Peloponnese: Ancient Sites, Mountain Trails and Coastal Landscapes

The Peloponnese can cater to a range of travel interests: ancient theaters and sanctuaries, mountain trails, medieval ruins, and coastal and lagoon landscapes offer different points of focus. If you are looking for a hotel in the Peloponnese, these themes can provide a starting point for planning your trip.

Ancient Theaters, Sanctuaries and Palace Centers

The Theater of Epidaurus is still used for performances of ancient dramas; an annual festival has been held there since 1955. The Sanctuary of Asclepius at Epidaurus is also connected with the history of medicine: it is considered the earliest organized sanatorium.

At Tiryns, the citadel’s fortifications give a clear sense of the scale of the site: their circumference is approximately 750 meters. They were completed at the end of the 13th century BCE. Mycenae, in turn, was the most important and wealthiest palace center of the Greek Late Bronze Age.

The archaeological site of Olympia preserves sports facilities used to prepare for and hold the Olympic Games. The Archaeological Museum of Olympia displays finds from the Sanctuary of Zeus, including Hermes by Praxiteles and Nike by Paionios. The display of individual objects may be subject to conservation measures.

Mountain Trails and Historical Heritage

The Menalon Trail is a 75-kilometer network of marked paths connecting nine mountain villages in Gortynia: Stemnitsa, Dimitsana, Zygovisti, Elati, Bytina, Nymphasia, Magouliana, Valtesiniko and Lagkadia. It was the first hiking trail in Greece to be certified by the ERA. The names and number of villages give the trail a distinct regional character.

In Dimitsana, the Open-Air Water Power Museum illustrates the importance of water power in traditional society. Traditional facilities and mechanisms powered by water have been restored there. The subject connects technical installations with their role in the everyday life of earlier societies.

Mystras preserves medieval ruins in a striking landscape in the southeast of the Peloponnese. In Monemvasia, the entire old town, including the bridge and the rock, is listed as an archaeological site. In addition to ancient sites, medieval heritage and a designated archaeological area are therefore also worth considering when planning a trip.

Lagoons, Coasts and Natural Areas

At Gialova Lagoon, a nature trail starts at the Ornithological Society’s information center at the old pumping station. The lagoon is designated as a Special Protection Area and an Important Bird Area. Taygetos is also designated as an Important Bird Area; 87 bird species have been recorded there. Its eastern side is included in the Natura 2000 network of habitats.

The biotope complex of Voidoikilia Bay includes Gialova Lagoon, Navarino Bay and the island of Sfaktiria, and is included in the European Natura 2000 network. Voidoikilia Bay is almost circular, spanning an angle of 300 degrees; the remaining 60 degrees form the opening to the Ionian Sea. In the southwest of the Peloponnese, four different habitats are included in the European Natura 2000 network, including ecosystems of Gialova Lagoon.

A petrified forest is located on the coast near Agios Nikolaos and has been included in an atlas of geological monuments of the Aegean. The archaeological site of the Heraion of Perachora has information panels. Measures have also been implemented to make the monuments more accessible and highlight their ruins and history.

This way, you can plan around your interests without treating individual places or activities as interchangeable.

Subregions of the Peloponnese

Laconia, Messenia, Argolis, Arcadia, Corinth

Discover more destinations: Western Greece, South Aegean, Central Greece

Go to the main travel overview: Greece.