Holidays in Peloponnese
Nov 2nd, 2016, 06:09 AM
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Holidays in Peloponnese
We are planning to travel to Peloponesse in greece, next month. How many days do you think that we should spend there? 4 days are enough? We are going to rent a car for all our stay.
Nov 2nd, 2016, 07:51 AM
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The Peloponnese is beautiful, very diverse and full of attractions: scenery, archeology, byzantine monasteries, medieval castles, picturesque villages, breathtaking beaches and more, hence you could easily spend weeks on this peninsula.
So, I would not say that 4 days are enough, but 4 days are better than 3 days, but 5 days would be better than 4 days.
A loop drive round the peninsula would be very rewarding, with Corinth (just for St Paul), Acrocorinth (breathtaking), Epidaurus, Myceanae, Nafplio, Mystras, Ancient Messene (my favourite archeological site), Koroni, Methoni, Pylos, Costa Navarino, Olympia and then I would take the bridge to the mainland and continue via Delphi to Athens. You could do that in four days, but it would be very rushed. 5 or 6 days would be better.
So, I would not say that 4 days are enough, but 4 days are better than 3 days, but 5 days would be better than 4 days.
A loop drive round the peninsula would be very rewarding, with Corinth (just for St Paul), Acrocorinth (breathtaking), Epidaurus, Myceanae, Nafplio, Mystras, Ancient Messene (my favourite archeological site), Koroni, Methoni, Pylos, Costa Navarino, Olympia and then I would take the bridge to the mainland and continue via Delphi to Athens. You could do that in four days, but it would be very rushed. 5 or 6 days would be better.
Nov 2nd, 2016, 07:56 AM
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All depends on yoour interests and the places you plan to visit. The most popular one's are
Akrokorinthos
Mycenae
Tyrins
Nauplia
Epidauros
Mistras
Monemvasia
Mani area
Koroni
Methoni
Pilos
Olympia
Bassae
Akrokorinthos
Mycenae
Tyrins
Nauplia
Epidauros
Mistras
Monemvasia
Mani area
Koroni
Methoni
Pilos
Olympia
Bassae
Nov 2nd, 2016, 08:12 AM
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If you only have 4 days then concentrate on Nafplio and surrounding area. Nafplio itself is worth a couple of days and there are lots of nearby sites already mentioned Corinth,Nemia Mycenea,Epidauros and Tyrins.
Nafplio and Peloponnese http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr5...7632094108982/
If you can add on an additional 3 or 4 days you might have time to head west to include Mani, Koroni Methoni and Pilos and if you can manage anther day or two by all means add Olympia and Delphi
10 days is a good number if you want to hit most of the highlights
Olympia Delphi Meteora https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr...7645469717811/
Peloponnese Battle Castles https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr...7645468134284/
Nafplio and Peloponnese http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr5...7632094108982/
If you can add on an additional 3 or 4 days you might have time to head west to include Mani, Koroni Methoni and Pilos and if you can manage anther day or two by all means add Olympia and Delphi
10 days is a good number if you want to hit most of the highlights
Olympia Delphi Meteora https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr...7645469717811/
Peloponnese Battle Castles https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr...7645468134284/
Nov 3rd, 2016, 03:05 AM
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Agree with stanbr, if it can only be 4 days, base yourself in nafplio & concentrate on that area & the town itself.
If you can spare more time the options are endless, many of which you've been given above.
To give it perspective the peloponnese is nearly 3 times as big as Crete, & everyone is always advised to give Crete a minimum of a week! This is why it is wise to concentrate on one area with one base, you won't use your precious time packing, checking in & out etc & there will be more than enough to occupy you & give you a taste to return for more
After visiting the pelopnnese more than a dozen times on holiday I then had a house on there for 10 years, living there permanently for 7 of those years, explored just about all of it now
If you can spare more time the options are endless, many of which you've been given above.
To give it perspective the peloponnese is nearly 3 times as big as Crete, & everyone is always advised to give Crete a minimum of a week! This is why it is wise to concentrate on one area with one base, you won't use your precious time packing, checking in & out etc & there will be more than enough to occupy you & give you a taste to return for more
After visiting the pelopnnese more than a dozen times on holiday I then had a house on there for 10 years, living there permanently for 7 of those years, explored just about all of it now
Nov 3rd, 2016, 06:07 AM
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Good afternoon! Thank you everyone for your help. I wish we had more days to spend.. Dear yiassas, I have heard that in Crete you need at least 2 weeks, especially the summer when the weatheris good and permits you to do anything you want! In Peloponesse, we are going to Nafplion, Acrocorinth, Nemea and Argolis, and after that Olympia, to continue then to Sparta, Mystras, Monemvasia etc.. Unfortunately, we cannot stay more days, and we can afford all these in one trip!
Nov 3rd, 2016, 07:09 AM
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>> But, some of them are actually for summer? <<
All destinations are year-round. The southwestern tip of the Peloponnese belongs to the warmest places in Greece; it is so warm that sea turtles lay their eggs in the sandy beach of Koroni and seawater temperatures never drop below 20°C, not even in the coldest month, January.
Koroni is a charming fishing village, with a row of restaurants and cafés along the pier where you can watch the fishers bring their catch and eat it a couple of minutes later. Also, Koroni has a working monastery inside the ruins of a medieval castle which can be visited. Koroni is a good place to immerse into authentic Greek life without many tourists around.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Koroni
Methoni, which is halfway between Koroni and Pylos, has a very beautiful Venetian castle. You need about two hours for a visit.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/C...ethoni_Castle?
Pylos is a typical Greek town overlooking scenic Navarino Bay, where the sea battle was fought which was crucial for the liberation of Greece from the Ottomans. Even if is too cold for swimming, you should have a look at Voidokolia Beach and nearby Glossa Beach: They have often be included in "The world's 10 most beautiful beaches"-lists.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/C...idokilia_Beach
In Basses (or Vasses) you find the Temple of Apollo Epikourios. It is very beautiful. However, it is currently under a big tent for renovation works, so I am not sure if it's worth the detour, especially if you have only four days.
Do not skip Ancient Messene. It is underrated in most guidebooks because the excavations are so recent that the guidebooks have not done justice to them. In Messene, you see the very best preserved stadium, also a theatre and, very unique, a 9 km long city wall winding through the landscape. Also, the holy spring is still running.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Messene
Olympia is historically most significant, but the excavations are somewhat disappointing, because there is not much left. At least, the tunnel into the stadium is still intact and the museum is great.
Also, Corinth has rather mediocre excavations, but you can still see the terrace where St Paul hold his famous speech and it is located conveniently along the way onto Peloponnese. And Acrocorinth, the medieval castle, is breathtaking.
Mycenae belongs to the oldest excavations at all, very impressive. Tiryns is of the same age, very close on the road to Nafplio, so a quick and easy visit.
Nafplio is everybody's darling, not a typical Greek city but Venetian colony which still has the Venetian look and feel, with many restaurants. Sometimes, I have the impression, Nafplio is the favourite especially of American tourists.
Epidaurus has one of the largest and best-preserved theatres.
Mystras is a complex of several Byzantine monasteries.
Mani is a peninsula which has old villages with stone towers, similar to those in San Gimignano.
Monemvasia is a picturesque historical village.
See, what you can do in four days. Roads are good in Greece and mostly empty, so the driving times of Google Maps are realistic. If you visit an archeological site, you need about one to two hours to walk through the excavations and another hour to see the museum with the exhibit of the more delicate findings, so it is easily possible to visit three or four sites in one day if they are nearby - as Corinth, Acrocorinth, Mycenae, Epidaurus and Tyrins.
All destinations are year-round. The southwestern tip of the Peloponnese belongs to the warmest places in Greece; it is so warm that sea turtles lay their eggs in the sandy beach of Koroni and seawater temperatures never drop below 20°C, not even in the coldest month, January.
Koroni is a charming fishing village, with a row of restaurants and cafés along the pier where you can watch the fishers bring their catch and eat it a couple of minutes later. Also, Koroni has a working monastery inside the ruins of a medieval castle which can be visited. Koroni is a good place to immerse into authentic Greek life without many tourists around.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Koroni
Methoni, which is halfway between Koroni and Pylos, has a very beautiful Venetian castle. You need about two hours for a visit.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/C...ethoni_Castle?
Pylos is a typical Greek town overlooking scenic Navarino Bay, where the sea battle was fought which was crucial for the liberation of Greece from the Ottomans. Even if is too cold for swimming, you should have a look at Voidokolia Beach and nearby Glossa Beach: They have often be included in "The world's 10 most beautiful beaches"-lists.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/C...idokilia_Beach
In Basses (or Vasses) you find the Temple of Apollo Epikourios. It is very beautiful. However, it is currently under a big tent for renovation works, so I am not sure if it's worth the detour, especially if you have only four days.
Do not skip Ancient Messene. It is underrated in most guidebooks because the excavations are so recent that the guidebooks have not done justice to them. In Messene, you see the very best preserved stadium, also a theatre and, very unique, a 9 km long city wall winding through the landscape. Also, the holy spring is still running.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Messene
Olympia is historically most significant, but the excavations are somewhat disappointing, because there is not much left. At least, the tunnel into the stadium is still intact and the museum is great.
Also, Corinth has rather mediocre excavations, but you can still see the terrace where St Paul hold his famous speech and it is located conveniently along the way onto Peloponnese. And Acrocorinth, the medieval castle, is breathtaking.
Mycenae belongs to the oldest excavations at all, very impressive. Tiryns is of the same age, very close on the road to Nafplio, so a quick and easy visit.
Nafplio is everybody's darling, not a typical Greek city but Venetian colony which still has the Venetian look and feel, with many restaurants. Sometimes, I have the impression, Nafplio is the favourite especially of American tourists.
Epidaurus has one of the largest and best-preserved theatres.
Mystras is a complex of several Byzantine monasteries.
Mani is a peninsula which has old villages with stone towers, similar to those in San Gimignano.
Monemvasia is a picturesque historical village.
See, what you can do in four days. Roads are good in Greece and mostly empty, so the driving times of Google Maps are realistic. If you visit an archeological site, you need about one to two hours to walk through the excavations and another hour to see the museum with the exhibit of the more delicate findings, so it is easily possible to visit three or four sites in one day if they are nearby - as Corinth, Acrocorinth, Mycenae, Epidaurus and Tyrins.
Nov 3rd, 2016, 09:32 AM
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Unfortunately traveller1959 in his optimistic assessment (it is easily possible to visit 3-4 sites in one day) neglects a KEY off-season factor ... almost all sites (despite various website assurances) will close by 1500 (3 pm) and you'll be urged out at 2:30 or so.
I agree w. him/her that Olympia excavations & ruins are disappointing (tho the museum is great), and from what I know about Corinth; many visitors have a Christian motivation (the St Paul thing). Agree w. Yiassas & Stanbr about focussing on the "argolid" (based in Nafplio).
I agree w. him/her that Olympia excavations & ruins are disappointing (tho the museum is great), and from what I know about Corinth; many visitors have a Christian motivation (the St Paul thing). Agree w. Yiassas & Stanbr about focussing on the "argolid" (based in Nafplio).
Nov 3rd, 2016, 12:50 PM
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Yes, it makes sense to just visit this one area, with the shorter visiting & daylight hours!
I would aim for only two sites per day (some take up more time than you think). This would mean two days taken up with Nemea, Epidavros, Mycenae & Tyrins. Another day for Nafplion itself, including Palamidi Castle (we spent ages up there & we've been more than once!). Ancient Corinth & Acrocorinth could be the other day, with one nights stay in the village maybe, its lovely & some great places to eat, I can thoroughly recommend Marinos!
Some photos of Ancient Corinth & Acrocorinth taken in January,
https://www.flickr.com/photos/yiassa...57662982724079
https://www.flickr.com/photos/yiassa...57663543372701
Allow plenty of time for Acrocorinth, it's quite a climb & worth lingering for the views
I would aim for only two sites per day (some take up more time than you think). This would mean two days taken up with Nemea, Epidavros, Mycenae & Tyrins. Another day for Nafplion itself, including Palamidi Castle (we spent ages up there & we've been more than once!). Ancient Corinth & Acrocorinth could be the other day, with one nights stay in the village maybe, its lovely & some great places to eat, I can thoroughly recommend Marinos!
Some photos of Ancient Corinth & Acrocorinth taken in January,
https://www.flickr.com/photos/yiassa...57662982724079
https://www.flickr.com/photos/yiassa...57663543372701
Allow plenty of time for Acrocorinth, it's quite a climb & worth lingering for the views
