Road trip around the Peloponnese
The Peloponnese is rich in seaside and mountain villages, and a number of nearby islands can be visited from its ports. You can experience gorgeous mountains with rivers and waterfalls, excellent wines, virgin beaches, buzzing cities and ancient and Byzantine sites, all in one trip. This route is great for those who enjoy taking in the scenery en route, as it requires quite a lot of driving, but that’s half the point of a road trip anyway, right? No stop is boring on this trip, and we guarantee you’ll go home feeling as if you’ve been on five different vacations rather than just the one.
Day 1 – Driving time: approx. 2 h 40 min. Start your journey from Athens, heading towards Corinth. Pass the Corinth Canal and head to Epidaurus, where you can visit the Sanctuary of Asklepios with its famous amphitheater (open 08.00-20.00 May-August). Continue your journey south and cross either from Galata to Poros (a 5 minute car/passenger ferry ride), from Metochi to Hydra (20 minutes, passengers only), or from Porto Heli to Spetses (10 minutes, passengers only). To make your choice, read more about Poros here, Hydra here, and Spetses here. Spend the night at your island of choice.
Day 2 – Driving time: approx. 1 h 10 min – 1 h 30 min. Drive to Nafplio. This historic seaside city is chock-full of things to see, so dedicate at least one day checking out the sights, and taking it in. Driving time: approx. 4 h. Head down the second “finger” of the peninsula, and make stops in Leonidio and/or Monemvasia. Cross over from Neapoli to the little island of Elafonisos, famous for the incredible Simos beach, via a 10 minute car/passenger ferry, or to Kythira with 1 hour 15 minute car/passenger ferry ride, for an overnight stay. Learn more about Kythira here. Driving time: approx. 4 h. Continue your trip through Kalamata to the westernmost “finger”, and spend some time discovering the nearly untouched beaches around villages like Koroni, Methoni, and Foinikounta. Spend the night in Koroni, below the charming castle which is still inhabited, and so pretty it seems taken out of a fairytale.
Day 5-6 – Driving time: approx. 5 h. Continue via Pyrgos to Ancient Olympia and visit the impressive archeological site, with the athletic premises used for the Olympic Games in ancient years (open 08.00-20.00 in the summer). Continue via road 74 with a stop in the picturesque mountain village of Vytina, and then take the 66 through Nemea, for overnight stay and a wine tasting. Day 7 – Driving time: approx. 1 h 30 min. Return to Athens.
The Acropolis of Athens is an ancient citadel located on a rocky outcrop above the city of Athens and contains the remains of several ancient buildings of great architectural and historical significance, the most famous being the Parthenon. The word acropolis is from the Greek words ἄκρον (akron, “highest point, extremity”) and πόλις (polis, “city”). The term acropolis is generic and there are many other acropoleis in Greece. During ancient times the Acropolis of Athens was known also more properly as Cecropia, after the legendary serpent-man, Cecrops, the supposed first Athenian king.
Monastiraki (pronounced [monastiˈraci], literally little monastery) is a flea market neighborhood in the old town of Athens, Greece, and is one of the principal shopping districts in Athens. The area is home to clothing boutiques, souvenir shops, and specialty stores, and is a major tourist attraction in Athens and Attica for bargain shopping. The area is named after Monastiraki Square, which in turn is named for the Church of the Pantanassa that is located within the square.
The National Archaeological Museum in Athens houses some of the most important artifacts from a variety of archaeological locations around Greece from prehistory to late antiquity. It is considered one of the greatest museums in the world and contains the richest collection of Greek Antiquity artifacts worldwide. It is situated in the Exarcheia area in central Athens between Epirus Street, Bouboulinas Street and Tositsas Street while its entrance is on the Patission Street adjacent to the historical building of the Athens Polytechnic university.
The Temple of Poseidon is an ancient Greek temple on Cape Sounion, Greece, dedicated to the god Poseidon. There is evidence of the establishment of sanctuaries on the cape from as early as the 11th century B.C. Sounion’s most prominent temples, the Temple of Athena and the Temple of Poseidon, are however not believed to have been built until about 700 B.C., and their kouroi (freestanding Greek statues of young men) date from about one hundred years later. The material and size of the offerings at the Temple of Poseidon indicate that it was likely frequented by members of the elite and the aristocratic class. The Greeks considered Poseidon to be the “master of the sea”. Given the importance to Athens of trade by sea and the significance of its navy in its creation and survival during the fifth century, Poseidon was of a particular relevance and value to the Athenians.
The Odeon of Herodes Atticus (also called Herodeion or Herodion) is a stone Roman theatre structure located on the southwest slope of the Acropolis of Athens, Greece. The building was completed in AD 161 and then renovated in 1950.
The Acropolis Museum is an archaeological museum focused on the findings of the archaeological site of the Acropolis of Athens. The museum was built to house every artifact found on the rock and on the surrounding slopes, from the Greek Bronze Age to Roman and Byzantine Greece. It also lies over the ruins of part of Roman and early Byzantine Athens
Filopappou Hill or Mouson Hill or Seggio Hill is a hill in Athens located opposite, southwest, from the Acropolis. It is connected to the adjacent hills of Asteroskopeio (hill of Nymphs) and Pnyka. At its top there is the monument of Philopappos which was erected by His Highness Philopappos during the Roman occupation and gave his name to the hill.
Mount Lycabettus, also known as Lycabettos, Lykabettos or Lykavittos (pronounced [likaviˈtos]), is a Cretaceous limestone hill in the Greek capital Athens. At 277 meters (908 feet) above sea level, its summit is the highest point in Central Athens and pine trees cover its base. The name also refers to the residential neighbourhood immediately below the east of the hill.
In legend previously called Pytho (Πυθώ), in ancient times was a sacred precinct that served as the seat of Pythia, the major oracle who was consulted about important decisions throughout the ancient classical world. The oracle had origins in prehistory and it became international in character and also fostered sentiments of Greek nationality, even though the nation of Greece was centuries away from realization. The ancient Greeks considered the centre of the world to be in Delphi, marked by the stone monument known as the omphalos (navel). The sacred precinct of Ge or Gaia was in the region of Phocis, but its management had been taken away from the Phocians, who were trying to extort money from its visitors, and had been placed in the hands of an amphictyony, or committee of persons chosen mainly from Central Greece. According to the Suda, Delphi took its name from the Delphyne, the she-serpent (drakaina) who lived there and was killed by the god Apollo (in other accounts the serpent was the male serpent (drakon) Python).