Active & Cultural Peloponnese
- Greece
- 10 nights - 11 days
- 0 Review
- Athens - Nafplion - Mycenae - Epidaurus - Bourtzi - Stemnitsa - Lousios River - Kardamili - Stoupa - Limeni - Mt. Taygetus - Mystras
- Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Active & Cultural Peloponnese
Athens – Nafplion – Stemnitsa – Kardamili – Limeni
10 nights – 11 days
Athens
Upon arrival in Athens, your escort will be waiting for your transfer to the hotel. Overnight at your selected hotel in Athens.
- Athens, Greece
Athens
Enjoy a delicious breakfast at your hotel and get ready for your walking tour of Athens. Start at the Syntagma metro station for a 10-minute tour inside the station’s museum. Archaeological artefacts uncovered during the metro’s construction offer insight into daily life here thousands of years ago. The next stop is the Greek Parliament, followed by the Monument to the Unknown Soldier where you will watch the Changing of the Guards. The walk continues to the National Gardens of Athens, Zappeion, Temple of Zeus and Hadrian’s Arch. The route passes by the Plaka district to reach the next and final stop: the Acropolis. Entering on the south slope of the Acropolis, you will visit the Dionysus Sanctuary and Dionysus Theatre before you walk up the slope leading to the Acropolis monuments. Panoramic views of the city will be perfect for social media photos!
During your tour, you will gain insight into the significance of the historic monuments of Acropolis including the Parthenon, the Erechtheion, the Propylaia, the Nike Temple as well as other significant sights of Athens including the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, the Ancient Agora, the National Observatory of Athens and the city’s hills of Filoppapos, Mars and Pnyx. Return back to your hotel. Overnight. (Breakfast)
- Athens, Greece
Athens - Nafplion
We are leaving the lively city of Athens behind with destination Nafplio. Short stop at the Corinth Canal, the six-kilometer waterway connecting the Ionian and Aegean seas. Nafplion, considered one of the prettiest towns in Greece, is the first capital after independence and a major port since the Bronze Age. Take your time to enjoy a stroll in the alleys of the town and climb the 999 steps to Palamidi fort to enjoy a panoramic view. Overnight in Nafplio. (Lunch , Dinner)
- Nafplio, Greece
Naflion
We start our day with sightseeing to Mycenae and Epidaurus. Mycenae, a place intrinsic in the works of Homer, 9th century BCE poet. Enter the Mycenean citadel through the Lion’s Gate and wander through the remaining ruins. Admire the enormous Cyclopean walls – still a wonder how they were created- and enter the imposing Lions gate to the site that dates back to 1350-1200BC. Just outside the walls, do not forget to visit the Vault-shaped tombs of Lions, Aegisthus and Clytaemnestra, and the Treasury of Atreus. Continue our visit to the third-century theater of Epidaurus, one of the best-preserved classical Greek structures renowned for its superb acoustics. Epidavre site was set up in honor of the God of Medicine, Asklepios, son of Apollo and Coronis and enjoy the wonderful location of the shrine which is on the Unesco World Heritage list. Time for some action with a refreshing sea kayaking paddling from the first capital of modern Greece, with different fortresses in our view. We visit the famous fort of Bourtzi, built in 1473, on a tiny inlet right in front of the port. Then we paddle towards the old town of Nafplio, under the cannons of the Old Town’s 1st line of fortification, while the UNESCO World Heritage fortress of Palamidi dominates the view right above it. As soon as we exit the port, we paddle along the ancient road of Nafplio, under Akronauplia fortress, and are rewarded with the breathtaking views of the dominant cliffs covered in succulent vegetation with the fortress as its crown at the top.Overnight in Nafplion. (Breakfast,Lunch , Dinner)
- Nafplio, Greece
Nafplion - Stemnitsa
Early in the morning, we continue to a less touristy but very inspiring mountainous region in central Peloponnese, renowned for its rich in historic villages like Dimitsana, Stemnitsa and Karytaina. Today we hike in the inspiring Lousios Gorge. The hike offers a beautiful combination of history with nature. We walk amongst trails of dense vegetation going parallel and crisscrossing the Lousios River. We visit monasteries that appear to be literally hanging from the cliffs and end the trek at the archaeological site of Ancient Gortys. This is one of the most stirrings of all Greek sites as it is based along the rushing river known in ancient times as the Gortynios. Overnight in Stemnitsa.(Breakfast,Lunch , Dinner)
- Stemnitsa, Greece
Stemnitsa
Lousios river is where Zeus the father of Olympian gods bathed after his birth, according to Pausanias the Greek traveler and geographer of the 2nd century AD.
Discover a hidden natural paradise and enjoy rafting in a spectacular densely vegetated gorge and in the river’s crystal clear waters. The descent is of a 2nd-3rd degree of difficulty, starting from Lousios, continuing to Alfios River, and ending to the spectacular bridge of “Koukos”. Overnight in Stemitsa. (Breakfast,Lunch , Dinner)
- Stemnitsa, Greece
Stemnitsa - Kardamili
Heading to the Mani peninsula we make a small deviation to visit Ancient Messene. Ancient Messene is one of the most important excavated cities of Greece. The ancient city is well preserved due to the fact that it was never destroyed or covered by a newer settlement. Inside the archaeological site the visitor will find sanctuaries, public buildings, houses, fortifications and funerary monuments. We continue our journey south wards entering the Messinian Mani and picturesque Kardamili, a very beautiful sea front town. Overnight Kardamili. (Breakfast,Lunch , Dinner)
- Kardamili, Greece
Kardamili - Limeni
Our trip starts from the old harbor of Kardamyli, the place we meet. At the beginning of the activity, we attend a brief but comprehensive introduction to the basics of sea kayaking. We get our kayaks and begin to enjoy an excursion where each little cove has a special surprise such as hidden caves, cliffs with spectacular formations and unique beaches with sand or pebbles such as the well-hidden beach of Foneas with the white pebbles and the sandy beach of Delfinia. Weather and time permitting, we head to Stoupa and the beach of Kalogria with its fine golden sand and turquoise waters. The beach of Kalogria is known as the beach of Zorbas, as this was the place where writer Nikos Kazantzakis met the hero of his book Zorba the Greek. Halfway we make a relaxing stop for swimming, snorkeling and a picnic with local traditional delicacies.
After our activity, we travel even further in deep Mani and overnight in Limeni another beautiful sea village. (Breakfast,Lunch , Dinner)
- Limeni, Greece
Limeni
We start our day with a visit at Diros Bay where we tour the impressive Glyfada sea caves. These caves, open to the public since 1963, are rated amongst the best of their kind in the world. We can visit the caves by boat and admire the delicate stalactites and stalagmites. We then drive or bike towards Cape Tenaro, the southernmost point of mainland Greece. On our way, we stop for a short visit to the partially restored tower village of Vathia. The basic settlement of Vathia was formed mainly after the 18th century, flourished in the 19th and began to decline in the 20th. A little further down the coast, we start the day’s walk. A route takes us from the settlement of Kokkinoghia and along the coast to a lighthouse. At Kokkinoghia there used to be a temple to God Poseidon, but it was converted by Christians into a church. At the beginning of the path from Kokkinoghia towards Tenaro, we see a decorative mosaic dated to the 1st century AD, from the floor of a Roman villa. After 45 mins walking from Kokkinoghia, we end up the southern-most tip of mainland Greece. There we find a lighthouse. On the west of the lighthouse is a cave that Greek legend claims was the home of Hades, the god of the dead. As the southern-most tip of mainland Greece, Tenaro is famous for being on the migration path of birds headed to Africa. We can end the day with a refreshing swim. Overnight in Limeni. (Breakfast,Lunch , Dinner)
- Limeni, Greece
Limeni - Mystras - Athens
After our breakfast, we travel via the southern slopes of impressive Mt. Taygetus to Sparta and the Byzantine citadel of Mystras a fortified town in Morea (a.k.a. the Peloponnese), on Mt. Taygetus, near ancient Sparta. It lies approximately 8 kilometers west of the modern town of Sparti. The town of Mystras was built as an amphitheater around the fortress erected in 1249 by the prince of Achaia, William of Villehardouin. Reconquered by the Byzantines, then occupied by the Turks and the Venetians, the city was abandoned in 1832, leaving only the breathtaking medieval ruins, standing in a beautiful landscape. In 1989 the ruins, including the fortress, palace, churches, and monasteries, were named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After finishing our visit, we head back to Athens. Overnight in our hotel. (Breakfast,Lunch , Dinner)
- Mistras, Greece
Departure
Breakfast at the hotel. According to your flight back home, you will either spent some free time in the center of Athens or transfer to the airport to catch your flight. (Breakfast)
- Athens, Greece