A young permaculture project in Greece
Thessaly
🌿 Season Update: We are currently fully booked for this season and will reopen to volunteers in September (thank you, beautiful humans!).
If you feel aligned with our project don’t hesitate to message us, we’re always happy to connect 💚
1. Who We Are & The Project 🫶
We are Eleonora & Gregory, a multicultural couple building our first permaculture farm in Greece. Eleonora holds a double master’s in Finance & International Cooperation, Gregory in Architecture & Urban Design. Together, we speak English 🇺🇸, Italian 🇮🇹, Spanish 🇪🇸, German 🇩🇪, and Greek 🇬🇷.
We started this project in January 2025. It is still in its early stages, and we are not looking for experts, we are looking for kind, curious, like-minded people who would like to grow alongside us and experience a mix of Greek and Italian culture.
The Land (1.5 hectares) is divided in 4 separate spaces:
🌱 1 hectare of bamboo forest and mixed permaculture (fruit trees, native species, future cob houses).
🌾 Permaculture garden (area still in development and currently called “the rock farm” 😅).
🐔 Vegetable garden & future chicken area (for eggs and companionship, not meat).
🏡 Our home, located 4 km from the farm (15 min by bike / 7 min by car).
We share our life with four dogs and currently foster a few local strays.
2. What You Might Help With 💪
No experience required. Curiosity and willingness matter more.
Possible activities include:
* Planting trees and maintaining the vegetable garden
* Building small structures (e.g., gabion walls, cob structure)
* Digging
* Organizing and shaping shared spaces
* Helping with social media or website ideas
* Cooking delicious meals
* Animal care
* Researching grants and funding
We usually host from 2 to 4 volunteers at a time.
Each person (or couple) has a private room with a double mattress.
Before confirming, we always schedule a short video call to align expectations.
3. Daily Rhythm ⏰
Our days usually begin around 8:30 a.m. with breakfast (you can choose between toast, yogurt, oatmeal, eggs, or cereal).
Work typically starts at 9:00 a.m., and we ask for approximately 4–5 hours per day, 5 days per week (around 25 hours total).
The schedule is flexible and may be adjusted depending on tasks, weather, and everyone’s energy. Work usually takes place in the morning, but occasionally it may be scheduled in the afternoon if needed.
Lunch is shared, usually prepared by us and served around 2:00 p.m. After lunch, you are free to rest, explore the area, or enjoy personal time. Dinner is more informal. Sometimes we skip it or simply have something light like yogurt. You are welcome to enjoy leftovers or cook your own dinner if you prefer.
We provide transportation to and from the farm, and bicycles are available for personal use. Afternoons and weekends are generally your free time. Since we both have part-time jobs, we may sometimes work independently during those hours, but we’re always happy to share time together when possible.
4. Free Time & Area 🥾 📸 🧶 🚲
We are located in a small rural village (under 5,000 inhabitants), surrounded by hills, rivers, and beautiful landscapes.
Nearby:
* 30 minutes from Trikala
* 50 minutes to Meteora
At home you can:
* Play with the dogs
* Sew or crochet
* Learn soap and shampoo bar making
* Enjoy internet & streaming
We are happy to share skills or learn from yours.
5. What We Look For 👀
We do not require any prior experience. What matters most is that volunteers demonstrate:
1. Politeness and respect (these are non-negotiable).
2. A willingness to learn and collaborate in a positive environment.
3. Flexibility and adaptability, our tasks and schedules can vary.
4. A shared interest in sustainability, nature, and simple living.
6. The Exchange at Kalypso 🌿
WWOOF is based on reciprocity and shared responsibility.
This is not a hotel, but a home and a project we are building together.
We provide three meals per day, often we offer extras like dessert or snacks, because we genuinely enjoy cooking and sharing food. Our diet is mostly plant-based, and vegan/vegetarian volunteers are very welcome.
If you have allergies or intolerances, we are happy to help accommodate them within our shared meals.
In exchange, volunteers contribute around 25 hours per week.
We believe this balance is fair, healthy, and sustainable for everyone involved.
If you feel hungry outside the three main meals, you are very welcome to provide additional food for yourself.
Regarding the house: we do not charge any cleaning fee.
Instead, we ask everyone to leave spaces at least as clean as they found them.
We take care of the home every day and expect volunteers to do the same.
Our goal is to be transparent about the exchange so that everyone who joins feels truly aligned with this way of sharing space and responsibilities.
💚
We look forward to sharing this exciting journey with you!
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Learning opportunities
Vegetable farming
Forestry
Aquaculture
Wild foraging
Aromatic or medicinal plants, teas
Vegetable or fruit preservation
Beer, cider, wine, or juice making
Natural cosmetics fabrication
Traditional crafts
Green Building
Methods or systems
No-till farming
Permaculture
Regenerative agriculture
Host type
Self-sufficiency property
Former WWOOFer
Eleonora
Member since 2025
Languages spoken:
English, German, Greek, Italian, Spanish
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Response rate: 100%
Response time: typically within 2 days
Thessaly
Georganades or Trikala
Reviews
Antonia
Germany
•
April 2026
Thanks a lot Eleonora & Gregory for this experience and your hospitality. I will follow your vision and continue seeing how it comes to life! :)
It was a great balance of work, learning & sharing, great meals and free time. My highlight was the freshly baked bread - no matter whether you thought it wasn’t the best ;). Overall I appreciated your generosity.
Hope to see you again! Byeeeee
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Reply from Eleonora
Thank you Antonia 🤍 it was a pleasure to have you 🫰 you’ll always be welcome to see future progress and enjoy my improves bread recipe 🤣
Leona
Germany
•
March 2026
Dear Elo and dear Gregory,
Thank you so so much for letting me stay at your place! It was really a wonderful time full of joy, good food and time spent in the sun. It was so enriching to become a part of your project and so inspiring to get to know your vision of permaculture. I learned a lot about so many things and I am very grateful for your generosity and hospitality which made me feel home instantly. Your dogs, the landscape around Oichalia and you two are amazing!! I am excited how your ideas will develop and how the bamboo will grow. :)) I wish you all the best for the future and I am hoping to visit again.🫶
Best wishes
Leona
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Reply from Eleonora
Hey Leona, thank you for your beautiful message 🤍 It was a joy having you, your energy made everything brighter. I hope I gave you a little push with crochet, you were already good at it! You’re always welcome back. Big hug 🌿
Brooke
United States
•
January 2026
We had so much fun WWOOFing with Eleonora and Gregory! Their knowledge of permaculture and vision for their bamboo forest is inspiring. We absolutely loved every meal (homemade pizza, gimbap, tiramisu, curry, the list goes on), and appreciated their recommendations and help exploring the Thessaly region (Trikala, Meteora, hiking, and of course the Cookie Factory). We immediately felt welcomed, and the work expected of us was fair and enjoyable (covering the bamboo trees with hay, planting strawberries, painting fences, sanding and staining wood, and some digging). Not to mention how sweet all of their dogs are. Everyone in the village was friendly, the bus system was easy to navigate, and all of the village animals are super cute. We couldn't have asked for a better first WWOOFing experience. Thank you for having us!
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Reply from Eleonora
Brooke and Alixe🧡 You didn’t just help with the work, you became part of the family.
And yes.. everything was perfect (except please, no more coffee during meals 😂).
You’re welcome back anytime for date balls, cookies, and doggies hugs. ☺️
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Gaetano
Italy
•
November 2025
My two weeks at Kalypso Island were far more meaningful than I expected. Eleonora and Gregory didn’t just welcome me, they opened their home, their project and their hopes for the land. From the first day I felt part of something real, something growing.
Most of my time was dedicated to digging the soil and planting 300 bamboo plants. It was physical work, sometimes demanding, but deeply rewarding. With every plant we placed in the ground, I felt like we were planting a piece of the future. Knowing these bamboos will reach 24 meters in a few years makes the whole experience feel almost magical. I promised myself I will return to see the forest we started together.
The valley of Petroto is peaceful and beautiful, but what makes this place unforgettable is the atmosphere they create. Their passion, their kindness, their way of sharing knowledge and making you feel part of the team stay with you. Even simple moments like meals, conversations or watching the light change on the mountains felt special.
These two weeks taught me, grounded me, and left me with a deep connection to the land and to the people I met. I’m sincerely grateful for every day spent there. I recommend Kalypso Island to anyone who wants an experience that stays in the heart, not just in the memory.
Thank you Eleonora and Gregory. I will be back to see our bamboo forest grow.
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Reply from Eleonora
Caro Gaetano,
grazie di cuore per queste parole. È stato davvero speciale averti con noi qui..
Quel pezzo di futuro che hai contribuito a mettere nella terra resterà qui ad aspettarti.
Speriamo davvero che tu possa tornare presto a trovarci e continuare ad esplorare queste zone (c’è ancora tanto da vedere).
Ti auguriamo il meglio per la tua avventura in Patagonia 🤍
Qui sarai sempre il benvenuto.
Un grande abbraccio,
Eleonora & Gregory
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Ulla
Germany
•
October 2025
I had such a great time with Eleonora, Gregory, their dogs and the other Woofers :) Everybody was so welcoming. I loved the diversity of the work I did, from making apple cider and vinegar and harvesting olives to building stone walls. I learnt a tonne of new stuff, generally a lot about the region, Greece, permaculture and sustainable agriculture. During my time off, I loved to explore the beautiful valley by bike or to climb the hills and watch the sunset. The food offered was always plentiful, a big variety, healthy, fresh and (most importantly) really delicious. Thank you for having me; it was such a pleasure to get to know your project, and I wish you just the best :)
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Reply from Eleonora
Thank you Ulla 🤍
Having you with us was honestly a joy.
And if you ever come back, we’re keeping a bottle of “your” cider and vinegar just for you 😉
Thank you for everything you contributed here. Our doors (and our dogs!) are always open for you.
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Lauren
Canada
•
October 2025
We had a fantastic week with Eleonora and Gregory—learning about their projects, sharing delicious meals, and exploring the beautiful area! Not only did we feel very taken care of, but left knowing more about Greek (and German and Italian) culture, regenerative agriculture, and plenty more. As first-time WWOOFers, we couldn’t have asked for better hosts!
Reply from Eleonora
Thank you Lauren and Rachel for bringing such great energy to the farm! 💚
It was a real pleasure sharing meals and stories with you. We’re still enjoying the amazing Canadian goodies you left us (Canadians really do live up to their kind reputation 🇨🇦💫).
You’ll always have a spot waiting for you 🙃
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