Greece's
first major civilizations dominated
the Peloponnese during the Bronze
Age from the northeast stronghold
at Mycenae. The Peloponnese is
a place where every town has its
own history and walking trips are
highly recommended combined with
car hire in order to see the whole
peninsula. Mycenae and Argos, the
cradles of Mycenean civilization,
along with the military powers
of Corinth and Sparta, were some
of the mightiest city states in
Greece’s long history. Patras
today is the third largest city
in Greece and one of the main gateways
to Western Europe.
The Peloponnese has a mountainous
interior with Mount Taygetus its
highest point. It possesses four
south-pointing peninsulas, Messenia,
the Mani Peninsula, Cape Malea
and the Argolid in the far northeast.
The centre of the region is dominated
by the mountains of Helmos and
Taygetus, creating some of the
most beautiful
and dramatic landscapes in the
country. The coastline is
rugged in the south and east, and
dotted with long sandy or pebbly
beaches in the north and west.
The Western Peloponnese is a wonderful,
less discovered region with a beautiful,
unspoiled landscape of rolling
green hills. Its shoreline of fine,
sandy beaches is dotted with picturesque
fishing towns and villages. Reminders
of the region’s fascinating
past are always nearby, from the
atmospheric ruins of Ancient Messene
and Nestor’s Palace, to the
pretty harbour towns of Koroni
and Methoni, legacies of the medieval
Venetians. Olympia, the site of
the ancient Olympic Games, is halfway
along the Peloponnese west coast.
The Mani is the middle finger
of the three peninsulas that point
down into the Aegean. The southernmost
areas or Inner Mani, are rugged
and untamed, a region full of myths
and ancient history, known for
its medieval stone villages dotting
the hillsides. In contrast, the
northern part of the peninsula,
the Outer Mani, is renowned for
its rocky peaks where towering
mountain ridges give way to hidden
gorges, and wooded slopes meet
a stunning coastline of sand and
pebble beaches. Mountain villages
with tiny Byzantine churches pepper
the landscape and groupings of
the classic Maniot fortified stone
houses are reminders of the region’s
past.
Recommended sites of the Peloponnese
include the archeological sites
of Argolis: Mycenae and Epidavros,
ancient Olympia, the medieval city
of Mystras, the caves of Diros
in Lakonia, the beaches of Elafonissos,
the island of Kythera, and not
least, the settlements and ancient
castles along the coast of Mani.
If your taste is more toward amusements
and a lively nightlife, explore
the larger towns of the Peloponnese
including Patras, Tripolis, Argos,
Kalamata and Sparti. The Peloponnese
offers a spectacular cultural and
natural environment, side by side
with the entertainment facilities
enjoyed in the larger hotels and
resorts.
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