Classical Ruins

Classical Ruins

The concentration of classical ruins in the Northern Peloponnese is more dense than anywhere else in the world. Ancient Corinth, Ancient Nemea, Mycenae, Argos, Tiryns, and Epidauros are all within a short drive of one another, near the city of Nafplion. This delightful city, with Byzantine, Venetian, and Turkish roots, makes an ideal base from which to explore the well-preserved ruins of ancient Greece. At some point you will also want to travel west to see the magnificent remains of the ancient city of Olympia, with the Temple of Zeus and the remnants of the Olympic stadium. You can view the finds from the sites in archaeological museums in Nafplion, Argos, Olympia, and elsewhere.

A journey through the Southern Peloponnese provides a unique opportunity for time travel, since you can explore a rich diversity of classical and medieval sites in the course of a single day. For an almost mind-boggling experience, consider a morning tour of the ruined buildings and colorful frescoes of the Byzantine city of Mystras, followed by stops at Ancient Messene, dating to the 4th century BC, and then Nestor's Palace, even older and mentioned in Homeric legend. In the evening you can dine in the shadows of the 13th-century Venetian citadel that still guards the harbor at Methoni. Don't miss the still-inhabited Byzantine town of Monemvassia, with its evocative buildings and superb coastal views.