Reviews

Great excursions! Recommended

What a memorable part of our vacation! We visited the Yiannis Family Farm while being in Naxos to prepare a Greek meal and it was amazing!! Alexia, our guide was awesome - it was one of our favorite excursions while in Greece - You won't be disappointed

My son had an amazing time, especially the first farm! And when his whistle broke from the pottery shop the tour contacted the pottery shop to replace it. Alexia was helpful and kind and it was nice to give my son a day just for him.

Naxian Delights! My wife and I arranged a customized private day tour with Eleni including a visit to a farm with cheese making, an olive grove tour, and a local vineyard tour. The tour exceeded our expectations in every respect. We have done food tours and private day tours throughout Europe and this was the best we have ever experienced. While we went to the Cyclades for some rest and relaxation, this day trip allowed us to come home with a much deeper connection to the local culture and people. We believe in Slow Travel and Slow Food and this tour epitomizes the best of both. Eleni has thoughtfully and deliberately constructed her tours to forge authentic experiences for the participants. My wife had the opportunity to practice her Greek with Mrs. Maria, we were able to quiz Nikos on best practices with the use of olive oil, and we experienced Constantinos’s inquisitive and inventive approach to winemaking. We left this day tour full of memories of the people of Naxos that we will treasure for years to come.

Eleni was a great guide and very knowledgeable. I have been traveling for several months and done several food tours along the way and this was one of the best.

Custom, full day tour! My boyfriend and I wanted to curate a full day tour that didn’t quite match the agenda of the tours outlined by Philema. I reached out to inquire about a custom tour to include wine, olive oil and cheese and the founder, Eleni was super helpful and let us know this would be no problem! She was thorough in her responses and was a delight to work with. The tour itself was an amazing way to explore Naxos and truly spend time with the locals — our tour guide, Alex, grew up in Naxos and was very knowledgeable! The tour included a visit to a farm where we had brunch, explored the gardens, fed the animals and made cheese! Next we visited an olive tree grove with trees over 900 years old… and stopped at two other olive oil presses / mills before ending at Tranampelo winery. The vineyard is run by Konstantinos, who also owns a wine bar in town called Oinochoros (if you’re looking for good wine to sip amongst locals, go here). Overall, we were very pleased with the day and were extremely grateful to have found Eleni who is incredibly warm and inviting to all visitors of Naxos. Highly recommend!

A special experience for the whole family, including for a toddler too, who enjoyed feeding animals at the farm and watching pottery being made. We would happily repeat this tour or try one of the others offered by Philema.

Personalized Trip Eleni worked with us to create a personalized tour. Due to the wildfires, we had to skip a few places and Eleni put together a fantastic agenda (a mix of the whole island tour and the north tour). I have always wanted to see a traditional olive oil press and she arranged for this as well. Our guide Alex was fantastic and so was our driver Sakis. Together they took us around Naxos starting with the temple of Demeter, village of Hali, pottery making and finally a beautiful beach place near Lionas Bay. We had some of the freshest fish at a fantastic restaurant by the beach run by a lovely family. The beach was spectacular ! We returned back to Chora after a nearly 8 hour trip. I highly recommend Eleni and the Philemon Food Tours.

Fantastic way to get to see another side of Naxos Alex and the whole wonderful group gave me one of the most lovely experiences of my entire visit to Naxos. Not only did I get to experience the island beyond the tourist side, they ALL treated me as if I was among friends. At each stop I was impressed by how much the farming and vineyard management were labors of love and how the techniques are in concert with the planet and not exploiting what we’ve been given. Fun, educational and life enhancing.5 stars! Thank you

Fantastic trip curated by this company. Eleni personalized a tour package for our family. She was very responsive and heard our needs and curated a perfect tour for us. Temple or Demeter, learning about old olive oil making and tasting a variety of oils. Loved seeing the 5th generation pottery making. We were able to order some cool items that they would be shipping for us. It was a tour with such character. The finale was of course the beach at Lionas. Amazing secluded beach. A finale of a great lunch at the tavern by the beach. Alex our tour guy was fantastic. He was knowledgeable and knew a lot of stuff. Being a native Naxian we got to know some cool stuff. The driver Sakis did a fantastic job of driving us safe. We had great conversations given his stay abroad. All in all a fantastic day and trip. Highly recommend this company.

Unforgettable Day We are a family of 6 adults and an almost 8 year old. We chose to do a full day tour including cheese making, animals, and an olive oil tasting.We were met at 9 am by our driver in a spacious van, and Alex, our wonderful, warm hearted, knowledgeable and kind guide. Alex shared so much with us about the culture, history and values of the people of Naxos. He had a special way with kids, he's a dad himself, and really connected with our granddaughter.Our first stop was to Maria and Jiannis' farm. They are the sweetest, most welcoming couple. They treated us to a lovely lunch in their kitchen. All of the delicious food was freshly prepared from their gardens and made by Maria, who is a terrific cook. She even teaches cooking classes! After lunch Jiannis taught us how to make fresh cheese. It was a hands on experience and we had so much fun. While the cheese was setting, we played with, and fed the goats, watched the peacocks strut around and visited the cheese aging room. Then we were able to taste the warm cheese we had made, with honey, salt, or both. Amazing!From there we went to Maria and Nikko's beautiful olive grove and home. They too are a wonderful, friendly and talented couple. We walked through the grove with Nikko, learning about growing, harvesting and producing olive oil, as well as talking about life in general. Maria set up a lovely olive oil tasting for us among the trees. We talked, and tasted, and hated to leave, because we felt such a true connection with them. We finished the day with a visit to an olive oil shop and a modern olive oil press. At each stop we were greeted with warmth and amazing Greek hospitality. We had an outstanding day and are so grateful to Alex for allowing us a glimpse into the people and way of life on Naxos.

Cheese, Wine and Highlights Tour My husband and I did the Cheese, Wine and highlights full day tour. We loved getting to go to/see areas of Naxos we may not have known about if we didn't sign up for this tour. Our stops included: a farm, a pottery shop, Chalkio, Aperathos (marble town) , and a local winery. Everything was amazing and our guide, Alex, knew SO much about the history and culture of Naxos. We learned so much from him. We ate so much delicious food and tasted delightful wines. It was a wonderful day and I would highly recommend Philema Food Tours to anyone travelling to Naxos.

We did the kids farm tour (4 adults, 5 energetic and curious boys ages 3-10). It was FANTASTIC and one of our favorite things in all of Greece (we travelled around for almost 2 weeks). We had 3 stops: a sheep and goat farm, a local potter and a beekeeper (this one was located in a small village which was a beautiful walk). We really enjoyed getting out of the coastal area (which is still lovely) to the relatively tourist-free, beautiful rural inland areas. We felt like we were discovering a different universe! We loved meeting "authentic" Naxian people whose primary occupations are not to interact with tourists (but who were so welcoming), and we loved that this tour supported and helped sustain their work. Our guide, Alex, was filled with information (telling us history, interesting stories, and pointing out interesting things along the way) and our kids loved engaging with him. He made the bus rides almost as fun as the stops themselves. We would have missed so many interesting things without him. One thing to realize ahead of time- there are options (but no pressure) to purchase things at 2 of the stops, but cash is required (unlike the coast where cards are almost always accepted).

Amazing authentic Naxian tour that is extremely kid-friendly We did the kids farm tour (4 adults, 5 energetic and curious boys ages 3-10). It was FANTASTIC and one of our favorite things in all of Greece (we travelled around for almost 2 weeks). We had 3 stops: a sheep and goat farm, a local potter and a beekeeper (this one was located in a small village which was a beautiful walk). We really enjoyed getting out of the coastal area (which is still lovely) to the relatively tourist-free, beautiful rural inland areas. We felt like we were discovering a different universe! We loved meeting "authentic" Naxian people whose primary occupations are not to interact with tourists (but who were so welcoming), and we loved that this tour supported and helped sustain their work. Our guide, Alex, was filled with information (telling us history, interesting stories, and pointing out interesting things along the way) and our kids loved engaging with him. He made the bus rides almost as fun as the stops themselves. We would have missed so many interesting things without him. One thing to realize ahead of time- there are options (but no pressure) to purchase things at 2 of the stops, but cash is required (unlike the coast where cards are almost always accepted).

Delicious and fun! We loved everything about this tour. Alex, our guide was a delight. He has a wealth of knowledge to share and gave us an unforgettable experience. The farm and cheese making was a big highlight. We loved seeing the traditions and not to mention all the animals. Wait til you meet Maria!! The personal touches Alex provided went above and beyond - a quick stop for Greek coffee was delicious and his photography skills were excellent lol. The winemakers passion at the vineyard was unmatched. The next day we went to visit his wine bar in Naxos town and purchased some wine to take home. This tour was filled with history, laughs, delicious food and lots of fun. 10/10 would recommend

Amazing, Not-to-be-missed Kids Tour in Naxos We did the KIDS FIRST TOUR with Eleni and it was the highlight of our entire trip to Greece. The tour was perfectly suited for our kids -- ages 9 and 11 -- although I can imagine older and younger ages being equally enthralled. We visited beekeepers, made cheese, threw clay on a wheel, played with farm animals, explored small villages, and made lots and lots of memories.

We did the spirits tour with Eleni and had an absolutely wonderful time! We were taken to three unique and interesting locations where we learned about Kitron and tried other local spirits. Eleni and her partners were super knowledgeable and friendly. We highly recommend this tour.

We went on the best cheese and wine tour in Naxos. Five hours flew by with a visit and experience of cheese making, lunch and exploring and learning about island farming. Amazing property up on the mountains and our guide was incredible. Afterwards we traveled to a vineyard where we were hosted and taught about winemaking in the Greek islands. Fruit, veggies, and delicious wine fresh from the vine all of this was spectacular in every way! Highly recommend