Peloponnese



Technically only just an island as a result of the Corinth Canal, the Peloponnese peninsula offers unrivalled natural beauty along with cultural riches seemingly the best of almost everything Greek.

Our Recommended Peloponnese Properties

The area is home to (among other sites) the lush sanctuary of ancient Olympia – the birthplace of the modern Olympics, preserved Greek theatres like that at Epidavros, Homeric palaces at Mycenae, the stunning castles at Nafplion and ancient Corinth and the extraorindarily preserved Byzantine enclaves at Monemvasia.

Couple this incredible profusion of culture with some of the finest and least developed beaches in Greece – the Peloponnese makes for the perfect holiday destination.

The Peloponnese reveals its true character most clearly when you venture off the beaten track: to the old Arcadian hill towns  like Karítena, Stemnítsa and Dhimitsána; the Máni tower villages such as Kítta or Váthia; at Voïdhokiliá and Elafónissos beaches in the south; or a trip through the Vouraikós Gorge, possibly on the old rack-and-pinion railway.

The region will amply repay any amount of time you spend here. The Argolid, the area richest in ancient history, is just a couple of hours from Athens, and if pushed you could complete a circuit of the main sights here – Corinth, Mycenae and Epidavrus – in a couple of days, making your base by the sea in Nafplion.  Given a week, you could add in the two large sites of Mystra and Olympia at a more leisurely pace. To get to grips with all this, however, plus the southern peninsulas of the Máni and Messinía, and the hill towns of Arcadia, you’ll need at least a couple of weeks.  Alternatively, simply relax on the beautiful beaches, or watch the world go by from the harbours of Nafplion and Tolon.

If you were planning a combination of Peloponnese-plus-islands, then the Saronic or Ionian islands are most convenient.