The southernmost region of mainland Greece is the perception that many tourists have of the nation. With a coastline dotted with charming towns and white sand beaches, as well as historic ruins that evoke myths and tales, it offers all the charm of Greece’s islands without the crowds. A vacation might be planned for a variety of additional purposes, such as birding on a lagoon, visiting vineyards and olive farms, or staying in an agriturismo.

Remain on a mountain farm.

This charming agriturismo in the Helmos mountain hamlet of Kerpini, close to the town of Kalavrita, exudes a sense of time-lost beauty. With some of the Peloponnese’s most untamed landscapes, you may really escape to nature here for a while. Whether you’re gathering fruit, herbs, and vegetables on the organic farm, finding mushrooms in the fir forest, interacting with farm animals (including the resident donkey, Archondoula), or helping harvest grapes the old-fashioned manner before a fall wine tasting, it’s all about the outdoors. Days spent hiking, kayaking, or skiing in the surrounding area turn into dark evenings ideal for astronomy, regardless of the season you come. Additionally, your hosts provide delectable farm-to-fork meals.

Savor regional wines.

In the northern Peloponnese, one of Greece’s most important wine-growing areas, Nemea, vines march up undulating hills to heights dotted with cypress trees. There are 40 wineries in the area, many of which are accessible all year for tours and tastings, and the beauty is worth toasting. Mid-August and September are the best times to see the harvest in full swing, while April and May are ideal for picnics and strolls around the vineyard. Visit the carbon-neutral Semeli Estate for breathtaking vistas and “wine and dine” experiences, where local meats and kitchen garden products are served with both current and vintage wines. For wine pairings with cheese and meat, visit the adjacent family-run Ktima Bairaktaris.

Explore abandoned caverns.

Experience a fantastical forest of pink-white stalactites and stalagmites by taking a boat into the Diros Caves’ half-light. They have all been sculpted over millennia deep in these flooded caverns on the untamed, rocky Mani Peninsula of the Peloponnese; some resemble wax-drip candles, while others are as delicate as lace. Before being found and thoroughly examined by local husband and wife speleologists in 1949, the caverns, which had been inhabited since the Neolithic era, had been mostly forgotten about after an earthquake in the fourth century BCE. A boat will transport you over a dreamy green-blue lake to reach them, and you will then have to trek the rest of the route that leads deep into the caverns, which is just a small portion of what has been studied so far.

Discover myths about Voidokilia Beach.

Greece is known for its stunning coastline, but few beaches can make you gasp out like Voidokilia, a flawless grin of blond sand in the southwest Peloponnese’s Messinia area. This crescent-shaped harbor, which is surrounded by dunes, transitions from vivid blue to the darkest sapphire as it glides into the Ionian Sea. According to legend, this is Homer’s “sandy Pylos,” where King Nestor greeted Telemachus when he went in quest of Odysseus. Swim in that beautiful sea, then explore the very biodiverse Gialova Lagoon behind the beach, which is home to more than 270 different kinds of birds, including great egrets, flamingos, herons, and ospreys. For further mythology, follow the signs to Nestor’s Cave, where the Greek god Hermes is said to have hidden fifty animals that he had stolen from another god, Apollo. For uplifting views over the harbor, go up to the walls of Paleokastro, a ruined medieval fortress constructed on the site of ancient Pylos’ acropolis.

Eat a lot of olives.

The Peloponnese would not be the same without its olive trees, which are characterized by silver-green leaves that shimmer in the heat, gnarled trunks, and the cicadas’ sunset strum. The peninsula is home to more than 30 million olive trees, which provide around one-third of Greece’s olive oil. The Olive Routes provides guided trips that explore this rich culinary tradition in the Messinian town of Androusa, which is located inland. The nice, green, extra-virgin stuff with smooth, nutty, herbaceous flavors makes about 95% of what is produced here. The organization combines trips to both contemporary and traditional olive oil mills, tasting sessions, and olive oil-prepared lunches with enlightening strolls through centuries-old olive fields surrounded by historic castle walls. Take the half-day olive oil culinary class if you want to learn how to use it in cooking. You’ll learn how to make anything from filo pastry to tzatziki, which is a dip made with yoghurt, cucumber, garlic, and dill.

Pass across a gorge on rails

You will be riveted to the window the whole time you ride the rack-and-pinion train through the Vouraïkos Gorge, which is braided by rivers, densely wooded, and dotted with waterfalls. The 14-mile, one-hour journey from Diakopto to Kalavrita, which has been navigating difficult grades since 1896, reveals some of the most untamed landscapes in the Peloponnese, including sheer cliffs that are near enough to touch and lean over. The train uses its cog system for propulsion as it rises more than 2,300 feet, twists along ledges, burrows through tunnels, and hangs above the raging river below. There is a route that follows the track and is part of the long-distance E4 trail if you would rather trek it. Bring a picnic and allow seven hours.

At Patrick Leigh Fermor House, embrace the romanticism of the manicure.

British writer Patrick Leigh Fermor (1915–2011) captivated readers worldwide with his enlightening tales of global travel. And never more so than in Mani: Travels in the Southern Peloponnese (1958), which so beautifully depicted the breathtakingly gorgeous beaches, mountains, and olive orchards of the middle peninsula of the area. He came here with his wife, Joan, and constructed a home in the little seaside hamlet of Kardamyli since he liked the Mani so much. They spent the remainder of their lives there. The warm-stone home, which is now a museum, is set in Mediterranean grounds that are teeming with cypresses, olive trees, and wildflowers. It provides an intriguing look into the thoughts of a great writer, traveler, and lover.

Disclaimer :

This article is intended for informational and educational purposes only.
All details provided are based on research and available public information. We are not affiliated with any official tourism boards, wineries, olive farms, or other organizations mentioned.
All trademarks, brand names, and images belong to their respective owners.