81 Best Sights in The Peloponnese, Greece

A small gate in the southern walls of the castle leads to a rocky outcrop that was once an unloading dock for goods traded in and out of the city. Today it is a small bathing area where paddlers can bob in the shadow of the great walls, protected from the strong northerly winds.

The fishermen's quarter is a small district of narrow lanes above Staikopoulos Street, running between cramped little houses that huddle beneath the walls of Acronafplia. The old houses, painted in brownish yellow, green, and salmon red, are embellished with additions and overhangs in eclectic styles. The walk is enjoyable, though many of the houses have been turned into small pensions. Keep a low profile to respect the privacy of the locals.

The resort town of Tolo, 12 km (7½ miles) south of Nafplion, is a short inexpensive bus ride from Nafplion's main station or a more expensive taxi ride; beware, though, that in the warm months the beach of fine sand is packed solid with sunburned northern Europeans and abuzz with every water sport and beach activity ever invented, from taking in the sun in the endless rows of loungers to volleyball. A long parade of bars and tavernas backs the beach, and some tables are set right on the sands. Two uninhabited islands in the bay, Romvi and Koronissi, can be reached by excursion boat. Amenities: food and drink; parking (fee); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: partiers; swimming; walking.

The island of Sapientza across the water from Methoni is reached via tourist boats that depart from the quay (about €20). The island is small and walkable, covered mostly in rock and scrub and has a lighthouse built at the request of Queen Victoria in 1885. It is unoccupied except for some local wildlife, including a small population of wild Cretan goats that can be spotted browsing the greenery. Its small beach is particularly of note, as it's surrounded by beautifully clear shallow waters. The last boat back leaves around 7 pm.

Scoutari isn't so much one as three beaches (Kalamia, Varthona, and Agi Varvara). These wrap around a cove 15 km (9 miles) south of Gythion, separated by jutting outcrops of rock and inched by a small scrubby road that connects them all. There are no facilities to speak of, though a small port sits at one end. Hotels and a few tavernas scatter the eponymous village above, so you're far from cut off, but its sandy shore and shallow waters still seem like they're a world apart. Amenities: none. Best for: solitude; swimming.

What little remains of Ancient Sparta's acropolis is now part archaeological site, part park. Locals can be seen here strolling, along with many young couples stealing a romantic moment amid the fallen limestone and shady trees. The sparse ruins include a theater, a stadium, and a sanctuary to Athena.

This eclectic collection reflects Laconia's turbulent history and is worth an hour to see Neolithic pottery; jewels and tools excavated from the Alepotrypa cave; Mycenaean tomb finds; bright 4th- and 5th-century Roman mosaics; and objects from Sparta. Most characteristic of the relatively few pieces of Spartan art that have survived are the bas-reliefs filled with images of deities and heroes; note the one depicting a seated couple bearing gifts who are framed by a snake (540 BC).

This is one of the largest churches in Greece and dates from the early 20th century. It is built next to a spring that's been used for thousands of years, and during antiquity its waters were thought to have prophetic powers. St. Andrews is an important pilgrimage sight—the cavernous interior houses the head of the namesake saint, who spread Christianity throughout Greece and was crucified in Patras in AD 60.

This one-aisle basilica with a dome (1702) has a special place in Greek history: it was in its doorway that the statesman Ioannis Kapodistrias, the first head of the newly independent Greek state, was assassinated in 1831 by the Mavromichalis brothers from the Mani, the outcome of a long-running vendetta. The mark of the bullet can be seen next to the Venetian portal. On the south side of the square, opposite St. Spyridon, are two of the four Turkish fountains that remain in Nafplion. A third is a short distance east on Kapodistria Street, at the steps that constitute the upper reaches of Tertsetou Street.

Stop a moment and contemplate the statue of the stern Spartan leader. During the Second Persian War in the 5th century BC, with 30,000 Persians advancing on his army of 8,000, Leonidas, ordered to surrender his weapons, was said to have jeered, "Come and get them." For two days he held off the enemy, until a traitor named Efialtes (the word has since come to mean "nightmare" in Greek) showed the Persians a way to attack from the rear. When forced to retreat to a wooded knoll, Leonidas is said to have commented, "So much the better, we will fight in the shade." His entire troop was slaughtered and an icon was born. Today his likeness adorns everything from wines to T-shirts, to the tattooed arms of young Greek men.

This long stretch of clean sand along a curving bay is undeniably the most popular beach in the Mani, though far from the quietest and most scenic spot in this rugged region. You'll share the company of frolicking young Greeks and sun-worshipping northern Europeans, but given that this is the Mani, it is still a relatively low-key beach resort, and it's quite possible to find a quiet stretch. Amenities: food and drink; parking (free); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: partiers; snorkeling; swimming; walking.

One of the great majesties of ancient Greek architecture, this site is isolated amid craggy, uncompromising scenery. Unfortunately, these days the temple looks more like the Sydney Opera House, thanks to a modernistic shed that has cocooned the structure in an attempt to prevent further weather damage during extensive ongoing restoration. The covering destroys the sense of place that was so important to this temple, which sits in miles of empty, hilltop fields. For many years it was believed that this building was designed by Iktinos, the Parthenon's architect. Although this theory has recently been disputed, Bassae remains one of the best-preserved classical temples in Greece, superseded in its state of preservation only by the Hephaistion in Athens. The residents of nearby Phygalia built it atop an older temple in 420 BC to thank Apollo for delivering them from an epidemic; epikourios means "helper." Made of local limestone, the temple has some unusual details: exceptional length compared to its width; a north–south orientation rather than the usual east–west (probably because of the slope of the ground); and Ionic half columns linked to the walls by flying buttresses. Here, too, were the first known Corinthian columns with the characteristic acanthus leaves—only the base remains now—and the earliest example of interior sculptured friezes illustrating the battles between the Greeks and Amazons (now in the British Museum). Climb to the summit northwest of the temple for a view overlooking the Nedhas River, Mt. Lykaeon, and, on a clear day, the Ionian Sea.

At this temple just outside the main part of town, young Spartan men underwent krypteia (initiations) that entailed severe public floggings. The altar had to be splashed with blood before the goddess was satisfied. Traces of two such altars are among sparse vestiges of the 6th-century BC temple; the larger ruins are the remains of a grandstand built in the 3rd century AD by the Romans, who revived the flogging tradition as a public spectacle. This is a pretty rough-and-ready site, with ample information plaques but little in the way of guides or a museum.

If you're driving from Diakofto to Kalavrita, make a stop at Tetramythos. The winery attributes the high quality and refined flavor of its reds and whites to the location of its vineyards on the northern slopes of Mt. Helmos, which protects the grapes from hot winds. Tours and tastings are available year-round.

On the hill of Panagitsa, on the left along the road that runs to the citadel, lies this most imposing example of Mycenaean architecture. The construction of this huge tholos (or beehive tomb) took place around 1250 BC, contemporary with that of the Lion Gate, during the last century of Mycenaean prominence. Like other tholos tombs, it consists of a passageway cut into the hillside that was built of huge squared stones. The passage leads into a vast domed chamber. The facade of the entrance had applied decoration, but only small fragments have been preserved, and traces of bronze nails suggest that similar decoration once existed inside. The tomb was found empty, already robbed in antiquity, but it must at one time have contained immensely valuable artifacts. Pausanias wrote that the ancients considered this to be the Tomb of Agamemnon, the king of the Mycenae who commanded the Greeks during the Trojan War, and the treasury is still often referred to as such.

For solitude and a dizzying view, pass through the upper town's wooden entrance gates, complete with the original iron reinforcement. Up the hill is a rare example of a domed octagonal church, Agia Sofia, founded in the 13th century by Emperor Andronicus II and patterned after Dafni Monastery in Athens. Under Venetian rule the Byzantine complex served as a convent. Follow the path to the highest point on the rock for a breathtaking view of the coast.

In 1981, the wreck of the Demetrius washed up on Valtaki Beach. There's no real consensus as to how and why: one popular story suggests that it was operated by cigarette smugglers, who torched it and set it loose when the police were tipped off as to their activities. Whatever its origins, 30 years after it first washed up here, it is something of a death trap. It could fall apart at any moment, so keep your distance, yet Greece has a penchant for pretty beaches with shipwrecks, and the shores here hold more than just curiosity value. Its sands are home to nesting loggerhead turtles, with entire areas cordoned off when they're in situ. The waters are also wonderfully clear for swimming, even if there are no facilities back on the shore. The Blue Flag sands of neighboring Selinitsa beach is perhaps more your speed if you'd prefer a cocktail with your horizon. Amenities: none. Best for: swimming.

Famed for its perfect omega shape, pristine shore, and iris-blue waters, this is thought to be Homer’s "sandy Pylos," where Telemachus, the son of Odysseus and Penelope, was welcomed by King Nestor when in search of his father. Just above the beach lies Paleokastro, Nestor’s Cave, and the tomb of Thrasymedes (Nestor’s son). Visitors come to wander the dunes, bake gently on the soft sands, and for bird-watching, but there isn't much in the way of facilities; you'll need to bring your own umbrella, towels, water, and food, and it requires driving a long winding road just to get to the shore. Amenities: none. Best for: swimming.

This former mosque, built of carefully dressed gray stone, was where the Greek National Assembly held its first meetings, hence the name: Vouleftiko (parliament). The building dates from 1530, and legend has it that the lintel stone from the Tomb of Agamemnon was used in the construction of the large, square-domed prayer hall. Another story goes that it was built by a rich Turkish Aga in order to redeem his soul for the murder of two young men who had come to the city to find their father's treasure. The man stole the map and, years later, guiltily used the proceeds to build the mosque. Rather disappointingly, it is now used as a government conference center.

For a militaristic view of the Greek revolution of 1821, this museum unravels life under occupation and the many battles fought across the Argolid region that it took to liberate Greece from the rule of the Ottomans. Relics, uniforms, art, weapons and the usual military paraphernalia make up the bulk of the displays. Its scope runs all the way up to World War II, though its focus on cold, hard battles and facts leaves little room for nuance. Pair with a visit to the National Gallery for a more rounded view.

Tripoli has a proud revolutionary history, and the War Museum is a good place to see it firsthand. Besides the many, many guns and swords here, there are fine examples of early revolutionary life, from the dashing uniforms to the sporan-like pouches used by early-19th-century fighters to stash bullets and the lard required to load them. There is even an original copper death mask of the revolutionary general Theodoros Kolokotronis. Perhaps most interesting, though, is a photo of the female fighter Peristera Kraka, the "Mulan of Greece," who became the leader of a group of guerillas who fought the Turks after her brother was killed. Visitors are shown around by museum staff.