Back From Greece Trip #4
 

Sadly we had to return home from Greece on Sunday no matter how much we hoped for our flight to be cancelled it left right on time. Our itinerary included Patras, Kythera, Elafonisos, Monemvassia, Nafplio and Spetses. I apologize but I fear this maybe a very long report.

My husband and I were travelling once again with my Father he was arriving from Nova Scotia and us from Atlanta. He arrived a few hours before us so a friend who works at the airport in Athens kept him company at the café. We had arranged a rental car from Safeway and Maria was waiting for us exactly where she said she would be with papers in hand and the car parked near by. I cannot recommend Maria Dimas and Safeway enough they were great people to deal with gave us lots of advice, upgraded our car and let us keep it an extra day for free.

We left the airport at about 5:00 pm and got on the road to Patras the new highways saved us a lot of time and we encountered very little traffic but a lot of tolls ranging from .80 to 1.20 Euro. Once we passed Corinth we started noticing speed traps everywhere I have never seen so many police in Greece we weren?t that concerned as we were driving a Fiat Punto that doesn?t exactly have the acceleration of a Porsche. Apparently we should have been more concerned because we got pulled over about an hour later. As the police man waves us over I say to my husband speak English and maybe he will just let us go but he didn?t listen to me and spoke Greek and we got a ticket. Apparently the speed dropped from 100 km to 60 km and we were going 116 km OOPS! Anyway he needed the driver?s license and passport, the ticket was going to be 31 euros but he dropped it to 16 unfortunately he wouldn?t let us pay it right there we had to pay it at a tax office. The good thing was though he told us exactly where all the other speed traps were so we wouldn?t get caught again. The rest of our trip to Patras went smoothly.

Patras is a city in Greece a lot of people seem to avoid like the plague but I like it more each time I go it?s such an interesting mix of old and new. My first morning in Greece I woke up early to the sounds of roosters and the old man selling the vegetables off of his donkey. Later that morning we went to the street market that moves to a different neighborhood in the city each day of the week. There was everything from clothes and shoes to fish and fruit, homemade wine and honey. After we returned home with our purchases we headed to the beach in Lakopetra, the beach wasn?t great, a fair bit of garbage on it but it felt nice to be away from the stifling heat of the city.

The next day we went to Ancient Olympia for some reason I wasn?t expecting much and was pleasantly surprised the setting was gorgeous so peaceful. I had my Lonely Planet guide book which explained the ruins quite well and in my opinion you need some that explains the site to you because there isn?t a lot left standing. The museum was closed so I can?t comment on that. On our way back to Patras we stopped in the seaside village of Kourouta. Easily one of the nicest beaches I?ve seen. Plenty of sand, crystal clear water and not overdeveloped but with enough amenities.

Our last day in Patras we went to Rion which is the closest beach to town and it wasn?t bad, a mix of rocks and sand but the water was clean and a little colder than normal. Rion is a very popular area to go at night one of the streets is totally lined with cafes and bars. We didn?t go out at night too much in Patras because we were with family the whole time and ate all of our evening meals with them.

Next on the road to Kythera!

On day 5 we hit the road for the southern Peloponnese to catch a ferry to Kythera. We had been trying for 2 days to make a reservation for our car to get on one these boats to no avail. The ferry that leaves from Gyhthio continues on to Crete when we called them the told us they were 99% sure they would not have room for us and would not give us a reservation. The other ferry leaves from Neapoli and we couldn?t get a hold of them because there office is closed on weekends and tickets can only be purchased at the quay, This made no sense to me because they run 5 ferries a day 7 days a week. Anyway knowing that we basically had no chance to get on the Gythio ferry we mad the decision to go to Neopoli. At this point my husband made the decision that instead of using the directions I had printed from Via Michelin we should take the more scenic route along the western side of the Peloponesse to Kalamata, then Sparti and over to Neopoli, HUGE MISTAKE! We got lost a lot and that wasn?t a major problem because we never got far off course the problem was Mt. Taygetos. Once you leave Kalamata going to Sparti you cross the Taygetos mountains and that road was insane there was never a moment to relax it was switchback after switchback not to mention areas of rockslides and sinkhole or washouts and to add to the fun me complaing and saying I told you so. There was a few villages and if we had more time it would have helped to stop but we were making such slow time we couldn?t afford to.

When we finally arrived in Neapoli I found the found the ticket office quickly but guess what they weren?t open and there was this long list in the window, it wasn?t looking good. As we were about to leave this woman showed up and told us she could not get our car on the ferry until possibly Wednesday and she would put us on the wait list (this was Monday and we had prepaid for our hotel). We thought this was a joke especially when she told us they decided to cancel the last ferry how do you justify canceling the last ferry with 30 people on a wait list and a ferry that holds 30 cars. Anyway at that point we decided to leave car in Neapoli and just get on the boat ourselves.

The ferry was a short 1-hour ride and we caught the only cab in sight and headed for Kapsali the beach town just below Hora. It was about 35 minute cab ride from Agia Pelagia and cost 20 euros. Kythera is a beautiful mountainous island, it?s covered in small villages and not overly developed. Most of the tourists are either Greek or of Greek decent it seemed. We stayed at Irini Megaloudi?s rooms it was the only place that had availability even back in April with the exception of a couple of really expensive places. The rooms were basic but nice and quiet with a little courtyard and in an ideal location, which was good since now we had no transportation and the rooms were only 45 euros. Kapsali is basically a beach town the beach is half pebbly and half sandy and sandy under the water. There isn?t a lot for shops and such but the whole bay is lined with restaurants and café?s. For shopping you have to go the 2km up to Hora. We tried to rent a car on Kythera because the island is pretty big for tackling on a scooter but there was no cars available at any of the rental agencies not even for one day. So we called Panyotis our cab driver from the port and he took us to the caves at Agia Sofia which were a fun excursion, rumor has it was where St.John started the book of Relevations that he of course completed on Patmos. He also had us stop in Mylopotamos which is a stunning village and an interesting visual mix of Greek and Italian style buildings there is also a beautiful waterfall in the town that is a must see. Panyotis had us out for close to three hours and only charged us 35 euros. We also took a cab up to town one evening where we went to the Venetian castle that overlooks Kapsali and went shopping there is great pottery store in the town it?s called Roussos (or something close) the prices are very reasonable and when we got talking we found out that they made dishes for a Greek restaurant in Montreal and it turns out it was where had our engagement party, talk about a small world. Also in Hora there is a great pizza restaurant with an amazing view it?s called Belvedere?s I liked it so much I went twice. A word about Kapsali there is no bank machine or currency exchange but there is of course in Hora. Unfortunatley something went wrong with our bank card and the bank machine would no longer accept my husband?s US bank card even though we had already used it at that particular bank before but luckily it would accept my CDN bank card. Oddly for the rest of trip the National Bank would not accept it, Alpha Bank accepted it once Agriculture Bank never would but all of the non-national bank ATM?s would accept it and we stupidly did not bring an extra bank card for our US accounts.

Next stop Elafonissos!

When we got back to Neapoli we recovered our car and thankfully it was safe and sound and more importantly we found a bank machine that worked for us. The drive from Neopoli to Pounta Beach where you catch the ferry only took about 20 minutes there are 2 ferries and they just constantly load and go it cost 8 euros for the .80 per person. We stayed at hotel Stavros it is on the edge of town nice and quiet and on a little beach. There is a fish taverna under it, which had excellent food. Our room was on top floor with a wood beamed ceiling with a nice balcony overlooking the sea and the Peloponnese. My father had a room on the floor below the room was a similar size with a slightly larger balcony. The rooms were 60 euros. We had lunch in the restaurant below and had the most amazing prawns actually all the food was just superb. For supper we headed to town and no word of a lie at 11:00 we could not find a table at any restaurant so we went back to the hotel and they had moved all their tables to the waters edge and they had one left which we grabbed. After we finished eating we went to town and listened to some live music and had some ice cream. The next day it was off to the famous Simos Beach it?s 4.5 km from town and you can either drive or take a water taxi. At the beach there is one restaurant, one little snack bar on the beach and the biggest campground I?ve ever seen actually camping is very popular all over the island. The beach is as beautiful as it looks in pictures but it is very busy which defiantly took away from the charm. In fairness we were there over the August 15 holiday but I have a feeling it?s busy all summer. We far preferred Pangia beach that we went to the following day it was just as beautiful with a quarter of the people. The next night we were able to get a table in town for supper for some reason it was much quieter that evening. We were only on the island for 2 nights and really wanted to stay one more because the island was having a huge concert and party the next night none of the restaurants were allowed to be open the ferry was running for free back and forth. It was costing 15 euros to go to the party including food, drinks and music but alas we were off to Monemvasia for one night.

The drive to Monemvasia took about one hour and wasn?t too difficult. You first come to Nea Monemvasia than you cross the causeway and start to climb the rock. Since there is no cars in the old town you see cars lined all the way up the mountain and we got lucky a man was leaving when we got to the top and we got his parking spot. It?s tricky getting you rolling suitcases along the streets in town but once again we got lucky and didn?t have to go to far. We stayed the Byzantino, we had requested a room with a balcony and the room was lovely with a huge balcony and amazing view. Once again this room had a lovely beamed ceilings and stone floors. Two complaints the door was so short I?m lucky I didn?t have a concussion by the time I left. Also the bathroom was so tiny it was almost funny because the bedroom was massive. We didn?t really care for Monemvasia, we appreciated the beauty but found it to be very expensive and it was terribly hot. We almost would like to go back in the winter and give it another chance, our room had a fireplace and I think it would be really romantic without all the heat. We asked and they said all the restaurants are open all year just a few of the tourists shops close down and the local say it is the most beautiful in the winter. The is no supermarket and only one bank machine in the old town but they do run a shuttle every 10 minutes for .50 back and forth from the Castro to the new town where there is also a pebble beach. To other hotels that looked nice in the old town were Kate?s Apartments and Ta Kellia. By the way the people at the Byzantino were very nice and dropped 15 euros off the price they quoted us for our room.

Next stop Nafplio!

For the drive to Nafplio we stuck to my Via Michelin directions and the only tricky part was Sparti because of construction and poor signs. The drive between Monemvasia and Nafplio took about 3.5 hours. Neither my husband nor myself had been to Nafplio and didn?t know what to expect and we were so pleasantly surprised. We found it to be so charming and easy to walk around. We stayed at the Byron Hotel which is suggested on greektravel.com and were very pleased with it. The price at 60 euros we felt was very reasonable and although the room was not large it certainly was fancier than most rooms we see in Greece, it was much more Italian in style. The only hard thing about the Byron was finding it and then getting your bags to it. The streets surrounding the hotel are pedestrian only and there is stairs to be negotiated. We requested a room with a balcony but they didn?t have any available although our room did have a nice view of a courtyard and the castle.

On our second day in Nafplio we went to Mycennae. We were all a little disappointed with the ruins it?s hard to picture what it must have been, I much preferred Epidauros. But that said the mountain views surrounding the site were breathtaking and the museum was open and informative. All in all though my favorite thing was the hand squeezed orange juice that?s for sale in the parking lot. That afternoon we went to the beach in Tolo and was not expecting it to be as overdeveloped as it was. It is a beautiful beach but it was packed and there seemed to be very little Greece left there, but that?s just my opinion.

All of our meals in Nafplio were very yummy and very reasonable in price. On some of the backstreets near the waterfront the restaurants had musicians playing which was great because I love Greek music. Each night after supper we would go back to the main square eat ice cream, play cards and watch the kids play soccer using the statues as goal posts. It?s amazing the freedom the kids have there compared to most kids in North America.

Next stop Spetses!

Our last island stop was Spetses .To get to Spetses from Nafplio we had to take the bus we thought it was direct but we dropped people off here there and everywhere it will go all the way to Kosta where you catch the ferry or water taxi to Spetses. We decided to get off the bus in Kranidi and take a cab because we really were not enjoying the bus. We also took a little ferry to Spetses but for 12 euro I wish I had taken the water taxi because it is way more fun.

In Spteses we stayed with a family member who owns a hotel. Now this hotel is for sale and for the last 3 years I?ve been saying I want to buy this place, I don?t want to buy it anymore. We were really disappointed with the noise on the island. Spetses like Hydra does not allow cars but unlike Hydra they allow scooters and motorbikes and the noise is so obnoxious and it goes for all hours. We also saw some cars this time, not in town because they could only fit on about 3 of the streets but on the back of the island where the beaches are. The town council in my opinion has to step and decide what to do about the traffic problem as well as the litter on the beaches this island has so much charm but it Is really hard to appreciate over the noise and while looking at the garbage lining the back of the beaches.

On our first full day we drove around the island found a nice quiet cove to swim and hang out in.We had lunch at Agia Paraskevi that was pretty good food but really pricey, for supper we headed off the waterfront and had a very inexpensive but good meal way. As usual the prices for food drop significantly when you are not on the water. Our last full day on Spetses I was suppose to go to Athens for an interview with the Olympic volunteer committee but I woke up with an infected wisdom tooth and could barley open my mouth. I decided to not venture into Athens on my own and spent the day swimming and sunning myself. That night we ate at the ?Old Olive Press? it?s at the far end of the old port and a very pretty place with nice atmosphere but I found the food to be so-so especially for the prices.

To get to Athens we took the direct Hydrofoil run by Argo Saronic ferries. It was my first experience on a hydrofoil it was ok for a short trip but I wouldn?t want to be on it for a long period of time. The ride is quite rough but different from a normal boat ride. My father took the bus from Pireaus directly to the airport while my husband and I were staying the night in Athens at the Attalos. This time at the Attalos they did not have a room with a balcony for us so they put us in a triple. The Attalos was the same as before clean a d basic and well located. It was about 2:00 so we head out into Plaka to find some lunch and do some shopping. We found a nice shady spot overlooking the lower part of the archeological park for lunch and did a little jewelry shopping before heading back to the hotel for a siesta. After our rest we got in touch with a friend who we were meeting for dinner and headed to the rooftop bar at the Attalos to play cards and have a drink.
There was a young girl that was clearing the table at the bar and it ended up being Matt Barrett?s daughter Amarandi his wife was there as well.

For supper we headed back to Plaka and I wish I could remember the name of the restaurant because the food wasn?t great and the servcice was even worse. But on the positive the live entertainment was very good. After supper we walked to Psiri which was even closer to the Attalos than I thought and I wished we had eaten there instead of Plaka. We stayed out until close to 2:00 then head back to the hotel to sleep until our 3:30 wake up. We had a 6:00 flight to Milan where were connecting to Atlanta

So Matt Barrett does have a personal interest in recommending Attalos.... I think his website is great but you always have to wonder what kind of kickbacks/benefits he gets for his advertising of particular establishments.

Thanks for sharing your experiences Trish. I hope to get to Elafonisos the next time I go to Greece.

Hi --

I always get a chuckle when I read about the Attalos Hotel & Matt Barrett in the same post.

Back in 1995, when we were planning a trip to Greece, a friend told us about the Attalos hotel, I couldn't find anything about on the travel boards, so & e-mailed Matt Barrett. I told him about all the glowing things I had heard about the hotel; however, he told me he had never heard of it. All he said he knew, was the location was not the best. Hee, Hee. Things do have a way of changing. Sandy in Oregon

AP6380, if you get the chance to go to Elafanisos I'm sure you'll love it, just keep in mind it's a pain in the butt to get to but I guess that may help to stop it from getting too overdeveloped. Also if you do make it there sometime I would try to get over to Kythera as well, you'd be so close it would be a shame to miss it. Next time I go I think I'll do Elafonissos, Kythera than take the 4 hour ferry ride over to Crete.

I too was surprised to see Matt Barrett at the Attalos althogh I'm not sure if he was staying there or just there for a drink. Aramandi his daughter told me stay to talk to him but we had plans and neither of us had a burning desire to meet him. I would think Matt gets treated pretty well by the Attalos I would think a sizeable portion of there business would be related to his website. It's how I heard of the hotel.

Hi Trish, thanks for taking the time to share. I am curious about Hotel Stavros in Elafonisos. I have been to the island several times and always stayed at Lafotel. Is Hotel Stavros in the main town or at Pangia Beach? I have been there in May/June and Sept. and the beaches were almost deserted. No water ferry running and sometimes the snack bar hasn't opened. Do you still have to walk past the dump to get to Simos Beach or have they cleaned it up?

Hi Trish, I just lost my comment, so I hope I don't post twice. Thanks for the report! I have been posting questions about Elafonisos and Monemvassia and you were kind enough to answer. I have stayed in Nafplio and really liked it. We drove back to Athens from there. I am sure I will have more questions after I have a chance to really relax and read your report again, but it doesn't sound like you would choose to go back to Monemvassia or Elafonisos. Since I have been to Nafplio, where would you recommend? Thanks, WT

Hania,
Hotel Stavros was in the main town, if you walk along the main harbour road where the restaurants are and keep goind until hit the stop sign if you go straight for 4 km you will get to Panagia if you turn right there is a small road that goes along the beach and the restaurant/hotel are there. It's next to the Elafonissos hotel, the Leonardis hotel is kind of behind it.
I didn't notice a dump on the way to Simos beach but to be honest I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of cars and RV's and was just busy looking for a place to park where we wouldn't get blocked in.
Is the Lafotel on the main st near the the Pallas and Kyma? I know I called them for a room and I'm sure I saw the sign for the hotel I just can't remember where.

Wandering Texan,
I would encourage you to visit both Elafonisos and Monemvassia just not in August. As everyone knows it's the peak travel time and a lot the inconviences we encountered were directly related to the time of year.

I think to really enjoy Monemvassia it would need to be cooler than it was when we were there. The heat is really oppressive on those tiny streets just making it not fun to walk around. I really liked our hotel the rooms were totally unique and they were very central.

If you were planning on making a trip to the southern Peloponese I would try to get to Monemvassia, Elafonisos and Kythera. Since they are all quite close together and all very diffrent you might as well see all three making the most out of the region. I know that at some point I will make it back to all three. Just not in August!

Hi Trish, Lafotel is behind the row of harbour front restaurants around the corner near the water where the local kids swim. It is closer to the harbour than the Elfonissos Hotel. It is modern but not as new as Leonardis. Leonardis is owned by the brother-in-law of the man who owns the Lafotel who also owns one of the ferries. It's a small island and sometimes I feel like an intruder there when you walk in the back streets of the town. Lots of them make their living from the fish and perhaps resent the tourists in their backyards. I know I will go back because I love that little island. I have jogged up the hill from town and over to the other town and back. Nice talking with you.