Exploring mainland Greece is a tantalising prospect and as we discovered, the Peleponnese is one of the best places to visit on the mainland. Jam crammed with historical and archaeological sites, beaches and mountains, caves and castles, we simply adored it and you will too.
Where and what are the Peleponnesus of Greece?
When viewing a map of Greece, the Peleponnesus is that area west of Athens and Corinth with four crooked witches fingers pointing at the Mediterranean Sea. The most southerly part of mainland Greece, the Peleponese is surrounded on all sides by the water of three different Seas and the Corinth Canal transforming it into an Island.
Think shipwrecks and blue vistas, a never ending array of pebbled and sandy beaches to rival the Greek Islands, watery caves, wild turtles, beachfront tavernas, small winding roads to mountain villages and fishing harbours. Yes the Peleponnese is worth visiting.
Like all of Greece, it is a land of legends. To prove a point the name Peleponnese originates from the mythical character of Pelops, whose father Tantalus killed him and then tried feeding him to the Gods.
Archaeological, Historical and Mythical sites are spread around the huge area, making a tour appealing for those who don’t wish to drive. For those who love a good road trip, it’s best to explore the Peleponnese from two bases. We suggest Nafplio and somewhere near or indeed at Kalamata.
The best places to visit in the Peleponnese around Nafplio
Nafplio is surrounded by an abundance of ancient archaeological sites. Corinth, Namea, the magnificent Mycenae, Tyrns and Epidavros with it’s mind boggling theatre.
Argos too with it’s 6000 year history is just 15 minutes north of Nafplio. Argos traffic was too much for this Gal driver so we didn’t stop, but Byzantine enthusiasts will want to see the Museum of Argolis built in 2017 in the stables of the first president of Greece.
It stands to reason that some of the best places to visit in the Peleponnesus are these ancient sites, but Nafplio is such a relaxing seaside town with cool Venetian buildings, inviting restaurants, interesting shops with Palamidi Castle presiding over it all, that it makes a great place to visit anyway.
Climb the ridiculous amount of stairs from the town (600) to the fortress, or drive to the top entrance. Either way, the Castle is in good condition and is fun to explore with incredible views all over the place. Definitely recommended.
While based in Nafplio we also drove to the east coast (past the already visited Ancient Epidavros) to Methana (an island connected to the mainland by a short causeway) and to Galatas the departure point of the car ferry to the very close Poros Island. It was a great exploratory drive.
Another day we ventured down to Metochi on the southern coast, parked in their secure car park and took a ferry across to the Island of Hydra.
Yes Nafplio is a perfect Pelepponese home base.
Or try this private tour from Athens.
Nafplio to Kalamata
Monemvasia at the bottom of the second finger is a must visit destination. Even when we had to change our plans on the ground in Greece, I stubbornly clung to our Monemvasia stay. It can be visited from Nafplio or somewhere like Aereopoli (as we did), Gythio or in fact Kalamata.
The modern town Gefyra opposite on the Mainland is classified as Monemvasia too, but we suggest staying in Monemvasia Castle on the island connected by a long causeway. It’s not every day a girl sleeps in a medieval Castle complete with air-con, fridge, coffee maker and a huge deck overlooking the sea and sunrises. Just do it.
Mystras near Sparta can be visited from Kalamata but we visited enroute from Nafplio to Aeropoli. We highly recommend this site. Situated on a hill it has a lower and higher entrance. If you have your own car after visiting from the bottom you can then drive up to the top entrance to save climbing all the way. Just retain your ticket and use it again.
This Private Tour Athens to Mystra is economical for three people.
The best places to visit in the Peleponnese from Kalamata
Kalamata, the Capital of the Messinian Peleponnese, has a vibrant foreshore, a thriving market with loads of fresh produce including its namesake Olive, a newly opened 5 star hotel and a growing population of 72,000. Having been destroyed once in the battle of independence and again by the 1986 earthquake, it seems that Kalamata has turned a corner in the last 10 years and is determined to flourish.
It presides over the Mani Peninsula and from here (or even better one of the cute nearby villages like Aereopoli, Limeni, Agios Nikoloas or Kardamyli) it’s easy to explore south to Gerolimenas near the tip of the Mani Peninsula.
Aeropoli is a great base from which to explore the Mani Peninsula. It’s a traveller’s dream with old stone buildings turned restaurant and bar, that spread outdoors amongst the bougainvillea and beneath Profitias Ilias (mountain) and the stars. The mountains of the Mani are awe inspiring. A 3klm track down one of them deposited us at Aeropoli’s port, Limeni.
Limeni is a cute as a postcard village in the corner of Limeni Bay and there are cute Tavernas that overlook the clear aquamarine water. What a spot to while away the afternoon looking for turtles and even enjoying a swim in that gorgeous water. It is pure magic. Visit Limeni ASAP.
Caves of Diros are on the other side of Aeropoli, in the direction of Gerolimenas. Have I used the word Magical yet. Well yes I have, but take my word that it applies here too and the Caves of Diros are worth hanging around and waiting for the next tour to depart. Once you have descended not too many stairs into the cool quiet, this in an experience that will leave you speechless. Always have your swimmers on or with you because there is an accessible beach here also.
Gerolimenas has a selection of Tavernas lining the pebble beach and pristine sea. I had a sublime swim right in front of our lunch time Taverna, until exiting the steeply sloping pebble bank with Taverna diners looking on. My advice is to remember your swim shoes and/or find an exit strategy before blithely submerging yourself. Worth it though.
The Mani Peninsula is littered with stone towers (most now privately owned) but on our highly recommended east and west coastal drive of the Mani Peninsula we visited Vathia, a town full of sturdy looking semi-abandoned stone towers. Mani towers are actual family fortresses from a time when battles were constantly fought over territory. Being made of stone from the surrounding mountains, the towers were also hard to spot by maritime invaders.
Ancient Messene, is conveniently close to Kalamata and has not been built over by other civilisations. The ruins are substantial and a major attraction. Many of the ruins are excavated, restored or preserved.
After Messene, head toward Pylos, the unmissable Voidokilia Beach and the photogenic Methoni Castle in whichever order you like, and you will like.
Finally is there a more appealing thought than visiting Ancient Olympia where the Olympic Games originated some 4000 years ago and where the Olympic flame is still lit before starting it’s Olympic journey for each games. Olympia is a delightful treed site just 110 km N/W of Kalamata and 21 km east of Pyrgos.
Find your authentic 5 day Peleponnese Tour here.
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