About Authentic Greece.expert

30 Years of Greece, Italy & a Lot of Travelling

Actually, it all started back in 1996.

After studying Hotel Management and working for several years in large hotels in Italy, I decided to start my own travel company: Karlitalia.

Would I choose that name again today?

Probably not. 😉 But it was the beginning of everything we still do today.

In 1996, we welcomed our first guests to Zakynthos, Kefalonia and Methoni. Dutch guests travelling to Greece with us, but also many Italian guests for whom we organised holidays.

This was long before Booking.com, Google Maps and social media.

Back then, we discovered places by actually going there. Driving around, meeting people, visiting hotels, trying restaurants and sometimes taking a little road just to see where it would lead.

And you know what?

That's still how we love to work today.

☀️ Zakynthos Was Where It All Began

Zakynthos will always have a special place in the story of Authentic Greece.

It's where our Greek adventure started, and over the past thirty years we've seen the island change enormously.

Then came Kefalonia and Ithaca, Athens, Nafplion and more and more of the Peloponnese.

Some places we discovered through our work. Others simply because we loved going there ourselves.

And quite often, a personal discovery turned into a new holiday or tour for our guests.

Today, Messinia has become our home in Greece. Pylos, Methoni, Koroni and the beautiful area around Costa Navarino are now an important part of what we do.

And after all these years, we're still discovering new places.

Luckily!

🏛️ Between Italy and Greece

Italy has always remained part of my life.

I'm an officially licensed tour guide in Italy, and I have a special interest in the Venetian history of Greece, especially in the Peloponnese.

Perhaps because I know Italy so well, I find this connection between the two countries so fascinating.

In Methoni, Koroni and Nafplion, you can still see what the Venetians left behind centuries ago.

Old fortresses, buildings, traditions and wonderful stories.

I'm always reading, learning and discovering something new about this history.

And when I find a story that makes a place come alive, of course I love sharing it with our guests.

Sometimes a little history makes a beautiful place even more interesting.

🍷 And of Course, Wine & Food

Anyone who knows us knows that wine and good food somehow always find their way into our travels.

Not just because we enjoy a lovely meal and a good glass of wine.

Although we certainly do!

But because food and wine tell you so much about a place.

Who makes this wine? Which grapes grow here? Where does that wonderful olive oil come from? And why is this particular dish so typical of this little village?

We love visiting winemakers and local producers, cooking, tasting and discovering restaurants where we would happily sit down ourselves.

Sometimes it's a beautiful restaurant with a creative chef.

Sometimes it's a little family taverna with just a few tables.

Both can be wonderful.

Over the years, this love of Wine & Food has grown into one of our specialities.

And it's still one of our favourite parts of travelling.

💙 Authentic Greece Today

Today, with Authentic Greece, we organise special group tours, company trips and tailor-made holidays throughout the parts of Greece we know best.

We don't try to offer every corner of Greece.

Instead, we focus on the places we really know, where we have spent years travelling, exploring and building friendships and working relationships with local people.

Messinia and the Peloponnese. Zakynthos, Kefalonia and Ithaca. Athens and Nafplion.

And, of course, some wonderful combinations of these destinations.

Sometimes it's a complete round trip.

Sometimes a special group tour, a Wine & Food experience or a few lovely days in Athens.

And sometimes it's simply that one little hotel, a restaurant by the sea or a special place we know you'll love.

Thirty years have changed the travel industry enormously.

But the way we like to organise holidays hasn't really changed at all.

We still go and see places for ourselves. We meet people.

We stay curious. We try things out.

And we only recommend places and experiences we're genuinely enthusiastic about.

That's Authentic Greece. The Greece we truly know. 🇬🇷💙🧿

A Trusted Dutch Tour Operator

Authentic Greece.expert is part of Holland Italia Events, a Dutch tour operator with more than 30 years of experience in organising special holidays, group tours and tailor-made travel to Italy and Greece.

Both countries have been part of our story from the very beginning.

Our love for these destinations, our local knowledge and our long-standing relationships with trusted partners are the foundation of the personal, carefully planned holidays we offer today.

As a Dutch tour operator, we are a member of VZR Garant, a recognised Dutch travel guarantee scheme that provides financial protection to travellers under its applicable terms and conditions.

For more information, please visit www.vzr-garant.nl.