Peloponnese

The Peloponnese is one of the most recognizable parts of Greece, with its three large "fingers" of land pointing down toward Crete and North Africa. Its name means the island of Pelops, and technically it is now an island as the building of the Corinth Canal separated it from the rest of mainland Greece. The canal marks the start of the Peloponnese if you travel from Athens, and the area is so filled with things to see that it would take a few weeks to visit everything. Main attractions include significant archaeological sites such as Mycenae and Tiryns, the theater at Epidavros, the beautiful town of Nafplion (which used to be the Greek ...

The Peloponnese is one of the most recognizable parts of Greece, with its three large "fingers" of land pointing down toward Crete and North Africa. Its name means the island of Pelops, and technically it is now an island as the building of the Corinth Canal separated it from the rest of mainland Greece. The canal marks the start of the Peloponnese if you travel from Athens, and the area is so filled with things to see that it would take a few weeks to visit everything. Main attractions include significant archaeological sites such as Mycenae and Tiryns, the theater at Epidavros, the beautiful town of Nafplion (which used to be the Greek capital), the town of Olympia with the original Olympic Stadium, the ancient city of Sparta and the nearby hilltop Byzantine ruins at Mistra, and the medieval fortress town of Monemvassia, which has been called Greece’s Rock of Gibraltar. The Peloponnese is also where you will find Greece’s third largest city, Pátras, the rugged region known as the Mani, and a beautifully mountainous interior.

About the Expert

Mike Gerrard is the author of the National Geographic Traveler Guide to Greece, as well as guides to Athens, Crete, Corfu, the Greek Mainland, and the Greek islands for publishers including AA, AAA, Thomas Cook, Dorling Kindersley, Michelin, and New Holland. With his wife Donna Dailey, he also publishes the Greece Travel Secrets website.