Things to Do and Places to See

Local sports and activities

snorkelling
scuba diving
windsurfing
sea fishing
walking and wild flowers
cycling
olive picking
horse riding
bird watching
turtle watching
tortoise spotting

Places to visit

If, like us last year, you have never been to the Peloponnese, you are in for a treat. The Peloponnese is the hidden treasure trove of Greece. With very little package-deal tourism, most of the little villages and resorts feel like the Greek islands twenty years ago. Technically I suppose the Peloponnese is a Greek island, being separated from the mainland by the Corinth Canal, but the canal is so narrow that if you were on the motorway driving from Athens you would probably miss it. We did.

Nearby - temples, turtles and Turks

If you head north for half-an-hour from Kalamata, capital of the Peloponnese and olive capital of the world, you�ll reach the delightful village of Mavromati with its waterfalls, overlooking the scattered ruins of Ancient Messini. According to myth Zeus was born here, not in Crete. Not all of this site has yet been excavated, but the Doric temple is impressive with a well-preserved assembly hall with a Roman floor and further down the stadium used to stage contests in honour of Zeus remains largely intact.

The Messinian peninsular boasts some of the best beaches in the Peloponnese, the best of which is Zaga beach where turtles nest, only 20 minutes from Chrani past the lovely Venetian town of Koroni. Follow the road past the fishing village of Finikounda, one of the best windsurfing spots in Greece and on to Methoni with its vast 13th century fortress surrounded on three sides by sea. Inside the fortress are the remains of an entire medieval village. Continue round the coast and you reach another beautiful historic port, Pylos where Admiral Codrington accidentally sank almost the entire Turkish fleet in the Battle of Navarino. Many of the 53 ships can still be seen in the clear waters. Pylos has two castles and nearby is the Palace of Nestor one of the best preserved Mycenean palaces.

Ancient sites and Venetian ports

The Peloponnese is shaped like a three-fingered hand. The Argolis peninsular which is nearest to Athens and can be seen from the islands of Poros, Hydra and Spetse, forms the thumb. The Argolis is home to two of Greece�s most magnificent ancients sites - the sombre and mighty ruins of Ancient Mycenaewith the palace of Agamemnon and most renowned of all, the World Heritage Site of Epidavros which boasts the best-preserved example of a classical Greek theatre. The Epidavros Festival takes place here in the summer months with programmes of Ancient Greek dramas. Where the thumb and index finger of the Peloponnese join there is the beautiful Venetian port of Nafplio with its classical mansions and three fortresses. The view from the top of the citadel I�m told is worth the 999 step climb. We haven�t tried it yet.

Greece's 'Gibraltar'

Travelling down the eastern side of the index finger you encounter what has been described as the Greek Gibraltar. Monemvasiis a massive rock rising dramatically out of the sea, topped by a fortress. Cross the causeway and follow the road through a winding tunnel through the fortifying walls and you will emerge, dazzled by sunlight into the magical medieval town.

The Mani

The middle finger of the Peloponnese is called The Mani, a place of rugged peaks and spectacular views, described in Patrick Leigh Fermor�s book of the same name. The inner Mani at the bottom of the peninsular boasts mountains as dramatic and imposing as any in Crete. The traditionally feuding fighting Maniots who claim to be the direct descendants of the Spartans, launched the War of Independence against the Turks. Blood feuding used to be a way of life among the people of the Mani as evidenced by the towers that dot the landscape. The smaller towers were built solely for defence or taking pot shots at the neihgbours. The larger ones were fortified homes. Feuding having died out over the past fifty years, the Maniots are now as friendly and hospitable as any people in Greece and this is a spectacular area not to be missed. Just south of Aeropolis on the edge of the inner Mani are the Diros Caves. Inhabited in Neolithic times, they are famous for their stalactites and stalagmites with lyrical names such as Crystal Lily and Three Wise Men.

And so back to the fertile valleys and soft rolling mountains of Messinia, the third peninsular, with its cypress trees and citrus groves - the fruit basket of Greece. Add to all this some of the cleanest, clearest seas in Greece, golden beaches and rocky coves and you can understand why the gods of Ancient Greece spent much of their time in the Peloponnese.