We left Mykonos taking a flight back to Athens, where we rented a car at the airport and drove west, bypassing Athens, towards the Peloponnese peninsula.
The Peloponnese is a peninsula located at the southern tip of the mainland, 21,500 sq kms in area, and constitutes the southernmost part of mainland Greece. It is connected to the mainland by the Isthmus of Corinth. The peninsula has been inhabited since prehistoric times. Its modern name derives from ancient Greek mythology, specifically the legend of the hero Pelops, who was said to have conquered the entire region. The name Peloponnese means Island or Peninsula of Pelops. The Mycenaean civilization, mainland Greece’s (and Europe’s) first major civilization, dominated the Peloponnese in the Bronze Age from the palaces of Mycenae, Pylos and Tiryns; among others. The Mycenaean civilization collapsed suddenly at the end of the 2nd millennium BC. Archeological research has found that many of its cities and palaces show signs of destruction. The subsequent period, known as the Greek Dark Ages, is marked by an absence of written records.
First stop was near Corinth for a short lunch break. There, we came across a canal, the Corinth Canal, that was constructed in various forms & starts since 7th century BC, and was finally completed in 1893 by the Greeks. It is a narrow canal that connects the Gulf of Corinth and the Saronic Gulf; cutting travel time for ships significantly. However, it sees little maritime traffic as the canal is too narrow for modern ships. The canal technically makes the Peloponnese peninsula an island.
From here, we drove to a town called Nafplio; a coastal city located in the Peloponnese. Founded in antiquity, the city became an important sea port in the Middle Ages, and was the second capital of the First Hellenic Republic and of the Kingdom of Greece, from 1827 until 1834. Most of the old town is on a peninsula jutting into the gulf; this peninsula forms a naturally protected bay that is enhanced by the addition of human-made moles.
We stayed here 2 days as this was a nice small town with lots of history; including Ottoman occupation which brought Islam to the region briefly. We stayed at the Pension Marianna, a very nice small B&B run by 4 Greek brothers who had different roles in the business. These brothers have been operating the B&B for many years now and have slowly expanded the size and facilities over the years, including adding more rooms on higher floors, adding a breakfast rooftop, solar panels etc. However, the main drawback of tiny streets and parking spaces limits how customers reach the place; nothing the brothers can do about. We drove to this place on a narrow street that was actually a 2-way street. We found an empty parking spot in front of the B&B but were not allowed to park there. Upon asking why, we were informed that the street (we came on) that carried on past the B&B ended up becoming a dead-end street. So people would have to reverse their cars to get back, and the city had reserved this parking spot in front of the B&B, so that the reversing cars could turn their cars around to exit this street 🙂 ; you live and learn 🙂 🙂 .
Some scenes from around the town of Nafplio below
Panorimic views from the Fortress of Palamidi overlooking Nafplio
After 2 restful and quiet days here, we resumed our drive deeper south into the Peloponnese peninsula; this time to a town called Monemvasia. Some scenes along the way
Monemvasia town is located on a tied island off the east coast of the Peloponnese, surrounded by the Myrtoan Sea. The island is connected to the mainland by a tombolo 300m in length. The island is small; about 400 m wide and 1 kilometer long. Monemvasia is one of the oldest continually-inhabited fortified towns in Europe, the town is the site of a once-powerful medieval fortress, and was at one point one of the most important commercial centers in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Monemvasia
We stayed on the mainland at the Kinsterna hotel, which was a nice upscale renovated estate mansion a short distance away; set amid olive groves and nice gardens.
We visited Monemvasia town, which is a fortified town built on a side of the island that kept it hidden from obvious view which helped to prevent it from being raided by Pirates etc as it was basically “out of sight”. The town has since been restored and many old houses converted to shops, restaurants and hotel as more tourists are discovering it. Some views of Monemvasia below
360 degree view inside Monemvasia town
How did we feel; the 5 senses? Peloponnese towns were nice old towns with lots of character and history; and they were not huge or densely populated. Since this area is not on any busy tourist route, not many people spoke English, and so it was pleasant to walk around in history, try and communicate with the locals, and check out all the old architecture and structures. Food was always fresh and excellent and was different from what we had eaten in Athens and on the islands. Since it was less crowded, it was also quiet, slower paced, and un-polluted.
After 2 quiet and restful days here, we went on to explore more of Peloponnese peninsula and towns, including Olympia, where the Olympic games originated.
Our trip so far
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Great pictures. I love greece too!
Thanks for the feedback Mirza; glad my blog recreated good memories for you 🙂
Awesome
Thank you so much for sharing your travels and photography with narration. Very well presented.
Thanks for the feedback, Gulzar.
Glad you are enjoying the travels.
Such amazing towns. Yes, Greece is bliss.
Always nice to visit such less touristy places. You really get to know a country that way.
Thanks for the comments, Mahamud.
You are not only a great blogger but also a very efficient photo and videographer. Beautiful pictures and very informative video clips. Truly enjoyed reading every detail.
#best traveler#
#travelblogger#
Rozmin, you are too kind 🙂
Thanks for the wonderful feedback. Glad you are enjoying them.
Thanks for sharing the post with amazing details!
Hope all is well at your end.
Warm regards
Thanks Perwaiz, So glad you enjoyed the blog post.
And thanks for taking the time to provide feedback; I appreciate that.
Thanks for sharing. Stay safe and protected. Happy new year. You deserve the best.
Thanks, Shamim; appreciate the good wishes.
Happy New Year to you too
exellent
Thanks Amir
Hey Ali,
Love love love the photos. What an amazing place. We visited some of these areas. Just a wonderful experience, and loved the feeling of being there again. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks Mubina; so glad you are having a good time remembering Greece.
Appreciate the feedback
Great pictures. Like your narrative on 360 pictures.
Always wanted to know how much pre-planning you do for these trips? (selection of places to visit, hotels, rental cars etc.,). Where do you get recommendations to hire local guides?
I know this may be personal and depends on individuals – can you share some idea on how much these trips cost – more so for planning purposes and deciding where to go or not go. Thanks.
Thanks Sudharshan; glad you are enjoying the blog posts.
RE: Pre-planning; this is usually quite extensive and does take ~1-2 months time to pre-plan in evenings. And both Dilshad and I do this pre-planning, though it is usually Dilshad that discovers the exciting places for us to visit/stay at etc, while I take care of the logistics.
RE: costs. So for flights, we pay very little as Dilshad has lifetime flight benefits from American Airlines. However, the con is uncertainty as to whether we will be able to make the flight or not as it is on a space available basis. So many a times, we change plans at the last minute to a different location; OR go later 1-2 days later, to the original locations; all depending on how the flights look. So we have to be very flexible on our travel plans. We dont book any hotels at the travel end until we are actually on the flight. We usually either use Marriott points (we do have them from our online business) OR we book at a good/decent local hotel or B&B. Costs usually run $50-$150 per night for hotel; or free if we use points. Then, we book a car, which may run us $20-$40 per day. For food, we usually try and eat at local places/local foods as we get to try different/unique/local dishes; and we stay away from expensive/fancy restaurants; my rule of thumb being to avoid places that have white table cloths 🙂 .
And we usually dont hire local guides; just go by the research we have done for background info. Exceptions are in remote places where language/remoteness/ lack of internet etc are major issues. Examples include western China, Northern Pakistan, and Central Asia (Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan)
Hope this helps; ping me if you need more info.
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