 1953. They were relatives of members of the resistance forces which had fought against fascist occupation during World War II, or were just suspects of being left-wing and against the regime. They were guarded on Trikeri, first by the police and later by the army and lived in old tents or in the ruined damp monastery cells for years. Nothing, but the marble memorial and a sign dedicated to them on the monastery gate, reminds us of this dark Greek history page.
It's our duty to remember and to respect their spirit strength.

31/08/2026

A flock of 19 storks gathered and circle over the National Park of Mikri Prespa, getting ready to migrate for their annual long journey to Africa. They'll be back home next April to nest again. The two Prespes lakes are among the most important water reserves of Europe and are located on the Northwestern corner of Greece, in the Florina area and next to the Albanian and North Macedonian borders.
Amazing landscapes, birdwatching, tiny traditional villages, great food, nature's paradise away from the crowds.

30/08/2026

In the south of Mt. Pelion in Thessaly are the serene villages, olive groves, and turkoise waters.
Lafkos traditional mountain settlement, with its narrow alleys and the main square shaded by huge plane trees, features the oldest Kafeneio in Greece, active since 1785!
Epsa (ΕΨΑ) is the local refreshment company of Volos, one of the oldest and best brands in Greece.
🇬🇷💙💦

26/08/2026

On the west of ancient Philippi, Macedonia I often visit on my guided tours the Baptistery of St. Lydia & St. Paul.
According to Luke the Evangelist (Acts 16), who was a member of Paul’s mission to Greece, including Philippi, this is where St. Paul baptised the very first Greek and European Christian. She was a purple seller, named Lydia.
But what is purple dye, known as porfyra in Greek?
It was the most luxurious dye for textiles and clothing across the antiquity and the Byzantine era, made for emperors, royal members and aristocrats.
Purple dye was extracted from the seashells often found in the Mediterranean, the Murex species called Murex brandaris and Murex trunculus. This dye was used in royal robes, other kinds of special ceremonial or ritual garments, or garments indicating high rank.
The Murex snail produces a fluid used first in prehistory by the Phoenicians and then by the Greeks to make valuable Tyrian purple dye.
Is "purple dye" a single colour?
Murex snails do not give a single, uniform shade of purple; instead, they produce an entire spectrum of colors ranging from light pinks and turquoise blues to deep crimson, blood-red, violet, lilac and blackish amethyst!
Modern artisans who have reconstructed this ancient process have successfully created nearly 100 distinct pigment shades simply by tweaking these natural variables 😉💜🩷♥️💗

22/08/2026

One of my city's monuments is called Eptapyrgion, also popularly known by its Ottoman name as "Yedi Kule".
It is a Byzantine and Ottoman-era fortress, with some modern additions and is situated on the acropolis of Thessaloniki, in Ano Poli.
It served as the major redoubt of the city’s acropolis, as well as the seat of its garrison commander in Ottoman times, until the late 19th century. It was then converted to a prison, which remained open until 1989.
The fortress has towered over the city of Thessaloniki, Greece, for over 1,000 years. It was first constructed during the Byzantine era, from 330 AD to 1453, although this most recent version was rebuilt by the Ottomans after they conquered the city in 1430. Eptapyrgion means “Fortress of Seven Towers.” It’s a bit of a misnomer, though, as the fortress actually has 10 towers.
For the Greeks, Heptapyrgion is haunted by memories of turbulent periods within their recent history. The fortress held political prisoners during troubled times like the fascist dictatorship of 1936, the years of N**i occupation and then the civil war that followed it, and the seven year-long military junta from 1967 to 1974. Those interned there faced harsh conditions. Torture was common, and hundreds of inmates were executed at an infamous spot not far from the fortress.

After the prison closed in 1989, restoration and archaeological work began on the site. It’s possible to visit it with your Thessaloniki guide today. There’s a creepy feeling as you enter the prison through a narrow corridor with the guardhouse at its end. Once inside, you feel totally cut off—the high walls around you block both the view and the sounds of the outside world. You almost sense the presence of the prisoners as you walk past the locked iron doors of the cells and into the dark, cold solitary confinement wing.
A unique monument to be visited on a guided tour along with the Upper Town (Ano Poli), together with the city walls and the UNESCO Vlatades Monastery 😉

19/08/2026

A valuable review by Mitch Albom about my private tours in Thessaloniki ☺️🇬🇷💞