Back from the Peloponnese - A Trip Report!
 

Hello! My husband and I just came back from our honeymoon in Greece. Thanks to all who contributed on this website. It was a SUCCESS! We booked the majority of our hotels through www.yourgreece.gr and Jacoline and Valie were tremendously helpful in choosing the perfect places for us to stay in. We will use their services again in the future!

ARRIVAL IN ATHENS - PIREUS
Our flight on Olympic from Canada was better than I expected. Our only minor complaint was the breakfast fit for a bird. Thank God I brought some trail mix to keep us going! We got our luggage really fast at the airport, hopped on the bus to Pireus around noon (really easy to find!) and the ride took about 45 minutes. We thought that Pireus was quite confusing, and the jetlag didn’t help. We had trouble finding where to buy tickets and where the boat left and had our first argument! hahahaha! But we finally got there on time, and even had time to eat our first (and delicious) souvlaki!

POROS
An hour after leaving Pireus on a Flying Dolphin, we arrived at Poros where we stayed at Sto Roloi (the little tower) and it was DIVINE! Marie-Luise, the owner (who was very helpful with car rental, trip planning, etc.), had someone pick us up at the port. We HIGHLY recommend this place. We felt like real Greeks with our little house, fully-equipped kitchen, terrace, etc. The view was superb, we had everything we needed, the shower was AMAZING, the bed more comfortable than our own, it was quiet and relaxed, really perfect.
We loved Poros and would have stayed there longer. I went swimming at a cute beach after a long walk (oh… the blisters!).
We had one of our best meals of the trip at Taverna Platanas. My husband swears he never had such good chicken! Mmmmmmmmm.

EPIDAVROS - DIMITSANA
On our 3rd day, we took the taxi-boat (0,50 euros each) to Galatas where the kind owner of Top Car was waiting for us. We got a Hyundai for 30 euros a day (all included) and were very satisfied with it.

As my husband got used to driving in Greece (really not as bad as we would have thought! Just go with the flow and if you are slow, keep to the right!!), I practiced reading the signs in Greek! First we stopped at Epidavros and were very humbled by the majesty of the place. It’s mind-blowing when you think of how many sandals touched those stairs!

It took us around 4 hours to get to Dimitsana. Except for trying to understand where to turn at Argos, we got there without a problem. The highway was a welcome break before the small twisting extremely narrow roads ahead. Going up the mountains was quite a thrill! Not for people who get sick in cars! What views we saw! Words can’t even begin to describe the beauty.

At the village, we stayed at Guesthouse Kazakou. The two hostesses are very very kind and Branca makes the best loukoumades for breakfast (after some coaxing, she even gave me the recipe!). The room was perfect and the absence of sound was almost too much too bear! Very relaxing.

The village is quite small, and one day is enough if you don’t go trecking. Despite having forgotten my good shoes, we drove the windy road down to where the paths down the Lousios Gorge start. After a 2-3 hour walk we saw monasteries almost carved in the stone, were greeted by horses, drank the purest water I ever saw and once again, the beauty was staggering.

One small tip : outside of bigger cities, we found it impossible to eat in the afternoon. After our treck, we were famished but no restaurant was open, or serving food. Thank God there was a minimarket. I never ate so many bananas and yogurt in a day! Another great supper however at Taverna Dremonas.

MANI – GEROLIMENAS
Then, we first drove to Mystras (about a 2 ½ hour drive) and thank God I listened to Fodorites and went there. It’s one of the highlights of our trip. You can almost hear ghost voices and in Agia Sophia, I felt as though the walls had preserved the energy of the thousands who prayed there. Very humbling.

After we continued towards the Mani. How quickly the vegetation changes! We felt as though we were on the moon! We found Gerolimenas easily and were blown away by the beauty of Hotel Kyrimai. Alex is extremely helpful and knowledgeable about the area. Unfortunately, the restaurant of the hotel was closed but we had an excellent meal (finally, fresh calamari!) at one of the village’s tavernas. Our two-storey room was very romantic and after a vintage scotch on the outside terrace, we had a great night’s sleep.

We drove around the Mani down to Cape Matapan, the extreme southern point of continental Greece. We walked to the lighthouse (not for the faint-hearted with such a strong wind!) and were treated to an unobstructed view of the ocean. Incredible. My husband almost wept! We had a good hearty lunch at Areopolis afterwards and slept like babies after all that emotion and exercise!

MONEMVASIA
Then, we were off to Monemvasia. We stopped at Gytheio to buy French newspapers and delicious honey pastries.

I couldn’t believe how beautiful it was when we saw the coast and the Monemvasia rock. Wow. And once you step into the town, the feeling is out of this world. Yes, one can travel through time!

We stayed at Byzantino and had our only bad experience, on the first night. The room smelled really, I mean really bad. The hotel explained that because of the unusually strong wind, the drain odours got in the rooms… Well, I’m not one to complain so we stayed, but we had to open a window to keep it tolerable. But with the full force wind, everything rattled and banged... and I didn’t sleep a wink! Next morning, we did complain again and were ready to leave. Finally they found a suite with… NO SMELL! (The one just left of the main entrance) The staff was very understanding and kind and our 2nd night was memorable. At dawn, we walked up to the upper city and I got the best pictures of the trip.

We went to Limeni Gerakas, a tiny picturesque fishermen village and it was magical. We had our best lunch of the trip, at the second to last taverna on the pier. Scrumptious and huge shrimps saganaki. Mmmmmm.

NAFPLIO
Early in the morning we left for Nafplio, stopping on the way to buy honey in the mountains. The coastal route is breathtaking. Every new turn in the road reveals a village with the purest of water! I kept running out of the car to take pictures! We did stop briefly at Paralia Astros so I could get a quick dip in the ocean (my husband was wearing jeans, wool socks and a sweatshirt and kept saying I was crazy!)

We arrived and parked the car near the port and walked around to find a hotel. Alex from Kyrimai hotel gave us a few numbers and we finally settled on Pension Amymone. Beautiiiiiful room with Internet access and a cosy living room, a cute balcony. We were in the middle of the action (and it wasn’t far to bring our luggage!), a welcome change for us city-dwellers after all that peace and quiet! The staff is very kind and they serve amazing home-made bread, cheese, butter and jams at breakfast. All that for 70 euros. Really a good deal!

We visited Myceanae and although it was crawling with students, we enjoyed it very much. The walls and architectural structures are really mind-boggling. A must-see. After the visit, we ate our best moussaka of the trip at Ta Fanaria in Nafplio.

We adored this city. It really forces one to slow down the pace. It seams that all there is to do is walk down quaint streets, do some shopping, sit at the gorgeous terrace-cafés all afternoon, eat fresh fish and ice-cream at night… ahhhhhhhhhhh la dolce vita! We bought beautiful sweaters, walked up the 999 stairs to Palamidi Fort (my husband acted like a pirate all day!) and wished we could spend more time here. We understand why Greeks call it the city of love!

POROS - ATHENS
We left for Galatas early in the morning and took the long route around the Argolid (Ermioni, etc.) We found that it was not worth it, not that much to see, awful roads, and an extra 1 ½ hour drive. We left the car at Galatas, went back to Poros for a night and this time we had a wonderful little house near the clock tower with a garden filled with fruit trees. Absolutely delightful. Our dream is to come back to Poros for a full month sometime in the future. We went back to Taverna Platanas and we debated whether their moussaka was better than the one we had at Nafplio. Ahhhhhhh, trip arguments!

In the morning,we took the 10:40 boat to Athens. Finding the metro was not so hard, and we were impressed by the public transportation in this city. Very clean, efficient and cheap! We bought a 24-hour ticket for 3 euros. At Omonia Square, it was confusing to find which way to go, but we managed. We stayed at Art Hotel on Marnis street and we recommend it. Although it is in a somewhat “rougher” neighbourhood, we felt safe, and the staff is extremely helpful and gave us plenty of personal attention, the room was very clean, the breakfast good, and all that for 79 euros (a deal in Athens!).
We went up the Lycabettus, then wandered around the National Garden (wonderful!) and ate at a very good restaurant in the Psirri neighbourhood. The next day we got up extra early to be among the first ones at the Acropolis. Although we understand that all the visitors were taking a toll on the structures, we were disappointed that we could not come closer to the Parthenon. After feeling such a range of emotions at Mystras, Mycaenae, Tyrins, etc., it was a downer. However, what a view, and the museum is very interesting.

I hadn't planned that all the stores would be closed on Sunday and I coundn't buy the beautiful shoes I had seen the day before. I wanted to cry! (shoe fans will understand). However, we went browsing at the flea market near Monastiraki and I bought Tom and Jerry books in Greek! Haha.
We loved visiting the ancient agora, had a nice Greek coffee, ate a delicious souvlaki at Thanassis and basically hung out at Exarchia Square, the student quarters, till night.

Our hotel had prepared breakfast for us at 5 am, we took the metro to the airport (well worth the 10 euros for two!) and it was a breeze! If only our metro system could be so efficient in Montreal!

All in all, a wonderful trip that we will remember all our lives.

Do not hesitate to write me for more infos!

Ya sas!

We enjoyed your report. We visited many of the same places on our trip in May this summer.

I was sorry that you had a bad experience at Byzantino in Monemvasia, because we stayed there in May for two nights and had no problem at all. At least you got a good room for the second night. Staying in Monemvasia certainly does allow one give in to the fantasy of pretending to be a pirate.

Just one last note, when we stayed in Nafplion in May it was cool at night so we chose to eat at Ta Fanaria Taverna because it is so sheltered, however the food was so good and the price was excellent that we just ended up eating there all three nights. We just couldn't find anything that looked better.

Great report, have to add Greece to my list.

Thanks for your comments! By the way, for people travelling to Montréal, I ate at an awesome authentic Psarotaverna... Faros, on Fairmount. It was even better than in Greece! (Although the prices are much steeper!)

We're headed to Greece in May 2006 and I really appreciate all the detail in your report :-) You mentioned buying honey... one of my huge weaknesses! Was it off a roadside stand?

Hi,
Your trip sounds wonderful. I am so happy that you had such a great time. Greece can, indeed, be magical.

Texas Aggie. You will find honey almost everywhere (even the airport). However, I bought the best in shops in small mountain villages (a pot of pistashios in honey, mmmmmmmmm). As we drove in one of these villages, I saw a sign saying "Friends of the bees"! And I bought thick honey there that tastes like caramel (and NOT expensive!). Amazing. My only regret is not reading Greek alphabet well enough, since I'm sure we passed by many farms in the countryside where they sold olive oil which is so delicious in Greece, I had to resist the urge to drink it! :)

nice report - we too drove around argos looking for the turn for a while :)

by the way, we stopped for lunch in nafplio along the way and i didn't see the beauty of the streets/town ... did we not make it far enough into the city? we seemed to be right below the fortress walls and lounched at a port-side place about 1/4 mile from the little fortress in the port. maybe it was more dreary since it was raining ....

Jojonana, how far away from the ferry dock in Poros was the Sto Roloi. I am looking at booking here for a few nights after your recommendation.

Thanks for your help!

Sto Roloi is really close, although up the stairs. So the owner had someone wait for us with a car when we got out of the ferry...

Great report, Jojonana.

I am very pleased you visited Tyrins. For me it is an amazing site not too often visited by travellers. I hope you enjoyed it.

bill

Thanks for this trip report. Peloponnese is high on my travel list. Do you plan on posting the pics?

L84, if you like send me an email and I will send you a link to my Greece pictures! :)

Hi! I just added pictures on the Web. Please see our Website http://jojomart.shutterfly.com

:)

Amazing trip. Wish I had read this before planning Santorini :) Aah...something for another trip to Greece. Lovely pictures. Thanks for sharing.

Jojoana..... I think your last nite was spent in the suite we had in Monemvasia! When we were there it was April..... and suddenly the meltemi blew up. We spent all night securing shutters which were banging like mad. Even so... it was memorable.

Loved your report and pictures! I was intrigued by your impressions and awe of your surroundings (the picture of you looking up at the frescoes at Mystras is wonderful). Your experience is one of the ones that has contributed to our recent change in plans, for those that might have read my post regarding our itinerary (we are now cutting out Santorini to add more time to the Peloponnese...). Thank you for sharing!

My pleasure! Greece has so much more to offer than the "traditional" island-hopping! :) Have a great trip!

Hi Johonana

Your trip report is wonderful, and is helpful as we are going to be making a very similar trek through the Peloponnese in September. (Our 25th!) Just a few questions, if I may ask:

How many nights did you spend in Dimitsana? Did you hike in Lousios Gorge the same day you arrived from Epidavros?

We basically have 2 unscheduled days after leaving Olympia and going to Mystra, and are deciding whether to spend time in the mountains in Karitena/Demitsana area, or just head right down to the Mani. It is hard to judge how much time is needed. Arkadia looks too beautiful to miss.

Did you have any difficulty with the driving? I keep hearing it is akin to a death wish.

How long did it take to drive the coastal route from Monemvasia to Nafplio?

Thanks for your help. The pictures are amazing. Looks like you two had a perfect honeymoon. Congratulations.

P.S. I grew up in Montreal, and it is where I tasted Greek pastries for the first time. Terrrific city.

Hi ajdj!

I'll try to answer a couple of questions.

We stayed in Demitsana for 2 nights. We went hiking on our 2nd day since the drive between Poros and Demitsana was quite long and we were really tired when we first arrived.

However, I think that the drive from Olympia is only a couple of hours. You could leave early in the morning, get to Demitsana at noon, and still have a couple of good hiking hours in the afternoon. So I think that 1 night is enough. The villages are really quite small and you see all there is to see really quickly. But we did enjoy this area very much, the Lousios Gorge is AMAZING and we loved our stay at Hotel Kazakou. Lovely.

I think it's a good idea to do Olympia, Demitsana (1 night), then drive to the Mani via Mystras. We left in the morning in Demitsana, lunched in Mystras, visited for a couple of hours, and arrived in the Mani late in the afternoon. Really not so bad.

The drive between Monemvasia and Nafplio took about 3 1/2 hours I think. With many stops to take pictures. A really breathtaking drive.

Driving is really not that bad. I'm really nervous in cars and did just fine. Just remember that where we have 2 lanes, Greeks think that there is a 3rd one in the middle. So just stick to the right curb when speedy Greeks want to pass you. Anyway, they'll honk and let you know to get out of their way!! The driving in the mountains is a bit nerve-racking at first, but just be careful in the curves (often on-coming cars are smack in the middle of the road) and enjoy the scenery.

If you have more questions, do not hesitate! :)