The Peloponnese

​“We’d love to go to the Peloponnese.”

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We hear that more and more often. And of course, we love hearing it. But our next question is usually: where in the Peloponnese would you like to go?

Because the Peloponnese is not one destination. At around 21,500 km², it is a vast region – and the differences are enormous.

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Sea and mountains. Long sandy beaches and little coves. Vineyards and olive groves. Lively towns and small mountain villages. Mycenaean palaces, Byzantine cities and Venetian fortresses. And while you may be sitting by the sea in summer, there can be snow high in the mountains in winter.

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Would you like to visit Nafplion, Mycenae and Epidaurus? Discover the wine regions of Nemea and Mantinia? Explore the mountains and villages of Arcadia? Visit Monemvasia and Mystras? Travel through the rugged Mani? Follow the west coast towards Olympia? Or take your time in Messinia, with Kalamata, Ancient Messene, Pylos, Methoni, Koroni and Costa Navarino?

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And we haven’t even mentioned combining the Peloponnese with Hydra or Spetses in the east, or Zakynthos or Kefalonia from the west coast.

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That is exactly why we love putting trips together here.

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You can come back another time and discover an almost completely different Peloponnese.

From Athens, you drive towards Corinth. Here you’ll find the famous Corinth Canal, cutting through the narrow isthmus that connects the Peloponnese to mainland Greece. The canal opened in 1893.

And on the other side begins one of the most varied regions in Greece.

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🧿 Which Peloponnese is right for you?

For Nafplion, Mycenae and Epidaurus, head towards Argolis. Nafplion was the first capital of the modern Greek state, from 1827 until 1834. Not far away are the vineyards of Nemea, the land of Agiorgitiko.

Drive inland and the landscape changes. Arcadia is green and mountainous, with forests, gorges and villages such as Dimitsana, Stemnitsa and Vytina. This is also where you’ll find the high-altitude wine region of Mantinia, known for Moschofilero.

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Further south are Sparta, Mystras and Monemvasia.

And then there is the Mani.

Kardamyli, Areopoli, Limeni, Gerolimenas. Stone tower houses, little bays and the Taygetos Mountains. Rugged, distinctive and beautiful.

The Mani is almost a trip in itself.

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On the eastern side lies Porto Heli, with its sheltered bay, beautiful hotels and restaurants, and a slightly more sophisticated atmosphere. From here, you can also easily combine your stay with Hydra or Spetses.

And somehow, I always end up back in Messinia.

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🧿 My Messinia

I’m not entirely objective about this one.

I first came to this part of Greece thirty years ago, and my love for Messinia has only grown since then.

Kalamata.

 

Ancient Messene. Pylos and the Bay of Navarino. Methoni, Finikounda and Koroni.

The olive groves, the sea, the beaches, the history, the food – and above all, everyday life.

Maybe, for me, it is exactly that combination.

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At Costa Navarino you’ll find international luxury, four golf courses and excellent restaurants. A few kilometres away, you can be sitting at a simple taverna on a village square.

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And thankfully, Messinia is still simply Messinia.

For a first trip around the Peloponnese, I wouldn’t leave this part out.

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🧿 And we are nowhere near finished

From Kyparissia, you can follow the west coast further north. Long beaches, Zacharo, Olympia, Katakolo and eventually Kyllini.

Ferries leave from Kyllini for Zakynthos and Kefalonia. A lovely way to finish a trip around the Peloponnese with a few days on an island.

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Further north again are Achaia, Patras and the mountainous interior around Kalavryta.

And here you can do something that still surprises quite a few people when we tell them:

skiing.

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Winter is very much part of the season around Mainalo in Arcadia too. The mountain areas around Mainalo and Ziria are winter destinations in their own right.

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The same Peloponnese where you sit by the sea in August can be white with snow high in the mountains a few months later.

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🧿 A road trip? Then we’d like to know a little about you first

“We’d like to make a road trip around the Peloponnese.”

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We’d love to. But how much time do you have? And what do you enjoy?

Archaeology and history? Mountains and nature? Beaches? Small villages? Wine? Good food? Golf? Beautiful hotels? Seeing as much as possible? Or would you rather spend a few days somewhere by the sea?

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Because a trip for someone who loves Mycenae, Epidaurus and Olympia doesn’t have to be the same as one for someone dreaming of the Mani, Messinia, wine, beaches and long lunches.

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And that is exactly what makes putting a trip together here so much fun for us.

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🧿 From Mycenae to the Venetians

History is everywhere in the Peloponnese.

Mycenae, Epidaurus, Olympia, Ancient Messene and the Palace of Nestor tell the story of the ancient world. In Mystras, you step into the Byzantine world.

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But personally, I have a particular weakness for the Venetian traces left across the Peloponnese.

They are still clearly visible in Nafplion, but my favourites are Methoni and Koroni. For centuries, these two strategic ports were of great importance to Venice and became known as “Gli Occhi della Serenissima” – the Eyes of Venice.

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Walk across the long stone bridge into the enormous fortress of Methoni and see the Bourtzi standing in the sea beyond it, and you immediately understand why this place is so special.

Koroni was the other ‘eye’, on the opposite side of Messinia.

And once you know the story behind a place like this, you look at it differently.

A castle is no longer just a beautiful castle by the sea.

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That, to me, is travel.

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🧿 And since we have to eat and drink anyway...

...we might as well do it properly!

And the Peloponnese is an excellent place for that.

In Nemea, much revolves around Agiorgitiko. In the higher-altitude vineyards of Mantinia, Moschofilero is the big name.

Two wine regions on the same Peloponnese, but with completely different landscapes, climates and characters.

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Further south, olive trees increasingly take over the landscape. In Messinia in particular, you’ll see Koroneiki almost everywhere.

But the food of the Peloponnese is about much more than olives: cheeses, honey, herbs, vegetables, figs, local pasta, meat dishes and recipes that vary from one region to another.

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And of course, we’re going to taste.

A winemaker who gets carried away talking and decides to open just one more bottle. A small olive-oil producer. A market. A cooking class. A restaurant we’re happy to drive a little further for. A lunch that lasts a little longer than planned.

We don’t consider that wasted time.

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Kalamata, too, deserves much more than a quick drive from the airport to your hotel. The city has a lively centre, a long seafront and a food scene that is becoming more interesting all the time.

After all, you also get to know a region around the table.

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🧿 Sea, mountains and nature

And we have hardly talked about nature yet.

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On the western side you’ll find long sandy beaches. The Mani is more rugged, with small coves and mountains that seem to run almost straight into the sea. Messinia has beaches, lagoons, green hills and olive groves. Around Porto Heli, the landscape changes again.

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And behind the coast lie Arcadia, Helmos, Mainalo and Taygetos.

Mountains, forests, gorges, rivers, walking trails and small villages.

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That is another thing I love about the Peloponnese: you don’t have to choose between travelling through the interior and spending time by the sea.

Drive through the mountains in the morning and have lunch by the water a few hours later.

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You can just do that here.

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🧿 Peloponnese 365

And this is important to me.

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Why should we only come here in July and August?

In spring, the Peloponnese is green and so much is in bloom. It is a wonderful time to travel around, walk and visit archaeological sites.

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In September and October, the grapes are harvested.

Then come the olives.

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In winter, towns such as Nafplion and Kalamata simply carry on. Restaurants are open, you can visit museums and archaeological sites, discover wineries – and there may be snow in the mountains.

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And then summer returns.

Sea, beaches, long evenings and islands within easy reach.

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For us, it is exactly this variety that makes the Peloponnese so interesting.

October for wine and gastronomy. Winter for towns, culture and mountains. Spring for nature and archaeology. Summer for the coast and the sea.

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The Peloponnese, 365 days a year.

That isn’t just a slogan we happen to like.

The Peloponnese simply lends itself to it.

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And this is increasingly an ambition of the region itself: to establish the Peloponnese internationally as a year-round destination, with nature, culture, gastronomy and local identity at its heart.

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🧿 Don’t try to see everything

And perhaps my most important piece of advice:

don’t try to tick off the whole Peloponnese in one holiday.

It is simply too big.

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Better to choose a few good places and stay a little longer than to pack the car every morning because there are still four more dots on the map.

Leave an afternoon empty, too.

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Because often, something nice happens along the way.

A village where you hadn’t planned to stop. A taverna where you only wanted a coffee and somehow end up staying for lunch. A winemaker where the visit runs over. Or a view that makes you pull over and stop for a while.

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You are on holiday, after all.

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🧿 Our trips to the Peloponnese

We can tell you a lot about it, but in the end, you should really go and see it for yourself.

That is why we have put together several trips. You can book them just as we designed them, or we can adapt them to your own wishes.

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Peloponnese Road Trip – 2 weeks

A special independent road trip through the Peloponnese

A trip that brings together culture, nature, Wine & Food and the sea, while still leaving enough time to actually have a holiday.

We have put together a beautiful route, but it doesn’t have to be the same for everyone.

More time in Messinia? More wine? Archaeology? Golf at Costa Navarino? Or simply a few extra days by the sea?

Then we’ll make the trip fit you.

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The two capitals of Greece

Athens & Nafplion

A few days in Greece? Athens and Nafplion make a wonderful combination, especially outside the summer months.

The present-day capital and the first capital of modern Greece. Two very different cities, with the Corinth Canal along the way – and plenty of opportunities for culture, history and, of course, good food.

And besides, Athens never gets boring.

DISCOVER THE TWO CAPITALS OF GREECE

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Or your own Peloponnese

Perhaps you already have a completely different idea.

Messinia and the Mani. Nemea and Mantinia for the wine. Golf at Costa Navarino. Porto Heli with Hydra. Or follow the west coast to Kyllini and then spend a few days on Zakynthos or Kefalonia.

Tell us how much time you have, who you are travelling with and what gets you excited.

Then we’ll make it your Peloponnese.

ASK US TO CREATE YOUR TRIP