‘Callisto’ is named after the nymph of the goddess Artemis, who hunted together on the mountains of Corinthos and Arcadia. The nymph Callisto was seduced by Dias and from this union came Arkas, the creator of the Arcadians, who was raised by the nymph Maya. The angry Ira turned Callisto into a bear, and Arkas almost unwittingly killed his transformed mother while hunting. Taking pity on Callisto’s plight, Dias transformed her into the star constellation ‘The Great Arc’, which is ever-present in the night sky.
Callisto’s son, Arkas, was the creator of the Arcadians and during his reign the people became civilised, learnt to cultivate the land, make bread, weave cloth and wear clothes. From that time, they renamed the land of Pelasgia as Arcadia.
From the time of Homer until recent years (1900), the area of Feneos, of which Goura is a part, belonged to Arcadia. In the past, Feneos was also a kingdom with its own coinage.
‘Callisto’ is a simple, hospitable, truly traditional three bedroom guest-house overlooking the spectacular valley of Feneos with a magnificent view of the mountain, Helmos. The building is a recently renovated and refurbished nineteenth century stone mansion (1885), retaining all the traditional architectural features of the north Peloponnesus.
The breakfast-cum-sitting room provides an ideal setting for us to welcome you in front of an open log-fire and discuss your daily itinerary over a glass of tsipouro and local jarred-sweets. The same area contains a collection of local artefacts, and affords you a home-made breakfast from local produce as well as the opportunity to relax at the end of the day while listening to traditional Greek music.