Peloponnese
This is where the Olympic Games took place every four years for over 1100 years, until their abolition by Emperor Theodosius I in AD 393. The Olympic…
Must-see attractions in Peloponnese
Messinia
The remains of this vast ancient city are as extensive as those of Olympia and Epidavros, yet Ancient Messini receives only a fraction of their visitors…
Peloponnese
Ancient Nemea was once the venue for the biennial Nemean Games, held in honour of Zeus. Three original columns of the imposing 4th-century-BC Doric Temple…
Peloponnese
Within a modern village loom the extensive yet compact ruins of this ancient (mostly Roman) city. Home to legendary Jason of the Argonauts, stealer of the…
Museum of the Kalavryta Holocaust
Peloponnese
This is a powerful tribute to the residents of Kalavryta who perished in the 13 December 1943 slaughter perpetrated by the German army. It’s a dignified,…
Messinia
The best preserved of all Mycenaean palaces lies 17km north of Pylos and is a thrilling sight. It's described in Homer's 'Odyssey' as the court of the…
Monemvasia
Almost wholly surrounded by ocean, Monemvasia's fortified medieval village is divided into the lower town, bisected by a main cobbled street lined with…
Peloponnese
This superb museum features finds from the adjacent archaeological site of Olympia. Visiting it in conjunction with the ruins helps to put the ancient…
Peloponnese
Situated on a wild, isolated spot overlooking rugged mountains and hills, this World Heritage–listed temple is one of Greece’s most atmospheric…
Peloponnese
The remarkable Cave of the Lakes lies 16.5km south of Kalavryta near the village of Kastria. A 500m boardwalk snakes its way through the cave, through the…
Peloponnese
This monastery clings to the cliff face in memorable fashion. The monastery church is adorned with frescoes, while up the hill where the road ends is a…
Peloponnese
This extraordinary private collection gets into the literal nuts and bolts behind the technological achievements of the Ancient Greeks. Marvel at the…
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Nafplio
Inside a splendid Venetian building, this museum traces the social development of Argolis, from the hunter-gatherers of the Franchthi Cave to the…
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Peloponnese
This excellent little museum is an entertaining romp through the region’s pre-industrial past. It occupies a complex 1.6km south of town (signposted),…
Peloponnese
The Corinth Canal is an engineering marvel. A project that spanned many centuries, it was conceived by a ruler of Ancient Corinth, begun by Roman emperor…
Nafplio
This vast, spectacular citadel, reachable either by steep ascent on foot or a short drive, stands on a 216m-high outcrop of rock that gives all…
Messinia
The more intact and accessible of two castles that lie on either side of Navarino Bay, Neo Kastro was built by the Turks in 1573 on the hilltop at the…
Messinia
This vast, crumbling kastro, a great example of 15th-century Venetian military architecture, is built on a promontory south of Methoni. It's surrounded on…
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Peloponnese
High up above Ancient Corinth, crowning the sheer bulk of limestone known as Acrocorinth, are the ruins of one of the finest natural fortifications in…
Messinia
This perfect sandy crescent with clear waters is presumed to be Homer’s ‘sandy Pylos’, where Telemachus was warmly welcomed when he came to ask wise…
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Messinia
The ruins of this ancient castle, which the Franks built in the 13th century on the site of the acropolis of Ancient Pylos, lie 5km west of Gialova on…
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Peloponnese
Ten kilometres north of Kalavryta, this is believed to be one of the oldest monasteries in Greece (though the current building dates from the 20th century…
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Peloponnese
This pair of monasteries is perched on the west side of the Lousios Gorge. The 'new' monastery dates from the 17th century and its atmospheric, incense…
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The Mani
This spectacular peninsula juts out of the Mani coast like an upside-down saucepan and, indeed, its Greek name means 'frying pan'. The high point of…
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The Mani
These extraordinary flooded caves, inhabited since Neolithic times, lie 11km south of Areopoli and are signposted near the village of Pyrgos Dirou. The…
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The Mani
From the car park at the end of the road in Kokinogia, at the south of the Mani peninsula, it's a beautiful 2km walk along an uneven rocky path to one of…
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Peloponnese
This monastery is where Greece's War of Independence was allegedly launched; the banner standard from the war is displayed alongside monastic memorabilia…
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Museum of the History of the Olympic Games in Antiquity
Peloponnese
Beautifully presented displays depict the history of the world's most prestigious sporting competition. Learn about its core original events (foot racing,…
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Nikolopoulos Andritsena Library
Peloponnese
In 1838 Konstantinos Nikopoulos, a composer, bibliophile and member of the movement looking to liberate Greece from the Turks, donated 4000 rare books to…
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Nafplio
In a handsome stone building, this collection of paintings, uniforms, sketches, assorted weaponry and photographs traces Greece’s role in various battles,…
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Kalamata
Looming over the town is the 13th-century kastro (fort). Remarkably, it survived the powerful 1986 earthquake that levelled the city. The entry gate is…
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Monemvasia Archaeological Collection
Monemvasia
This small museum housed in a former temple, Agios Andreas (596 AD), displays finds unearthed in the course of old town excavations, such as pottery from…
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Messinia
It’s well worth heading 800m along the road from Mavromati village, past the museum to the celebrated Arcadian Gate. This unusual stone portal with a…
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Messinia
The compact museum, by the turn-off for Ancient Messini, houses some wonderful statuary from the site – including a copy of one of the best-known statues…
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Messinia
This old-style museum houses finds from the palace site and other Mycenaean weaponry, jewellery and pottery from tombs around Messinia. The prize pieces…
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Nafplio
Rising above the old part of town, the Akronafplia fortress is the oldest of Nafplio’s three castles. The lower sections of the walls date back to the…
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Nafplio
Whether or not you wish to buy Greece's most popular souvenir item – komboloï (worry beads) – at the gift shop, it's worth popping into the incense…
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Archaeological Museum of Messenia
Kalamata
This partially interactive, child-friendly museum focuses on treasures found in four regions – Kalamata, Pylia, Messini and Trifylia. Exhibits include…
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Peloponnese
With two vineyards that have been in the family since 1860 – one near Nemea and the other on the Martinia plateau in the heart of the Peloponnese –…
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Nafplio
Odyssey Cruises runs boat excursions to this island fortress. Built in 1473, it lies about 600m west of the town's port and has served variously as a…
