A Complete Peloponnese travel guide for 2024

Last Updated on January 13, 2024 by

When I first landed in Kalamata, Greece suddenly seemed differently than the place remembered. What happened to all the blue and white churches? Where is the sea? I was instead surrounded by endless Olive trees fields and a high mountain range that I am sure hosted a few Gods during the Classical Greek period. I immediately realised the picture of Greece I had in my mind, unfortunately matched with the one portrayed by media. Nevertheless, it takes only five minutes in the Peloponnese region to understand that Greece has much more to offer than its, undoubtedly beautiful, islands. This Peloponnese travel guide, will make you discover this unspoiled part of the country rich of traditions, incredible landscapes and tasty food.

Where in Greece is the Peloponnese?

The Peloponnese is located in southern mainland Greece. It is connected to the central part of the country by the Isthmus of Corinth land bridge which separates the Gulf of Corinth from the Saronic Gulf.

How to Get to the Peloponnese, Greece

There are officially 2 airports serving the Peloponnese region: the Patras Araxos Airport and the Kalamata airport. Nevertheless, the Kalamata airport is considered the main one serving the region. Both airports work on a seasonal base. This means you won’t find any direct flight to the Peloponnese region out of the late spring/summer season. Easyjet is the main carrier flying from London to Kalamata.

The best way to get to the Peloponnese, when these airports are not working, is flying directly to Athens and take a 2 h and 30 mins transfer to Kalamata (or any other place one wants to visit). This works also for US visitors who should fly directly to Athens or take the Easyjet connection from London Gatwick. Short flights connecting Athens to Kalamata are provided by Agaen Airlines in spring and summer. The flight is about 55 mins.

Transfers from Athens to the Peloponnese

Transfers can be organised privately (i.e. taxi) or with a coach. The bus company KTEL is one of the main coach providers in Greece. Nevertheless, they don’t have a unified website for the whole country. Indeed each city/subregion has its own independent website and booking system.

Please see below for each available coach connection from Athen to the Peloponnese (not all the sites have a English page, sorry!)

• Athens – Corinth
• Athens – Messinia/Kalamata
• Athens – Argolita
• Athens – Pyrgos
• Athens -Patras
• Athens – Sparta
• Athens -Tripoli

Getting around the Peloponnese

Road travel in the Peloponnese

The best way to explore the Peloponnese is by car. This will give you the opportunity to reach easily the most remote areas. Moreover, you will have much more freedoms on your schedule. Roads are safe and car rentals are available at any airport you’ll land in Greece.

Coastal areas in the regional unit of Messenia can be easily explored by bike. Indeed, roads are safe enough to get around and this is will help the preservation of the natural landscapes of the area.

For those of you relying on public transport, coaches serving urban routes in the sub-regional area can be booked from the list above for each zone.

Travel by train in the Peloponnese

Rail connections in the Peloponnese are not the best. If you are planning to travel by train, the only main connection from Athen is Patra, the largest city in the Peloponnese. Nevertheless, this is not a direct ride as you will have to change at Kiato and, from there, take the suburban railway to Patra.

However, the Peloponnese is not famous for its railways, there is a particular rail trip that should be on everyone’s bucket list. I am talking about the Diakofto–Kalavryta Railway Ride (served by Odontos). This is considered one of the most scenic train rides in Europe as it winds around the Vouraïkos Gorge and numerous tight passages carved from the rock.

The train ride is about 57 mins and a ticket cost 9,50 € (19 € return). You can check more info here.

Taxis in the Peloponnese

Taxis are available to get around the Peloponnese. Nevertheless, Uber is not a thing outside Athens and you’ll have to organise your taxi transfers via your hotel or by calling directly the taxi company.

I have to warn you that taxi rates are a little more expensive compared to other European locations. To give you an example, I paid €60 for a return taxi from Romanos to Methoni and € 45 for a return taxi from Romanos to Pylos.

Peloponnese travel guide. 5 reasons why you should visit

If you are reading this guide, you are probably already interested in visiting this magnificent and underrated part of Greece. Nevertheless, I want to give you five (my five) best reasons why the Peloponnese should be on your radar.

For its history (of course!)

It’s impossible to visit Greece and ignore its history. One can easily say that there’s history in every stone you touch in that country! As a historian, I can’t certainly ignore that Greece is one of the most amazing countries to visit for history-lovers. The Peloponnese, in particular, has a long and intricate historical heritage. This is still visible in most of his cities. As the region is too vast and each of the sub-regions has a very detailed and different role in shaping the sort of the Peloponnese, I won’t tell you more about this here. However, I will try to make separate posts for the different locations (keep an eye on the website for this!).

Instead, if you are interested in visiting the Peloponnese for its rich history, you can fin here the best historical locations in the region you should put on your bucket list!

Mycenaean history destinations in the Peloponnese

The Mycenaean Civilisation corresponds to the last phase of the Bronze Age in Greece. This dates back to 1750 to 1050 BC. The Mycenaeans were famous for their intricate works of art, sociopolitical culture and distinctive writing system. The best destinations where to find some surviving Mycenaean architecture and art are Mycenae, Pylos and the archaeological site of Tiryns.

Among the unmissable Mycenaean sites, the Palace of Nestor is certainly well-worth a visit. Indeed, this is the most well-preserved Mycenaean palace in Greece dating back to 1300 BC. The site was so important to be even described in both Homer’s Odyssey and Iliad. Same with the extensive Mycenae Citadel, kingdom of the mythical Agamemnon and most important centre of the Late Bronze Age in Greece. The citadel, now a UNESCO world heritage site, has been described as a example of outstanding universal value for its role in history and literature across the centuries.

Classical Antiquity destinations in the Peloponnese

During Classical Antiquity, the Peloponnese was probably the beating heart of the Greek history. Indeed, everyone at one point in his life have heard of the mythical and long-lasting conflict(s) between Athens and Sparta. Well, during the the Classical Antiquity, Sparta was at the centre of the social and political life in the region leading the Peloponnese League. An alliance of city-states dominates by Sparta. If you are interested in this part of the Greek history, visiting the most important cities of the Peloponnese League should be at the top of your list.

These are Sparta (of course), Corinth, Mantineia and Tegea. A worth addition to the list is the city of Olympia, famous for being the historical original location of the Olympic games.

Notable attractions to visit are certainly the Acropolis of Ancient Sparta, the Temple of Apollo in Corinth and the Temple of Poseidon in Mantineia.

Medieval history destinations in the Peloponnese

Like in the rest of Europe, the Middle Age was a period of chaos for the Peloponnese too. Sparta was no longer the leading city in the region. With the new Byzantine rulers, the power shifted to Corinth, that became the new capital. Slavic attacks and local wars signed most of the early medieval centuries. Nevertheless, with the ending of the Byzantine empire later in the 13th century, a new order begun under the Crusaders interest. The Franks occupied the principality of Achaea and the Venetians ruled the whole Messenian coast from Navarino to Koroni. The Peloponnese took the name of Morea (becoming Kingdom of Morea in the 17th century).

If castles and medieval churches are your passion, lookout the Peloponnese won’t disappoint your expectations.

The best attractions to visit dating back to the Middle Ages are the Venetian castles of Methoni and Koroni, the Frankish Castle of Clermont in Elis and the fortified town of Mystras.

Modern history destinations in the Peloponnese

In Modern Greece, Venetians still played an important role. Particularly, in the coastal areas of the Peloponnese. Indeed, the Kingdom of Morea became an official colony of Venice until 1684–99 when the peninsula fell under the control of the Ottoman Empire. This shifted the central power from Corinth to Mystras and then Nauplion. Ottomans ruled in the Peloponnese until 1821, when the Greeks sought independence through the Greek War of Independence and the decisive Battle of Navarino (1827).

Modern history destinations in the Peloponnese focus largely on the wide coastal areas of the peninsula. Indeed, Kalamata, Navarino, Pylos and Nafplion still preserve some of the best architectural examples of this period.

In particular, the Palamidi Fortress of Nafplio built by the Venetians and the New Castle of Pylos built by the Ottomans in the Navarino bay, offer a good understanding of the historical background of Greece during the modern area.

For the food

I was already a big fan of Greek food, but traditional Peloponnese food was totally a new experience! A mouthwatering mix of sweet and savoury flavours topped up by a lot of olive oil. Honestly, as a good Italian, I am a big foodie. Therefore, I consider food experience as an essential part of my trip.

The Peloponnese is a vast region. So you should expect a large variety of traditional dishes from North to South. Nevertheless, the whole peninsula shares a passionate production of olives, of which Kalamata is probably the undiscussed queen. Moreover, it has the freshest produce of tasty vegetables I’ve seen in ages and a creative way of making honey the perfect ingredient for every single dish you’ll have.

Top 10 dishes to try in the Peloponnese

There’s a long list of dishes one should try in the Peloponnese. For reasons of space, I created a list of 10 dishes I think everyone should try when visiting the region.

1. Petoules – a traditional fried pancake topped with honey typical of Messinia
2. Hilopites – traditional home-made pasta prepared with a lot of different ingredients. I loved it with feta cheese
3. Tsaitia – fried pastry filled with cheese and local herbs typical of Laconia
4. Raisin Baklava – traditional from Corinth this delicious dish is the perfect ending dessert for any dinner in the Peloponnese
5. Gogges – shell-shaped sort of pasta usually cooked with butter and myzithra cheese
6. Lagoto – a meat dish cooked all over the Peloponnese, sometimes with Pork, sometimes with Lamb and accompanied by tomatoes, garlic and walnuts.
7. Kagianas – scrambled eggs with tomato and sausage
8. Kalamata Olives – a must try in all over the region. Usually served with meze
9. Fried calamari – served fresh in the coastal areas together with lemon and cheese dippers.
10. Papoutsakia – stuffed and fried eggplant topped with vegetables or cheesy Béchamel.

3 gastronomical experiences to try in the Peloponnese

1. Authentic Village Cooking in Pylos – Exclusively provided by Costa Navarino resort. This special cooking class will take you to a traditional village house where you learn cooking with two lovely Messinian ladies the traditional dishes of the region. Then you’ll have a fantastic dinner and learn even some local dances!
2. Wine Tasting in Nemea. This is the most famous wine region of Greece. Located at 320 metres of Altitude, Nemea is the perfect location for vineyards. There are a large number of properties hosting wine and dine session but the Semeli Estate has surely one of the best landscapes where to enjoy this experience.
3. Honey Tasting & Farm Dinner in Ancient Olympia. Honey is a traditional produce of the Peloponnese. What a better experience than tasting this in one of the local farms? Klio’s honey farm allows you to learn how the Greek honey is produced and taste some home-made delicacies.

For some of the most incredible beaches in Greece

As person who grew up on a island, I’ve seen lot of beautiful beaches. However, the beaches of the Peloponnese are on another level! Crystalline waters are surrounded by peculiar landscapes that are still unspoiled by mass tourism. Places that are so beautiful that is hard to believe they are even real! Voidokilia Beach is exactly one of those places. Famous with the name “Omega beach” for its shape, this beach has an idyllic peaceful atmosphere. Protected by two big promontories, it shares a strip of sand with the Gialova Lagoon. A natural protected area used as a migratory station by birds who stop here on their way to Africa from Northern Europe (and vice versa).

Not far from Voidokilia there is another incredible beach, almost unknown to tourists. This is called Paralia Glossa and it’s literally invisible unless someone knows the way. I’ve been taken there by a local guide during a bike tour. He called it the “secret beach” because the path to reach it is quite rough. Nevertheless, once you are there it’s a little paradise! Other amazing beaches you can check out are the Karathona Beach in Nafplio and Simos Beach on Elafonisos.

For its traditions

Peloponnese traditions have deep roots. Some of them dates back to the Classical age and still adopted nowadays. Some others, are embraced by families as a precious treasure. Passed from a generation to another to keep the culture alive and the family proud. Don’t be surprised to hear people talking about how their olive’s tree fields will be used as a dowry for their daughters. After all, olive oil was considered as liquid gold for a long time.

Moreover, in some areas of the Peloponnese, weaving is still an important element of women’s cultural heritage. Modern Pelelopes learn the art of crafting from their mothers and grand-mothers ready to pass the precious knowledge onto new generations. In this regard, Peloponnese women still keep alive the ancient Greek tradition of the Martis. This is a handcrafted twisted bracelet in white and red that Greek people wear on the 1st of March.

According to the tradition, those bracelets protected people from sunburns when the spring arrived. This was particularly important for young ladies. Indeed, Classical Greek standards defined women’s beauty by the fair tone of their skin. At the end of March those bracelets had to be hanged into the tree branches for the birds to use them as a nest. Another variation of the tradition, see these burned during the Easter evening.

Each part of the Peloponnese has different traditions. Some linked to the Classical Greek heritage, some others to religion. Folklore is a big part of Greek culture and a trip to the Peloponnese is a great excuse to learn more about this! Don’t be shy and ask people what their family traditions are. You’ll be surprised about how many interesting stories you will hear.

Because it’s the most unspoiled place in Greece

Despite its captivating beauty and breathtaking landscapes, the Peloponnese still remain one Greece’s less-visited regions. Nevertheless, to me this is just a huge advantage! Indeed, this means you’ll have for yourself endless unspoilt beaches to explore, secluded villages and medieval fortress that only a few people had the privilege to visit. You won’t have to share the sunset spots with thousands of people as in Santorini and you’ll never have to fight for a picture, that’s for sure!

However, I am pretty sure this is just a temporary situation. Indeed, tourism in the region is rapidly growing. Particularly in the coastal areas. Therefore, if you are in doubt, this is your sign to visit before the world goes!

Peloponnese travel guide. Where to stay

There are handful of places to stay in the Peloponnese. I listed here my favourite according to the category luxury, boutique and budget.

Luxury stay in the Peloponnese

If you are aiming to have a luxury stay in the Peloponnese, Costa Navarino Dunes Resort is the top choice in the region. Located in the southwest of the Peloponnese, in the region of Messinia, this resort has everything you can ask for. The property is divided into the Westin (more casual and family friendly) and the Romanos (extra luxury and upscale environment). Rooms start at £ 500 per night for 2 people with breakfast included. Prices are likely higher during peak season.

If you are into extra luxury stays. The Amanzoe resort is the place for you. Set on a hilltop among Greek ruins, olive groves and endless vineyards, this exclusive accommodation is hard to beat. However, it comes with a price. Indeed, the property has a minimum 3-days stay and prices start at €800 per night in lower season. Rising to €1,700 per night for a standard Pool Pavilion.

Newly opened between June-August 2023, the W Costa Navarino and Mandarin Oriental are the new luxury proposals in the stunning Navarino Bay. Both of them equally beautiful, they are proud of their environmentally friendly architecture and still renowned top-quality service.

Boutique hotels in the Peloponnese

The Peloponnese is recently receiving a lot of touristic attention. For this reason, new lovely hotels, not too far from the coast are opening constantly. One of the nicest boutique hotels in the Peloponnese is certainly the Aria Estate Suites & Spa. This is located in Mani, not too far from the Messinian coast. The hotel has breathtaking views over the coast in an elegant relaxing atmosphere. Prices starts from € 200 per night for 2 people.

A big favourite of mine in Monevmasia, is the Kisterna Hotel. A historical mansion that was renovated and turned into luxurious accommodation in a enchanting traditional location. Prices in lower season starts at € 250 per night for 2 people but they increase considerably during summer.

Budget stays in the Peloponnese

I had the privilege to stay in a luxury accommodation during my trip to the Peloponnese but to the scope of this blog I did a little research into some budget options I would personally choose if I was planning another trip into the area. If you are a reader of my blog, you already know that I often mix both luxury and budget stays depending on what I plan on my itinerary. So these three below are the options I would personally choose for an additional trip to the Peloponnese.

Coastal stays

A very nice budget accommodation I found, is this private villa not too far from Methoni. It’s called Afentiko Pigadi and prices starts at € 100 per night for the entire villa! Please note this is the rate I found on Booking.com as on Airbnb they had only a room rental option and it was more expensive.

The Kyrimai Hotel on the beach front of Yerolimin in the Mani region, is the second one that caught my eye. It has a rustic feeling respecting the traditional houses of the area but at the same time the interior design promotes a country-chic accommodation perfect for a lovely summer retreat. Prices starts at €90 per night for a double room during the low season. However, they increase slightly in high season ranging between € 120-140 depending on the room.

Peloponnese countryside

If you want to explore the unspoiled countryside rather than the popular coastal areas, this lovely guesthouse in Vlakhokeraséa looks like a perfect place. At 1,100 mt of altitude, Foresta in Medias Mores is located at less than 14km from Tripoli. This looks like the ideal place to enjoy the peaceful mountainous areas of the Peloponnese and the special traditions of the area. Rates start at € 100 for a double or triple room with breakfast included.

A good aspect of the Peloponnese region is that, if you are even on a tighter budget, there are still some lovely options that can be explored for your accommodation. I’ve seen places ranging from €20 to €65 per night that had some lovely reviews. So it’s up to you to see what is the best choice for your trip.

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