Bask in the soft light of the night sky, allowing your imagination to transport you to faraway worlds of gods of Greek Mythology and monsters while munching on complementary Mars, Venus and other Planets.
Pause for a moment and ask those questions about the universe which are nagging at the back of your mind as you refer to the personalized constellation sheet provided to you as part of the tour…
Each Sky watching tour is designed to reflect the interests of participants, whether there are two or 2,000 like the stars above us…
This unique and entertaining combination of lore and reality can last up to 3 hours and is priced on a per person basis. Before the tour, participants can familiarize themselves with the night sky. You will have an unforgetable moment with a Sunset overlooking Kalamata and the Messinian Bay that you will never forget !!
Altomira, The Stone Village..
Altomira is a village made of stone. And there on the rock slope of Taygetos, among the arbutuses, the oaks, the firs, the people have made underground cisterns, threshing floors, their homes…
A few kilometres from Kalamata, going up the slope of the mountain, the alteration of landscape comes as a surprise. After the olive trees the wild vegetation contrasts with the Messenian bay that lies on our right like a blue carpet. While from time to time, during the winter, the sunshine turns into mist recalling a picture taken from the Alps. The stone fountain spouting clear water greets us at the entrance of the village. This water once powered the mills that were used to grind the wheat sowed by the residents in every inch of the scarce soil of the slope. The plain buildings of the village made of natural materials perfectly match with the colors and the modestly face the mountain’s bulk.
Some entries date back to 1618, when the village was recorded to have 20 families. It is said that the thief, Altomoros, was hiding on that rock and finally took refuge up here giving his name to the settlement and thus leaving his imprint in time. This is one view but there is another more realistic one in relation to the landscape and history. It comes from the Latin words alto & myro, meaning high wall, a meaning that fully complies with Altomira.
The slope of Altomira is located opposite the gorge Rintomo, which leads through Koskaraka to the beach of Santava, between Akrogiali and Kitries. In the past residents used to communicate with the lowlands through the incredibly picturesque cobblestone path called Mpiliovo, which is considered to be one of the most important examples of street architecture in pre-war Greece.The houses at the village are excellent examples of Mani architecture.
According to the number of sky binoculars and telescopes included in the program, guides are assigned to assist and amuse participants as they discover the magic of our solar system, the Greek Mythology , the Greek Gods,Myths and legends !!
Jupiter,Saturn, Mercury, Mars, Venus, Uranus, Neptune, Pluton and the whole Planet system are waiting to watch them** …under the Greek sky in the village of Atlomira !!
Important notes :
1. The observatory belongs to a hobbist astronomer in Altomira and has capacity inside only for 3-4 persons max. and for this reason the tour is only for private partitipation till 8-10 persons max. In order all members to be satisfied and to have equal time for sky watching, we will be divided into smaller groups.
2. This tour is not available all year around , depending the sky and weather conditions. Also as the Observatory is private, we can not guaranntee you the specific prefferabled booked dates due to onwer’s availability and presence in the area.
3. **Depending of the season of the year !!
Prices / minimum 4 persons
- 75€/person for minimum 4 participants.
- 65€/Kid age 4+ for 4 participants
Prices / 5 up to 8 persons
- 65€/person for minimum 5 participants.
- 55€/Kid age 4+ for 5 participants
For less or more participants please contact us in order to offer you flexible rates.