Información de perfil
Evaluación del anfitrión
100 %
Last replied
1 jul 2025
Porcentaje de respuesta
97.6 %
Usually responds ≤ 2 dias
Comentarios
37
Correo verificado
Medallas (4)
Detalles
Descripción
Hello,
We are Alexandros and Claire. We live in the South Peloponnese in the village of Lagkada between mountain and sea. We moved to the beautiful area of Mani a few years ago with the will to create a village life and we quickly started working with olive trees.
Our olive groves are located around the village and in other beautiful locations of the Mani and we are looking for volunteers to participate with the harvest (October until February). The olive harvest is a physical work - in a difficulty level similar to the grape harvest - that requires commitment, teamwork, and physical readiness.
The oil produced is for our own consumption and small-scale sales. Alexandros' main activity is the restoration of Byzantine churches and historical monuments, and Claire is a piano teacher and runs holiday rentals. But olive production is a crucial part of our life as it allows us to be connected to our food consumption. While Claire is doing the logistics, Alexandros is in the fields and takes a break of 3 months during the winter to do the harvest.
We will do our best for you to have a holistic experience of the local life in Mani!
Tipos de ayuda y oportunidades de aprendizaje
Práctica de idiomas
Ayuda en proyectos ecológicos
Jardinería
Construcción y bricolaje
Cuidado de animales
Ayuda en una granja
Cocinar para toda la familia
Ayuda doméstica
Mantenimiento general
Objetivos de sostenibilidad de las NU que intenta conseguir este anfitrión
Intercambio cultural y oportunidades de aprendizaje
You’ll have the chance to learn about land regeneration, olive farming, and how to tell the difference between good and great olive oil. We both speak English, and Claire, who’s from France, also speaks French. We’re excited to share with you all about the local food, culture, and lifestyle—like foraging, preserving food, and the history of the area.
Mani is a peninsula with charming villages along the coast and in the mountains. With its beautiful beaches, hiking trails, and a mix of locals and Europeans living here full-time, it’s got a nice balance of wild nature and lively community. We’ll happily share our favorite spots with you!
Lagkada is about a 1 h15 drive from Kalamata, which has an international airport and bus connections between Athens and Lagkada. In the village, there’s a café where locals gather throughout the day, and just a 10-minute walk away is our favorite taverna.
The closest beach is 11km away by car. On this coastline, you will find other beaches but also the main villages (Agios Nikolaos, Stoupa and Kardamyli) where the local community congregates. There is public transport every day and we can also arrange for you to borrow our car to go around easily.
We look forward to host people that take initiative and can make the most of the opportunities provided. Together we can co-create a wonderful experience for both you and us!
Ayuda
Volunteers help 5 hours per day and 5 days per week with days off in exchange for meals and accommodation.
During the olive harvest, things operate a bit differently because the work depends entirely on the weather—we can't work on rainy days, so we make the most of sunny ones. To balance this, we add 1 extra hour of work per day, which, in our experience, is just enough to cover the rainy days of the week.
So the typical schedule is 6 hours a day with two breaks of 1h30 in total ; we start working in the fields at 8:30 and finish at 16:00, with a 30-min coffee break and a 1-hour lunch break. These breaks are precious times of the day to share and exchange. Alexandros particularly like to share about the history of the area, the culture around olive oil, or simply to enjoy the view and the nature.
Please consider that if it rains, the days off might not necessarly fall on the weekend (or on sunny days).
In the unlikely events that it there is no rain during your stay, you will then take your extra hours as extra days off at the end of your stay.
Although the fields are not certified organic due to the small scale of our activity, we produce exclusively organic extra virgin olive oil. Most of the fields have been abandoned by the owners and we work to bring these fields back to life, first by clearing the jungles of high weeds, then by pruning the trees, and finally by harvesting the olives, which is the only way to ensure that the trees will keep on producing. After a period of 5 years without being harvested, the tree stops producing and it is a part of our gastronomic heritage that we lose because it is a very high quality olive specific to the micro-climate of Mani.
The olive harvest includes the following tasks: pick olives / lay and move nets on the bottom / put olives in bags / burn branches and collect wood.
The team spirit is a crucial part of this project : when an individual contributes to the best of its abilities to the team, the daily effort becomes easier and more joyful.
Idiomas hablados
Greek: Fluido
Inglés: Fluido
Francés: Fluido
Alojamiento
We offer accommodation in a house located above the village, 15 min by foot from our house. It is a simple house on two levels with independent bathrooms, a commom yard and beautiful sea views. The upper floor has a large bedroom and a common kitchen/living room. The lower floor has 2 bedrooms, one with a double bed and one with a single bed.
We can host up to 5 volunteers; it is suitable for couples, friends or individuals. We ask everybody to be responsible for the good running of the house and keep it a clean and livable space.
Food is provided for breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as for days off and is cooked by team members. The mom of Alexandros, Evangelio, prepares every working day a traditional lunch, which is shared all together during lunch break in the field. Breakfast includes bread, butter, jam, and oats. Dairy products, extra beverages (soda, beer, others) and special requests are not included.
Algo más...
- We ask people not to smoke in the house or while working.
- Social drinking is accepted but not drug or alcohol habits.
- If you have any mental or physical health issues please let us know so we can assess if this is the right place for you (including allergies, special dietary requirements etc.)
- The minimum length of stay requirement is 2 weeks.
Un poco más de información
Acceso a Internet
Acceso a Internet limitado
Tenemos animales
Somos fumadores
Puede alojar familias
Espacio para aparcar autocaravanas
You are more than welcome to come in your campervan but please note there are no parking on the premises. You will find parking spots at the square of the village.
Podría aceptar mascotas
Este anfitrión dice que acepta a viajeros con mascotas.
¿Cuántos voluntarios puedes hospedar?
Más de dos
Mis animales / mascotas
Comentarios (19)
Mia and Carlos are positive, easy-going people who bring a great… read more
The part of the house that we stayed in was perfect for us and very well equipped. We even got to have some of their… read more
Communication was always easy, and their friendly nature made them great company… read more
Fotos
Comentarios
Son opciones de calificación adicionales para cuando los miembros dejan sus comentarios. Se muestra la calificación media dejada en cada opción.
Precisión del perfil:
(5.0)
Intercambio cultural:
(4.9)
Comunicación:
(5.0)
Mia and Carlos are positive, easy-going people who bring a great… read more
The part of the house that we stayed in was perfect for us and very well equipped. We even got to have some of their… read more
Communication was always easy, and their friendly nature made them great company… read more
Mati is… read more
From the first moment Charlie contacted us, we could feel his enthusiasm and readiness. We had excellent communication and promptly arranged for him to join us for a month for the olive harvest. We were looking… read more
First of all, we would like to deeply thank Alex and Claire for trusting us to join their beautiful project. They made our experience in Greece unforgettable!
Alex and Claire are a really nice, easy-going and funny couple, which made us feel at home immediately.… read more
They brought a fantastic range of skills to the table - carpentry, organizing, cooking, painting, etc, - and were ready to tackle any task with enthusiasm. Whether it was picking olives… read more
Their qualities translate into the work - during the first week they helped Alexandros to mow the olive groves and showed dedication and focus. They are people who commit themselves in what they are doing, and can do so in a steady… read more
They stayed with us for the olive harvest season and proved to be both reliable and hardworking from day one. Their positivity and easygoing nature made the experience with them really enjoyable and what was originally planned as a two-week stay turned into two months. The olive harvest being physically… read more
Great to to learn every step of making Olive Oil!
We really enjoyed the time in the fields helping together with other workawayers and our great Host and the Dog!
We can highly recommend to stay with our now friends Claire and Alexandros!
However,… read more
There were minor misunderstandings, but communication with the hosts was great from the get-go:… read more
They are an enthusiastic young couple with who it was easy to communicate and coordinate. They integrated seamlessly to the team and contributed majorly in creating a team spirit.
We were happy to… read more
It was an incredible experience. We are very thankfull for Alex and Claire's welcoming.
The work in the fields can be hard sometimes, but always interesting, and the mood of the team was motivating. The area and the view from the house help us to rest after work,… read more
Saray is a hard worker, constant and reliable in the tasks she does. Not only she quickly understood how the nets worked and developed an efficient approach but she also took on the… read more
The landscape is beautiful, the work is fulfilling, people are friendly even if they can't speak English and the food is amazing!
But what really stands out to me and makes this place such an incredible experience are Alex and Claire… read more
They proved to be reliable and brought an enthusiastic energy to our olive harvesting project. We could communicate and coordinate with them effortlessly and it was amazing to see how quickly they connected with the other volunteers. Their positivity and ability to help… read more
When we were in the fields, it was always hard work, but with plenty of breaks and very tasty food, the days passed very quickly.
With small excursions after the harvest and event suggestions for the weekend, there is also time to explore the area and get to know it… read more
In short-… read more
Tom's laid-back yet hardworking attitude was a consistent source of reliability. We could count on him for crucial tasks like working the ''lanara'' (a 2.5m long machine that puts down the olives and… read more
Beyond her hard work, Fie's sociable nature added a beautiful spirit to our team dynamic. Her openness… read more
Their impact went beyond the physical help; the atmosphere they created helped make each day a… read more
I had a lot of fun with them and the other volunteers, sharing good times and good memories.
Pruning is difficult, but Alexandros is very good at involving and helping you, this makes everything less tiring.
We had long and… read more
They reached out to help and they very fast became part of the team. Fast learners and hard workers, they fulfilled each day of harvest with strong dedication and enthusiasm.
Their drive to immerse themselves in the local culture amazed me particularly. With their sense… read more
Alex and Claire welcomed us warmly and we had a great time with them and the other volunteers.
Alex taught us so many things about greek history and culture (we loved our conversations during coffee… read more
Due to personal reasons I was only able to stay with them for one week but even during that short period of time I could feel their great hospitality and kind natures.
The work itself was hard physical work but Alexandros always tried to keep everyone in a good mood and… read more
We had the opportunity to help in different jobs and discover most of the olive process!
We also had time to visit this beautiful area, thanks to them, their help and tips !
Wr met beautiful people, shared a very nice volunteer house with a beautiful terrasse and amazing view !
Thank you… read more
They are both dynamic and easy-going people, curious and eager to give a hand. Their help was precious as we introduced them to different works, from sorting out olives and oregano to harvesting olives. Their capacity to adapt and learn made the transition from one… read more
