81 Best Sights in The Peloponnese, Greece

The squares in the center of town are the best places to observe Greek life, especially Areos, one of the largest platias (central squares) in Greece and definitely the place to while away the time if you're marooned in Tripoli. At its center stands a statue of Theodoros Kolokotronis, the revered Arcadian general who helped liberate the country from the Turkish yoke. His bones are buried at its base, having been moved there from Athens in 1930. One story goes that in 1942 the invading Italian army smashed open the tomb and scattered his remains to keep the town in line. Appalled, the town's mayor and his 13-year-old son risked death to collect them up in a sugar bag, so they could be later replaced.

This in-town swimming spot is not really a beach but a seaside perch of smooth rocks, pebbled shoreline, and concrete platforms, all backed by fragrant pines. This is a good place for a morning wake-up swim or a refreshing plunge after a day of sightseeing. At times the popular and well-maintained spot, with a pleasant beach bar, seems as sociable as the town square, so don't be surprised to hear other bathers gossiping and exchanging recipes as they bob in the delightful water. You can walk to Arvanitia by following the seaside promenade that hugs the cliffs beneath the Acronafplia south of town. Amenities: food and drink; free parking; showers; toilets. Best for: swimming.

Nafplion's pocket-size fortress is a captivating presence on a speck of land in the middle of the harbor. The Venetians completed a single tower in 1473, and they enlarged it with a second tower and bastion when they recaptured Nafplion in 1686. Freedom fighters captured the Bourtzi during the War of Independence in 1822 and used the island to bombard the Turks defending the town. The new Greek government retreated to the island in the unsettled times following the revolution; then, after 1865, the fortress became the residence of the town executioners. Boats such as Odyssey Cruises ( 69720/15296) leave on no fixed schedule from the eastern end of Akti Miaouli on €5 return trips. 

Housed within the former barracks of Greece's first president, Ioannis Kapodistrias—itself built atop the remains of a Venetian covered market—this museum looks at medieval life from the 4th century onward across six rooms. It is particularly good at dissecting the decline of the ancient world from the 6th century on, as empires contracted, villages fortified, and the dark ages settled in, backing up its histories with some interesting examples such as the mysterious story of the 50 skeletons found in the caves of Andritsa.

In the 19th century, King Otto returned this 13th-century landmark—restored and converted into a mosque under the Turks—to Nafplion's Catholics. The church is best known for the wooden arch erected inside the doorway that has the names of philhellenes (Greek admirers) who died during the War of Independence carved on it—the British poet Lord Byron is number 10. A mihrab (Muslim prayer recess) behind the altar and the amputated stub of a minaret are evidence of the church's use as a mosque. The church also has a small museum and an underground crypt in which can be found sculptural work commemorating the defeat of the Turks at the hands of the Greeks and philhellenes.

This post-Byzantine three-aisle basilica is, by tradition, linked to St. Anastasios, a Nafpliote painter. Anastasios was reportedly engaged to a local girl, but he abandoned her because she was "immoral." Becoming despondent as a result of spells cast over him by her relatives, he converted to Islam. When the spells wore off, he cried out, "I was a Christian, I am a Christian, and I shall die a Christian." An Ottoman judge ordered that he be beheaded, but a Turkish mob stabbed Anastasios to death before that could happen. His corpse was then allegedly hanged on an ancient olive tree that rises next to the church and which never again bore fruit. The basilica was the main Orthodox church during the Venetian occupation and has an elaborate wooden reredos carved in 1870.

Remains of the classical city are scattered throughout the modern one, and you can see in a small area the extensive ruins of the Roman bath, odeon (a roofed theater), and agora, or market. The theater is especially striking, and its well-preserved seats climb a hillside.

Manuscripts, a 35,000-volume library, and other artifacts here are from surrounding churches, monasteries, and the School of Greek Letters that flourished in Dimitsana in the 19th century. The school educated Germanos, a bishop of Patras, and other young men who went on to become Greek scholars and church leaders.

Above the harbor at the western edge of town are the ruins of a fortification known as the Five Brothers, the only remaining part of the lower wall built around Nafplion in 1502. The name comes from the five guns placed here by the Venetians around 1690; they remain in place, all bearing the winged lion of St. Mark.

A sand-and-pebble beach rings a sparkling cove where languid, turquoise waters are perfect for swimming. The offshore rocky outcroppings are a playground for snorkelers, and a swim-through sea cave just off the beach makes a fun retreat in which to float and escape the sun. Amenities: food and drink; free parking; showers; toilets. Best for: snorkeling; swimming.

In the early 13th century, William de Champlitte divided the Peloponnese into 12 baronies. He bestowed Kalamata on Frankish knight Geoffrey de Villehardouin, who built a winter castle here. Through the centuries the castle was bitterly fought over by Franks, Slavs, and Byzantines, and today it's difficult to tell what of the remains is original. From Martiou 23 Square, walk up Ipapandis past the church, take the first left at the castle gates, and climb the small hill; the views of the town, coast, and the Messinian plain are lovely.

In Greece, the ski slopes of Chlemos Mountain (7,726 feet) are second only to those of Parnassos, which lies across the Corinthian Gulf. Indeed, winter is the busier time in this region, with the town's ski resort humming between November and April. Its facilities include 12 runs totaling 20 km (12 miles), moguls, and a snowboard park. Few foreigners visit, but it's pretty affordable (as far as European skiing goes) and you can even see the Gulf as you hurtle down the slopes.

This long, sandy stretch backed by a pine forest and a grassy plain where cattle graze is much favored by Patras residents on weekends and in August. It's around 40 km (25 miles) west of the city. Bracing winds that can whip up a wild surf don't seem to deter beachgoers and are a boon for windsurfers. A river behind the beach forms estuaries that are great for bird-watching. People swim in them as well, but you may feel like Hercules if you are joined by yard-long snakes (they are nonvenomous). Amenities: food and drink; parking (free); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: swimming; walking; windsurfing.

The closest sandy beach to Nafplion, Karathona is easy to reach by road (just keep following 25 Maritou Street) or a pleasant walk first along the seaside promenade and then a dirt track for 4 km (2½ miles). You can also get there by bus in summer. The pine-backed sands are favored by Greek families with picnic baskets, and this is an ideal spot for kids, since the waters remain shallow far out into the bay. Sun loungers and umbrellas are available for rent, though a pine grove behind the sands provides plenty of nice shady spots. Several tavernas back the beach. Amenities: food and drink; free parking; showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: swimming; walking.

A geological wonder to rival any in the area. As well as vast subterranean galleries, labyrinthine passageways, gill-like rock formations, and huge stalactites, the cave of Kastria is most famous for the lakes that have pooled in its 13 naturally created basins. An underground river once ran through here, perforating the karst rock and opening up its lower levels. Boardwalks now snake 500 meters (1,640 feet) of the underground network's reputed 2 km (1 mile) length, but it's enough to get a taste. Audio guides in English can be downloaded from the cave's online site, as can guides that explain the geological history of the area. The caves lie 17 km (10 miles) from Kalavrita; if you don't want to shell out for an expensive taxi, rent a scooter or e-bike to make the journey.

Exit the Eastern Wall gate to reach Monemvasia Lighthouse, a clean-cut innocuous building erected in the late 19th century. The beacon contains a small museum (free; open daily) about its history; it is also the start of a 2-km (1.2-mile) rocky path that skirts the northern rim of the island (follow the red trail marks) back to the car park next to To Kastro café. It's a testing scramble in parts, and one best avoided on a windy or wet day.

On the main square stands the town's 13th-century Church of Elkomenos Christos, reputedly the largest medieval church in southern Greece. Carved peacocks on its portal are symbolic of the Byzantine era; the detached bell tower—like those of Italian cathedrals—is a sign of Venetian rebuilding in the 17th century. Sculptures from the church, together with other interesting finds from excavations around the island, are held across the square in the town's Archaeological Collection (€3; closed Tuesday), a small, interesting museum housed within an 16th-century former mosque. Outside, a cannon dominates the square, typically forming a backdrop to the many selfie-taking couples.

The largest and longest beach in the Mani lies just to the south of Gythion. A thermal wind in the summer months has made it popular with kitesurfers, and a number of hotels and cafés have staked their claim on the sands, with large chunks given over to their parasols. The more than 5 km (3 miles) of Blue Flag shoreline accommodates rough sand and pebbles and can get busy in summer, but there's plenty of room for everyone—even the loggerhead turtles who come to nest toward the back of the sands (watch out for cordoned-off areas). Amenities: food and drink. Best for: swimming, windsurfing.

A fascinating breakdown of the history, cultural life, and realities of being in the ancient world's grandest sporting event awaits visitors to this excellent museum. For example, those competing were not only tested on their sporting prowess but their ethics and character, while women were banned from both competing and even attending the stadium, on pain of "being cast down from Mount Typaion." Artwork and sculptures from the era bring to life the sweat of the athletes. There is also a focus on the other ancient Games, shedding light on the history of sporting festivals in Nemea, Isthmia, and Delphi.

Olives are thick on the ground in these parts, so it's only fitting that Sparta is home to a quirky and appealing collection of apparatus and culture related to the staple of Greek economy since ancient times, housed in a stunning renovation of the city's first electricity works.

Most of the great treasures of Mycenae have been removed to the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, but you'll see copies of death masks and other great artifacts in the small but well-done museum at the site. Cult offerings and other original finds are also on view. Of most interest is the model of the ancient city, helping put the ruins in context, and reconstructions of several rooms of the palace.

Just west of Patras lies the periphery of what was once the Mycenean world. There was a settlement on Bourtzi hill for around 500 years, with some 78 carved tombs dating back to 1500 BC since found in the area. Many of the finds made here are now on view in the Archaeological Museum in Patras, which is certainly easier to reach; visitors will need a car to get Voudeni. But it's worth the effort to get here, and the site is surrounded by a well-kept garden that makes for a relaxed stroll.

The thick walls of this red-stone building, built in 1713 to serve as a naval storehouse for the Venetian fleet, ensure the coolest interior in town. It's more than just shelter, however. The museum houses artifacts from nearby sites Mycenae, Tiryns, Asine, and Dendra. The findings from the Mycenaean tombs are especially rich and include wonderful masks and a remarkable bronze suit of armor from the 15th century BC.

The "newer" of the Philosophou monasteries sits on the west side of the gorge, yet even this dates back to the 17th century. Its katholico (main church), dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, has some beautiful illustrated hagiographies, though during Ottoman rule it is said their eyes were scrubbed out by the invaders. Like many of the sites in this region, the building had a part to play in the War of Independence against the Turks. It was a hideout for the Greek general Theodorous Kolokotronis and formed a meeting place for the chieftains to plot. Today, the only rebels here are the legions of cats, who bask in the shade like fallen soldiers. Exit via the black gates for an 800-meter (½-mile) walk to Old Philosophou Monastery, the bones of a 10th-century monastery dug into the walls of the gorge. It's a spectacular site, and rambling its crumbling stone remains and church, gazing out over the wild gorge, is exhilarating. It was reportedly home to one of Greece's "secret schools," where young Greeks would scrabble the ravine in the pitch darkness in order to receive private tutoring in biblical studies, history, and the Greek language, away from the eyes of the Turkish authorities. Little evidence exists of such schools, and some historians argue they have been created as a nationalist myth.

This venerable mosque near the southeast corner of Syntagma Square has been put to various purposes since Nafplion was liberated from the Turks: as a school, a courthouse, municipal offices, and a movie theater, during the latter era of which it acquired the name most still know it by: Trianon. (The writer Henry Miller, who did not care for Nafplion, felt that the use of the building as a movie theater was an example of the city's crassness.) The landmark occasionally hosts temporary exhibits and performances; it also remains one of the oldest surviving examples of Ottoman architecture in Nafplion.

A water mill, tannery, and gunpowder mill on the river Lousios below town provide displays and demonstrations that reveal why water power was the force behind the region's economy until the first part of the 20th century. Mills like the one here operated up and down the river and helped supply the forces who successfully fought the Turks during the War of Independence in 1821.

Whether in harsh sunlight or under floodlights at night, this mighty fortress is a beautiful sight, with red-stone bastions and flights of steps that zigzag down the 700-foot-tall cliff face. You can drive up the less-precipitous eastern slope, but if you are in reasonable shape and it isn't too hot, try climbing the stairs. Most guides will tell you there are 999 of them, but 892 is closer to the mark. From the top you can look down on the Old Town, the Gulf of Argolis, and the entire Argive plain.

Built by the Venetians between 1711 and 1714, the Palamidi comprises three forts and a series of freestanding and connecting defensive walls. But little good did it do them. The Palamidi fell to the Turks in 1715 after only eight days, allegedly because the Venetians assumed the fortress was impregnable and saw no need to garrison a large number of troops within the walls. In 1840, following the declaration of Greek independence, the Palamidi's Miltiadis bastion was converted by the Greeks into a fearsome prison that was used well into the 20th century. Its inmates included the revolutionary war hero Theodore Kolokotronis, on a charge of high treason that was later rescinded. His cell is indicated by a sign.

The city's castle was built out of the ruins of the area's ancient acropolis in the 6th century, though it was shaped by countless invaders, with Frankish, Venetian, and Ottoman invaders having the most influence. It became the administrative center for the city from the medieval era onwards, and was in use right up until the end of World War II. A long flight of stone steps ascends toward the Kastro from the southern edge of the Old Town, and views from its ramparts of the shimmering ships negotiating the harbor stirs even the most travel-weary.

According to the Greek traveler and geographer Pausanias, the most ravishing odeon in Greece, second only to the Herodeion of Athens, is that of Patras. Having been rediscovered in the late-19th century, it was restored in the 1960s and, until recently, remained in use as a venue for productions of the Summer Arts Festival (mid-June–mid-September), which were still staged in its well-preserved theater until recently. You can still admire this building from the street, but ongoing renovations mean it was closed at the time of writing and will be for the foreseeable future.