Mainland · Πελοπόννησος
Mycenae, Epidaurus, Olympia and Mystras on one road trip, with a fortress town by the sea every night.
Nafplio
01IntroductionΠελοπόννησος
The Peloponnese holds more of the ancient world than anywhere else in Greece, plus beaches, olive groves and stone tower villages. Yet many visitors cross it only on the way to somewhere else. With a car it makes the best road trip in the country.
Our favourite couples’ route runs from elegant Nafplio (for Mycenae and Epidaurus) to the walled sea-rock town of Monemvasia, through Byzantine Mystras, and into the Mani or Messinia for the last few days. Hydra or Spetses is a short boat ride from the coast if you want to finish on an island.
- How long
- 5–8 nights by car
- When to go
- April to June
- Ancient sites nearby
- 7
02Highlights
- 01 Nafplio: Venetian lanes and the Palamidi fortress
- 02 Mycenae’s Lion Gate and the theatre of Epidaurus
- 03 A night inside the walls at Monemvasia
- 04 Mystras, a ruined Byzantine city on a hillside
- 05 The tower villages and coves of the Mani
- 06 Ancient Olympia, and the beaches of Messinia
03Practical
- When to go
- April to June, and September to October
- Getting there
- Nafplio is about two hours by car from Athens airport. Kalamata airport has seasonal international flights to the south-west.
- For couples
- Spend two nights in each base rather than one night everywhere. The drives are short, and the evenings are the best part.
04Sites, food and stays
Ancient sites nearby
- MycenaeThe Lion Gate, the citadel walls and the beehive “Treasury of Atreus”. An easy morning from Nafplio.
- Theatre of EpidaurusFamous for its acoustics: a whisper on stage carries to the top rows. Summer festival performances take place under the stars.
- Ancient OlympiaWhere the Games began. Walk through the vaulted entrance into the stadium, and do not miss the museum.
- MystrasA whole late Byzantine city on a hillside: frescoed churches, a palace and a castle on top. Wear good shoes and start from the upper gate.
- MonemvasiaA fortified town on a sea rock, linked to the mainland by a causeway. Stay inside the walls; the lower town is car-free.
- Ancient CorinthA Roman colony laid out around an Archaic temple, with the fortress of Acrocorinth above it. It sits on the way from Athens to Nafplio.
- Palace of NestorThe best-preserved Mycenaean palace floor plan, now under a protective roof. It pairs well with a stay in Messinia.
What to eat
- Kalamata olives and oilAlmond-shaped purple olives from Messinia, where many families still press their own oil.
- Nemea AgiorgitikoGreece’s best-known red-wine region, a short drive from Mycenae. Some wineries offer visits by appointment.
Mainland stays
- Petrino ZagoriPlaceholderMountain guesthouse · Papingo, Zagori
- Kastro RoomsPlaceholderRooms inside the walls · Monemvasia lower town
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Nafplio