Itinerary
Day 1: flight to Athens
Just before 18:00, our flight from Eindhoven lands at Athens airport. There we catch metro line 3 to Syntagma Square in the centre of Athens. From there a short walk to the hotel, check in and then find a restaurant for our first dinner in Greece. That is an instant hit. In the streets behind our hotel we find the super cosy Filomousou Eterias square, full of restaurant terraces. We have a delicious meal on the atmospheric terrace of restaurant Ionos.
Day 2: Athens
One full day in Athens is of course too short. To make the most of that day, we have booked a bicycle tour with Let’s Meet in Athens in the morning. At a relaxed pace we cycle past well-known and lesser-known sights, about which the tour guide tells interesting stories. The bike tour is a perfect introduction to the city, even if you are staying in Athens for several days. The best part is to be surprised by what you will see during the bike tour. Therefore, just one random picture and no comprehensive report😊.
The highlight of Athens is not to be missed of course: the Acropolis of Athens. The prospect of a large crowd of people does not immediately make me enthusiastic. But when I walk on the Acropolis, those doubts are immediately gone. The mighty temples are impressive and the location high above the city of Athens is magnificent. I am also fascinated by the centuries-old fragments that are scattered across the site like Lego bricks. Silently I hope it stays that way and not everything will be restored to perfection.
Admission tickets to the Acropolis are best bought in advance through the official website. Tickets are also offered through other websites, but that is more expensive and not all discount options are available. It is a bit risky to buy tickets on the spot, as there is a maximum number of visitors allowed per time slot.
Day 3: Athens – Corinth – Loutraki
After breakfast we take the metro back to the airport, to pick up the rental car for the road trip across the Peloponnese. After 100 kilometres on the motorway we turn off for the first attraction, the Corinth Canal. The best place to view the canal is the provincial road that runs alongside the motorway. You can walk up the bridge for the famous view of the deeply carved canal and the iron railway bridge that crosses a little further on. Parking is available at the restaurants and souvenir shops on the west side of the bridge.
Less photogenic but certainly interesting are the bridges at both ends of the canal. These lower into the water to allow ships to pass.
In the afternoon we visit the excavation site of Ancient Corinth. The eye-catcher are the seven columns still standing from the Temple of Apollo. The ancient colossi stand sturdy and elegant, shining in the sun.
Day 4: Loutraki – Arcadia – Olympia
Today we drive a scenic route through Arcadia, the mountainous region in the interior of the Peloponnese. Along the way we visit the rugged mountain villages of Vytina, Dimitsana and Karytaina. We also descend a narrow and winding road into the Lousios valley, to the edge where the valley turns into a steep gorge. There begins a short but serious hike to the extraordinary Prodromos Monastery, which hangs halfway up the vertical gorge wall.
Day 5: Olympia – Pylos
The ancient Olympic Games were rightly sacred, as they were held in honour of the Greek supreme god Zeus. As a result, the excavations of Olympia are a mix of practical sports facilities and opulent temples. Be sure not to miss the Archaeological Museum, which is full of finds that are too delicate to exhibit among the ruins.
Along the west coast of the Peloponnese we descend to the south. It is a rather boring route. The scenery is flat and cluttered and the road runs just too far from the coast to see the sea. The beauty is in the tail of the route and you have to take a side road towards the sea for it. There lies the soft sandy beach of Voidokilia in a perfect semicircle around a splendid bay. There are a few people on the beach and in the sea. That won’t last long, with the increasingly ominous sky.
The downpour breaks when we are only a few kilometres from our final destination Pylos. And precisely those few kilometres are not flat but a mountain slope. The rainwater washes in wide streams from the slope over the road, taking large quantities of red sand and pebbles with it. We watch carefully how the Greeks pilot their cars through the mudslides and then give it a go and do the same with our rental car. The water and stones bang against the bottom of the car, but we get through.
In Pylos, the water that has come down the slopes flows over the streets into the sea. The entire harbour turns red from the sand that was carried along.
Day 6: Pylos – Mani – Gythio
Mani is the middle of the three southern offshoots of the Peloponnese. We take the whole day for a varied route across the peninsula. This is a bit tight, especially since it is an hour’s drive from Pylos before we arrive in Mani. The quiet fishing villages and clear bays invite you to linger longer. Plan an extra day if you want to give in to that temptation.
Day 7: Gythio – Monemvasia – Gythio
Well hidden on a sturdy rock island lies the historic town of Monemvasia. Behind its ramparts, it is delightful to wander through a picturesque maze of alleys, steps and gates. Those with enough energy and nerve can climb over centuries-old cobblestones to the ruins of the upper town at the top of the rock formation.
For the drive back to Gythio we pick a nice route on back roads. A little south of Monemvasia we cross over to the west of the peninsula via a quiet mountain road. Then we follow the coast northwards. The weather is beautiful and we have enough time to stop at Tigania beach for a dip in the sea. This is how relaxing a road trip across the Peloponnese should be. The vacationers chilling around their motorhomes parked along the beach understand that.
Day 8: Gythio – Mycene – Tolo
Naturally we choose a route over inland roads to drive from the south of the Peloponnese to the north. We do so by setting the Elonas Monastery as a waypoint in the navigation system. The monastery has a divine location, high against a rock face with panoramic views over the beautiful mountain landscape. The monastery buildings are also lovely. Everything is neatly maintained and the courtyard is nicely decorated with potted plants and benches. The monastery is easily accessible, you can park a normal car in front of the gate. For a campervan it is better to park along the main road, from where it is a 300-metre walk to the monastery.
From the monastery the road goes down and at some point follows a river. After five kilometres of meandering you have descended quite a bit, but as the crow flies you are close to the monastery again. There, along the road, is a viewpoint you don’t want to miss. You can see the Elonas Monastery high up against a rock face, seemingly inaccessible to mere mortals.
We continue along a pleasant coastal road, towards Mycenae. The sea is almost continuously visible and it is remarkably quiet in the cute villages and enticing bays. Mycenae is older than other archaeological sites in Greece. You step back in time more than 3,000 years to an inspiration for Greek Mythology.
Day 9: Nafplio and Tolo
A lazy Sunday morning in Nafplio. Strolling along the large terraces on the promenade. Wandering through the narrow streets of the old town, with facades in soft colours and criss-crossing balconies.
There are plenty of accommodation options in Nafplio. Yet we settled down for two nights in Tolo, a seaside resort 15 minutes’ drive from Nafplio. That choice works out well. Tolo is not too big and now in October the number of tourists is pleasant. The weather is also great, so that after a day in Nafplio we can relax on the beach of Tolo.
Day 10: Tolo – Epidaurus – return flight
The Theatre of Epidaurus is a classical masterpiece, where architecture and acoustics are in perfect harmony. In ancient Greece, the theatre was part of an important sanctuary for healing. The theatre performances had a therapeutic effect.
One more beautiful coastal route on the Peloponnese before we hit the motorway to Athens airport. The flight is not until tonight, so we have plenty of time to have a quiet lunch. From experience over the last week we know that restaurants can be found everywhere by the sea. But what we find along the promenade of Loutra Elenis exceeds expectations. The tables at Alkyonides Taverna are set under parasols on the pebbly beach and the Greek specialities are delicious.
