Frommer’s Athens and the Greek Islands, 2nd Edition

Fire up the imagination for some time travel. To the south of Athens in the Peloponnese, and to the west at Delphi, you’ll be visiting some of the most legendary sites of Greek history and myth. These places are more than just piles of old stones: They’re the haunts of superheroes, villains, willful gods, and naughty goddesses, all brought to life by Homer and ancient playwrights. King Agamemnon launched the Trojan War from his palace at stony Mycenae; centuries later, Saint Paul preached at Corinth, where vast ruins remain of one of the largest, most cosmopolitan cities in the ancient world. Emperors and the elite came from all over the Mediterranean world to consult the oracle at Delphi, maybe the most beautiful and mysterious of all ancient sites. Athletes traveled from as far away as the Black Sea to compete in the games at Olympia, far more raucous than the modern-day events to which the pine-scented ancient site has lent its name. Visiting these sites brings the thrill of stepping back through the millennia and reliving the great epics of western civilization.

To the northwest on the plains of Thessaly, the magical Meteora monasteries cling to pinnacles, seeming to float between heaven and earth. Southwest of Athens in the Saronic Gulf are a clutch of island getaways, all an easy sail away from the capital. All of these attractions are within day-trip distance from Athens, though an overnight or two makes the experience all the better.

Athens-based companies such as CHAT Tours, Xenofontos 9 (www.chatours.gr;

210/323-0827) and Key Tours, 4 Kalliroïs (www.keytours.gr;

210/923-3166) offer tours to Delphi and ancient sites in the Peloponnese. Typical day excursions might cover just Delphi or a pair of Peloponnesian sights—Mycenae and Epidaurus, for example, or Mycenae and Corinth. Two- to 3-day tours tend to make a full loop, going to Corinth, Epidaurus, and Mycenae, then swinging through Olympia before heading up to Delphi and back to Athens. Other two-day excursions take in Delphi and the Meteora. Whatever option you choose, try to avoid seeing too much in too short a time—beware of those ambitious tours that pack Corinth, Mycenae, Epidaurus, and Nafplion into 1 day. That’s an exhausting jumble of ruins, and this is a vacation, after all. Costs range from about 80€ for a 1-day tour to about 300€ for multi-day tours, including lodging and transportation and often admission fees (or at least discounts on admission).

Independent travelers to the Peloponnese may want to consider spending a night or two in Nafplion as a base for visiting the surrounding sites, and/or an overnight in Olympia, with a stop in Delphi on the way back to Athens.

Greece’s southern peninsula, divided from the mainland by the Corinth Canal, is virtually a grab bag of famous ancient sites: the awesome palace of king Agamemnon at Mycenae; the mysterious thick-walled Mycenaean fortress at Tiryns; magnificent classical temples at Corinth, Nemea, and Olympia; and the monumental theaters at Argos and Epidaurus, still used for performances today. These are all within easy reach of Athens, and presented below in order of their proximity to the capital. Also in the Peloponnese is Nafplion, one of the most beautiful towns in Greece and, with its neoclassical mansions facing the Gulf of Argos and beaches, a favorite place for Athenians to spend a day or weekend. It’s your top choice for an overnight when you’re visiting the ancient sites, although Olympia also has a lively, friendly vibe and some nice places to stay and eat.

Antica Gelateria di Roma

SWEETS/COFFEE A little bit of Italy comes to Nafplion in this delightful shop. It serves delicious espresso, but even that takes second place to what many regulars consider to be the best ice cream in Greece. Athenian weekenders in Nafplion usually stop here to try yet another flavor.

Pharmakopoulou 3 and Komninou.

27520/23520. Sweets and sandwiches 4€–12€. Daily 10am–midnight.

Family Hotel Latini

This stylish redo of a former sea captain’s mansion has a prime location near the port, only steps from Nafplion’s Syntagma Square. Most rooms are large, bright, and surprisingly quiet; many have balconies and sea views. A top-floor suite tucked under the eaves is especially attractive. Downstairs, a welcoming bar-breakfast room opens to a sidewalk terrace.

Othonos 47. www.latinihotel.gr.

27520/96470. 10 units. 70€–85€ double. Rates include breakfast. Amenities: Bar/cafe; Wi-Fi (free).

Hotel Perivoli

A hillside planted with citrus and olive groves is a magical setting for this smart, comfortable little resort. The handsome rooms all open to terraces and balconies facing a pool and, sparkling in the distance, the Gulf of Argos. Nafplion is just a few minutes’ drive away, but home-cooked meals served poolside are reason enough to stay put for a quiet evening. In-room fireplaces help make this a cozy year-round retreat.

Pirgiotika. 8km (5 mi) E of Nafplion. www.hotelperivoli.com.

27520/47905. 18 units. 100€–150€ double. Rates include breakfast. Amenities: Bar; restaurant; pool; Wi-Fi (free).

Marianna Hotel

Perched high above Nafplion’s old town, just below the Acronafplia, this hotel has extremely attractive and comfortable rooms, most with views and many with stone walls and other character-rich architectural touches. The setting is enhanced by the hospitality of the Zoltos brothers, who provide platters of oranges and fresh-squeezed juice from their farm and help lug bags up the steps from the lanes below. A breezy terrace is just one of many outdoor spaces available to guests, from balconies and patios to a shady communal courtyard garden.

Ilia Potamianou 9. www.pensionmarianna.gr.

27520/24256. 20 units. 85€–125€ double. Rates include breakfast. Amenities: Bar; Wi-Fi (free).

Ta Phanaria

GREEK A shaded table under an enormous scarlet bougainvillea is the prettiest place in the center of Nafplion for lunch or dinner, and the old-fashioned taverna fare here has been a hit with locals and visitors for years. Aside from such standbys as moussaka, many vegetable dishes, stews, and grilled chops fill out the big menu.

Staikopoulo 13. www.fanaria.gr.

27520/27141. Main courses 7€–15€. Daily around noon–midnight.

Taverna Old Mansion (Paleo Archontiko)

GREEK You’ll long remember a meal here as a quintessential Greek experience, offering good traditional Greek spitiko (home) cooking—stews, chops, and usually several vegetarian choices—on a narrow lane in Nafplion’s Old Town. Every once in a while, musicians stroll in to complete the picture-perfect scene.

Siokou 7.

698/186-8914. Main courses 8€–15€. Daily 7pm–midnight; summer also noon–4pm.

Europa Best Western

The most luxurious accommodations in Olympia are the large and well-appointed rooms at this airy hilltop retreat. Many have sunken sitting areas that open to balconies, providing lots of space for relaxation. Amenities include a pleasant garden surrounding a large pool, and the hotel’s outdoor taverna can’t be beat for a meal on a summer evening.

Oikismou Drouba, above modern town. www.hoteleuropa.gr.

26240/22650. 80 units. 90€–105€ double. Rates include buffet breakfast. Amenities: 2 restaurants; bar; pool; Wi-Fi (free).

Hotel Pelops

These spruce and appealing rooms on a quiet back street are an easy walk away from Olympia’s ruins and museums. Small terraces overlook the surrounding hills, and the Spiliopoulou family is on hand with gracious hospitality. Guests can use the beautiful swimming pool of the Hotel Europa (p. 116), just up the hill.

Varela 2. www.hotelpelops.gr.

26240/22543. 26 units. 45€–55€ double. Rates include buffet breakfast. Amenities: Bar; lounge; Wi-Fi (free).

Taverna Bacchus

This appealing countryside taverna with a large terrace has good-sized guest rooms upstairs, with nice touches like wood ceilings, tile floors, and beautiful views over the rolling hills; some studios with kitchenettes are in an adjoining cottage. A swimming pool sparkling in the garden is welcome after a day exploring the ruins, a pleasant hike away through the woods. Home-cooked meals are served in the dining room clustered around a huge hearth and a wide terrace overlooking the surrounding olive groves.

Ancient Pisa, 3km (2 mi) E of Olympia. www.bacchustavern.gr.

26240/22298. 11 units. 70€–90€ double. Rates include breakfast. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; pool; Wi-Fi (free).

The name Peloponnese means “Pelops Island,” but for centuries this region west of Athens was not really an island, but connected to the mainland by this narrow neck of land, only 6.3km (4 miles) wide. As a result, ships approaching Athens were forced to sail an extra 400km (240 miles) around the Peloponnese. Over the millennia, numerous schemes for shortcuts were attempted. The ancient Greeks built a stone road, the Diolkos, to cart goods and small ships between the Gulf of Corinth to the west of the isthmus and the Saronic Gulf to the east. (Portions of the stone ramp still run alongside the modern canal.) The Romans attempted to dig a canal several times but eventually settled for rolling ships across the isthmus on logs, similar to the way the Egyptians transported blocks of granite across the desert to build the Great Pyramids. Emperor Nero revived attempts in a.d. 67 and set 6,000 slaves to work with spades, but that endeavor proved to be too costly and impractical. It was not until the Suez Canal was completed in the 1870s that interest turned again to digging a similar water route across the isthmus. A Greek team completed the job in 1893, making the Peloponnese an island at last.

Most highway traffic zooms across the Isthmus, but you can pull off into the Canal Tourist Area and a well-marked overlook for a look at the ribbonlike waterway, the ship traffic, and, most impressively, the 86m-high (282 ft.) walls of rock through which the canal was cut. An added attraction is the daredevil antics of bungee jumpers, for whom the chasm is a big draw. The lookout is also popular with thieves who prey on gawking tourists, so be sure to lock your car doors and watch for pickpockets.

Now lying in vast ruins and surrounded by fertile plains, Corinth—one of the most important cities in the world for well over a thousand years—still evokes wealth and power. A prime location on the narrow Isthmus of Corinth gave the huge city, with a population of 100,000 by 400 b.c., not one but two ports, gateways to sea routes to the Middle East as well as Italy. Goods from all over the known world once flowed into Corinth. A player in the Trojan and Persian Wars, the city was a major sea power with a huge fleet, and its colony at Siracusa on the island of Sicily became another of the world’s great Greek cities. Corinth’s citizens were known for their love of luxury, reflected in the so-called Corinthian Order of architecture, in which columns are topped with elaborate capitals decorated with acanthus leaves and scrolls. They were also known for their free-wheeling lifestyle, exemplified by the Temple of Aphrodite’s 1,000 sacred prostitutes—morals that vexed St. Paul when he came here to preach Christianity in the 1st century a.d. What you see today is actually the remains of two cities, for the Romans destroyed much of Corinth when they overran Greece in the 2nd century b.c. Julius Caesar ordered the city’s reconstruction in a.d. 52, and much of today’s site dates to that era.

Many longtime travelers to Greece never thought they’d see the day, but it’s now possible to travel to Corinth from Athens easily by train. Service is not terribly fast but it’s efficient and fairly frequent, via the Proastiako suburban railway system from Larissa Station in Athens (see p. 57). The trip takes about 2 hours. For up-to-date schedules and fares (about 12€ from Athens to Corinth) visit www.trainose.gr, or (the website can be bewildering) inquire at the tourist office in Athens or at Larissa Station. If you’re driving, you can shoot over to Corinth in an hour or so on the E94 toll road. KTEL buses leave from Athens’ Terminal A, 100 Kifissou (

210/512-9233), about every hour; the trip takes 1 to 2 hours, depending on traffic and the number of stops. For schedules, check www.ktelargolida.gr. The fare is about 11€. If you arrive by train or bus, you’ll have to a catch a taxi or local bus from the station to the ancient site.

Acrocorinth

RUINS Standing sentinel some 540m (1,700 ft.) above the coastal plain, the acropolis of ancient Corinth has been a lookout post, place of refuge, and shrine since the 5th century b.c. Byzantines, Franks, Venetians, and Turks all added to the ancient walls, creating three rings of massive fortifications, pierced by gates, that ramble across the craggy mountaintop. The ruins of the Temple of Aphrodite stand atop the highest reaches of the peak. In ancient times the reward for the climb was the company of one of the temple’s 1,000 prostitutes; trekkers who make the 3-hour climb now settle for views that sweep across the sea to the east and west and a broad swath of southern Greece. The less adventurous can make the ascent by car or in one of the taxis that wait at the bottom of the peak.

Old Corinth. odysseus.culture.gr.

27410/31266. Admission 2€. Daily 8:30am–4pm.

Ancient Corinth

ANCIENT SITE The most imposing remnant of the Greek city is the ruins of the Temple of Apollo, on a low hillock from which 7 of the temple’s original 38 Doric columns still rise. Most of the rest of the city that remains was built by the Romans, whose shops line the forum ruins. On the Bema, a raised platform for public speaking in the forum, St. Paul appeared before the Roman prosecutor Gallio in a.d. 52 to plead his innocence against accusations that he was persuading the populace to worship God in unlawful ways. The Romans refurbished the Greek Theater, adding rows of seats and engineering the arena so it could be flooded for naval battles. Two fountains of the ancient city also remain. Glauke, daughter of the king of Corinth, allegedly threw herself into the Glauke Fountain when Medea, the scorned wife of Jason (who had sailed the Mediterranean with his Argonauts in search of the Golden Fleece), presented her with a wedding dress that burst into flames. The Fountain of Peirene, rebuilt by the Romans with arches and arcades, surrounds a spring that allegedly began to bubble forth when Peirene, a Greek woman, wept at the death of her son until she dissolved into a stream of water.

Old Corinth. odysseus.culture.gr.

27410/31207. Admission 8€, includes Archaeological Museum. Daily mid-Apr–Aug 8am–8pm; Sept 1–15 8am–7:30pm; Sept 16–30 8am–7pm; Oct 1–15 8am–6:30pm; Oct 16–31 8am–6pm; Nov–mid-Apr 8am–3pm.

The Archaeological Museum

MUSEUM Display cases groan under the weight of the famous Corinthian pottery, decorated with red-and-black figures of birds, animals, and gods and humans, often in procession. Among the city’s chief exports was black figure pottery, the most common style of ancient Greek vases, in which figures turn black after firing; the wares of Corinthian potters could be found throughout the ancient world. From the Roman city come several mosaics, including a delightful one in which Pan pipes away to a clutch of cows. The museum keeps behind closed doors an extensive collection of graphic representations of afflicted body parts from the Shrine of Asclepius (god of medicine); if you express a scholarly interest, a guard may unlock the room for you.

Old Corinth. odysseus.culture.gr.

27410/31207. Admission 8€, includes Ancient Corinth. Same hours as Ancient Corinth (above).

Gently folded into the foothills of the Arcadian Mountains and surrounded by the famed Nemean vineyards, this once-great city was known throughout the ancient world for the Nemean Games, held every 2 years. Like those at Delphi, Olympia, and Corinth, the games attracted athletes from throughout the Greek world.

The nemean games: Born in Legend

The most popular legend has it that the Nemean Games were founded to honor Hercules, who slew a ferocious lion lurking in a den outside Nemea—the first of 12 labors he was assigned by King Eurystheus in penance for killing his own children. According to another myth, the games were founded to honor Opheltes, son of the Nemean king. The oracle at Delphi predicted the baby prince would remain healthy if he remained off the ground until he could walk. One day his nursemaid set him down in a bed of parsley while she showed soldiers the way to a spring; in her absence, a serpent strangled the boy. This story explains why judges at the games wore black for mourning, and the victor was crowned with a wreath of parsley.

From Athens, take the highway to Corinth and then continue southwest toward Tripolis to the Nemea turnoff. About five buses a day travel here from Athens, usually via Corinth, from Athens’ Terminal A, 100 Kifissou (

210/512-9233). Allow about 3 hours for the trip. Ask to be let off at the ancient site of Nemea (Ta Archaia), on the outskirts of the hamlet of Archaia Nemea, not in the village of Nea Nemea. For schedules, check www.ktelargolida.gr; a one-way fare is about 12€.

Coins from every Greek city have been unearthed among the ruins here, proof of how the Games attracted competitors from far and wide. Those coins, along with athletic gear and other artifacts, are on display in a small museum at the site. The 4th-century-b.c. stadium is still largely intact—in fact, races are still sometimes held on its running track. The vaulted tunnel that leads from a dressing room to the track is one of the great marvels of ancient engineering and sheds new light on the development of the arch, once thought of as a Roman innovation. This arch’s presence in a pre-Roman structure suggests that troops traveling with Alexander the Great during his India campaign in 326 b.c. may have introduced the architectural concept to the Mediterranean world.

Nemea was also famous for its Temple to Zeus, several columns of which remain, although the ruins were mined extensively for a Christian basilica nearby.

Outside modern Nemea. odysseus.culture.gr.

27460/22739. Admission 6€. Daily mid-Apr–Aug 8am–8pm; Sept 1–15 8am–7:30pm; Sept 16–30 8am–7pm; Oct 1–15 8am–6:30pm; Oct 16–31 8am–6pm; Nov–mid-Apr 8am–3pm.

Just looking at this ruined city with its still-massive fortifications, it’s easy to imagine what Homer meant when he said that “Mycenae was once rich in gold.” Sprawling ruins, tucked beneath massive cliffs, suggest the might of what was once the greatest city in the western world. Though its heyday was short-lived, Mycenaean civilization dominated much of the southern Mediterranean from around 1500 b.c. to 1100 b.c. Its power base was built on a bluff above the fertile Agrolid Plain, surrounded by deep ravines between two barren craggy peaks. It’s a somber setting, befitting the tragic story told by Homer and later embellished by playwrights Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides—in effect, the world’s first great soap opera. It all comes to life in Mycenae: King Agamemnon, launched the Trojan War after beautiful Helen—his brother Menelaus’ wife—was abducted by the Trojan prince Paris. When Agamemnon returned from Troy, his wife, Clytemnestra, and her lover Aegisthus killed him; Agamemnon’s son and daughter, Orestes and Electra, slew Aegisthus in turn.

The wealthy Mycenaeans also left behind many magnificent treasures, which German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann unearthed in the 1870s; most are now on display at the National Archeological Museum in Athens (p. 94), but a few remain here in the site’s small museum.

If you’re driving, you’ll probably stop at Corinth first then continue to Mycenae on the toll road, E64, to the Nemea exit, and follow signs to Mycenae from there. KTEL buses from Athens’ Terminal A, 100 Kifissou (

210/512-9233), stop about a mile from the site, at Fithia; the bus trip from Athens requires a change in Corinth.

Mycenae is so steeped in legend, it’s difficult to separate fact from fiction. Even archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann was convinced that a golden death mask he found in a tomb was that of Agamemnon, though the mask predates the king by centuries. Some artifacts are in a small museum near the entrance, but most of the treasures, including the famous mask, are in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens (p. 94).

You enter the city through a fortified entrance, the Lion Gate

, which is topped by a relief of two lions, now headless, who face each other with their paws resting on a pedestal. You can still see the holes for pivots that once supported a massive bronze-sheathed wooden door. An adjacent round tower provided a vantage point from which guards could unleash arrows on invaders.

Uphill, the Main Palace

may have been the palace of King Agamemnon, the Mycenaean king who fought in the Trojan War. Traces of a central hearth and supporting columns are still visible in the throne room. Schliemann, who rather romantically intertwined myth and historical fact, conjectured that a bathtub in an apartment adjoining the ceremonial hall was the very one in which the king was slain by his adulterous wife, Clytemnestra. Other ruins include a granary where massive quantities of wheat were kept in the event of a long siege. The ruins of houses cover a nearby slope, and a wooden staircase descends into a vast subterranean cistern

—climb down to appreciate the enormous reservoir of water, delivered by a secret channel. In the haunting Grave circles, Schliemann found a trove of face masks, cups, and jewelry, all fashioned from gold—14 kilos (31 lb.) worth—now displayed at Athens’ National Archaeological Museum (p. 94).

On another hill, the largest and grandest Mycenaean tomb, called The Treasury of Atreus

, consists of a narrow passageway, fashioned out of massive blocks, leading to a high domed subterranean chamber. Evidence shows the tomb was too early to be the final resting place of King Atreus, but it was so richly decorated, it must have been built for royalty.

Off Nafplion–Argos and Corinth–Argos rds. odysseus.culture.gr.

27510/76585. Admission Apr–Oct 12€, Nov–Mar 6€. Daily mid-Apr–Aug 8am–8pm; Sept 1–15 8am–7:30pm; Sept 16–30 8am–7pm; Oct 1–15 8am–6:30pm; Oct 16–31 8am–6pm; Nov–mid-Apr 8am–3pm.

If not the most beautiful city in Greece, Nafplion is certainly a top contender—and this storied port on the Gulf of Argos is more than just pretty. For centuries, Byzantines, Franks, Venetians, and Turks fought over the city; their once-mighty forts and castles are now spectacular viewpoints. For a few years after Greece achieved independence in 1828, Nafplion was even the nation’s first capital. Elegant Venetian houses, neoclassical mansions, churches, and mosques line the streets that surround the marble expanses of Syntagma Square, where Nafpliots sit at cafe tables to sip coffee, chat, and watch the parades of passers-by. You may well want to combine a visit to Nafplion with a visit to Epidaurus, with its well-preserved ancient theater, only half an hour away.

By car, you can get here from Athens in less than 2 hours on the E94/E65 toll roads. KTEL buses leave hourly from Athens’ Terminal A, 100 Kifissou (

210/512-9233); the trip takes 2 to 3 hours, depending on traffic and the number of stops. For schedules, go to www.ktelargolida.gr; one-way fare is 18€.

Wedged onto a narrow promontory between the sea and the heights dominated by the Acronafplia and Palamidi fortresses, old Nafplion is a delightful place. Tall townhouses line narrow lanes that lead off lovely Plateia Syntagma (Constitution Square), and two broad, airy seaside promenades, the Bouboulinas and Akti Miaouli, are lined with cafes and patisseries. Palaces, churches, and mosques are remnants of the Venetians and Turks who occupied the city for centuries; other monuments are from Nafplion’s brief tenure as the first capital of Greece, from 1829 until 1834, when King Otto moved the capital to Athens.

Acronafplia

RUINS Fortifications have stood at the southeastern heights of Nafplion for some 5,000 years. Until the Venetians arrived in the 13th century, the entire town lived within the walls, out of harm’s way from pirates. Scattered among the pine-scented hilltops are the ruins of several castles and forts, a testament to the Byzantine, Frankish, and Venetian powers who fought for control of Nafplion and the rest of the Peloponnese. A well-fortified Venetian castle, the Castello del Torrione, is the best preserved of the fortifications.

Archaeological Museum

MUSEUM A thick-walled Venetian storehouse houses assorted artifacts from the many ancient sites that surround Nafplion. The Mycenaeans steal the show with their splendid craftsmanship, unearthed at Mycenae, Tiryns, Dendra, and other settlements. These include a bronze suit of armor so heavy that scholars have concluded the wearer could only have fought while riding in a chariot. There are also death masks and offerings from the extensive network of tombs at Mycenae.

Plateia Syntagma.

27520/27502. Admission Apr–Oct 6€, Nov–Mar 3€. Wed–Mon 8:30am–4pm.

Bourtzi

FORT This picturesque 15th-century island fortress in the harbor has witnessed pirate attacks, served as headquarters for the town executioners, and was once equipped with a massive chain that the Turks could draw across the harbor to block entry. From anywhere in town the crenellations and sturdy hexagonal watchtower look like a mirage shimmering across the water. Boats chug out to the Bourtzi from Akti Maouli, the town quay.

Palamidi

FORT The mightiest of the three fortresses that defend Nafplion is Venetian, completed in 1714 and surrounded by massive walls and eight bastions. The Venetians were so confident upon completing the Palamidi, they left only 80 soldiers in Nafplion; the Turks easily seized the fortress just a year later. Greek rebels then took the fortress from the Turks during the War of Independence in 1821. Prisoners confined in the Palamidi dungeons over the centuries were forced to cut the 999 steps that climb the cliff face from the town below.

Above Old Town. www.visitnafplio.com.

27520/28-036. Admission 8€. Daily Apr–Oct 8am–7:30pm, Nov–Mar 8am–3pm.

Peloponnesian Folklore Foundation Museum

MUSEUM In this handsome neoclassical house, the emphasis is on beautiful textiles, along with looms and other equipment used to make clothing—harking back to the days when just about all everyday items were made at home. Peloponnesian families donated many dowry items and embroidery, though the holdings come from all over Greece, including such rarities as sperveri, tents that surround bridal beds in the Dodecanese. Overstuffed drawing rooms from the homes of well-to-do 19th-century Nafpliots provide a glimpse into the comfortable lives of the bourgeoisie.

Vasileos Alexandrou 1. www.pli.gr.

27520/28947. Admission 5€. Mon–Sat 9am–2:30pm; Sun 9am–3pm.

Promenade

WALKWAY All that remains of the lower walls that were constructed in 1502 to encircle the city is one bastion, the so-called Five Brothers, intended to defend the harbor and named for five Venetian cannons, all bearing the lion of St. Mark, Venice’s patron saint. A beautiful seaside promenade extends beyond the Five Brothers, skirting the southeastern tip of the peninsula, following a ledge between the Acronafplia above and the rocky shore below. Arvanitia beach, at the end of the promenade, is popular with residents who gather here to chat and swim from the rocks and a pebbly shoreline.

Tou Sotiros (Church of the Transfiguration) CHURCH The oldest church in Nafplion was a convent for Franciscan nuns during the 13th-century Frankish occupation; later it was refurbished as a mosque by the Turks. A distinctly Christian presence has prevailed since 1839, when Otto, the Bavarian king who ruled over a united Greece, presented the church to Greek Catholics and the so-called Philhellenes, foreigners who fought alongside Greeks for independence from the Turks. The names of the Philhellenes, among them British poet and adventurer Lord Byron, are inscribed on the columns.

Argos

TOWN/RUINS What’s now an agreeable farm town was once one of the most powerful cities of the ancient Peloponnese. Ancient Argos saw its heyday in the 7th century b.c., under the tyrant Phaedon, until it was eventually eclipsed by Sparta. The scant remains scattered around the modern town include a theater that, with room for 20,000 spectators in 89 rows of seats, was one of the largest in the ancient world; summertime performances are still held here (open daily, 8:30am–3pm, admission 2€). The Romans re-engineered the arena to use it for mock naval battles and channeled the water into the adjacent baths.

High atop the town are two citadels, famous in antiquity. The Aspis was the city’s first acropolis, abandoned when the higher Larissa was fortified in the 5th century b.c., with an inner and outer system of walls and towers, the ruins of which are still visible. You can drive to both on rough roads, or make the ascent on a rugged, steep path from the ancient theater; allow at least 3 hours for the round trip and bring water. The piles of sun-baked old stones at the top really aren’t the draw: your reward for the climb is spectacular views of fertile plains and the sparking blue waters of the Gulf of Argos. The site is always open and admission is free.

Tiryns

RUIN A jumble of massive stones—appropriately known as Cyclopean and some weighing as much as 15 tons—were once part of the walls surrounding this fortress-town that may have been the seaport for ancient Mycenae. Homer praised the city as “mighty-walled Tiryns,” and the sheer power the place exudes gave rise to the ancient belief that it was the birthplace of Hercules. A modern observer, the writer Henry Miller, observed that the ruined city “smells of cruelty, barbarism, suspicion, isolation.” Not all about Tiryns was barbaric, however: A palace within the walls was once decorated with splendid frescoes of women riding chariots and other scenes, now in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens (p. 94). In a series of storage galleries and chambers on the east side of the citadel, the walls of one long passageway with a corbeled arch have been rubbed smooth by generations of sheep sheltered here after Tiryns was abandoned—a graphic example of how the mighty can fall.

5km (3 mi) N of Nafplion, off Nafplion–Argos Rd. (Take Nafplion–Argos bus and ask to be let off at Tiryns.) odysseus.culture.gr.

27520/22657. Admission Apr–Oct 4€, Nov–Mar 2€. Daily Apr–Aug 8:30am–8pm; Sept 1–15 8am–7:30pm; Sept 16–30 8am–7pm; Oct 1–15 8am–6:30pm; Oct 16–31 8am–6pm; Nov–Mar 8am–3pm.

Just as the stadium at Olympia (p. 126) brings out the sprinter in many visitors, the theater at Epidaurus tempts many to step stage center to recite poetry or burst into song. One of the best-preserved classical Greek theaters in the world is a magnificent arrangement of 14,000 limestone seats set into a hillside. Pausanias, the 2nd-century-a.d. Greek traveler and chronicler, commented, “Who can begin to rival . . . the beauty and composition?” Or, he might have added, the acoustics? They are so perfect that a whisper onstage can be heard at the last row of seats, as demonstrated at productions of the summertime Hellenic Festival. To the ancients, Epidaurus was best known for the Sanctuary of Asklepios, a healing center that featured such remedies as dream interpretation and the flickering caress of serpent tongues.

If you’re coming from Athens or Corinth, turn left for Epidaurus immediately after the Corinth Canal and then follow the coast road to Ancient Epidaurus (or Epidaurus Theater), not to Nea Epidaurus or Palea Epidaurus. From Nafplion, follow the signs for Epidaurus and keep an eye out for signs for the Theater (the theater and sanctuary are poorly signposted, but there are some road signs saying ancient theater). Two buses a day run from Terminal A, 100 Kifissou (

210/512-9233), station in Athens to Epidaurus. The trip takes about 3 hours and the fare is 15€; for schedules, go to www.ktelargolida.gr. There are three buses a day from the Nafplion bus station, off Plateia Kapodistrias (

27520/27-323); extra buses are scheduled when there are performances at the Theater of Epidaurus. This bus takes about an hour and the fare is 5€.

The Sanctuary and Museum

RUINS The Sanctuary of Asklepius at Epidaurus was one of the most famous healing centers in the Greek world. Asklepius, son of Apollo and god of medicine, was worshipped in the beautiful temple at Epidaurus (undergoing restoration, as is much of the sanctuary) by cure seekers who were housed in an enormous guesthouse, the Kategogeion. They were treated in the Abaton, where Asklepius came to them in drug-induced dreams and dispensed advice on cures. The round Tholos appears to have housed healing serpents, which could allegedly cure ailments with a flicker of the tongue over an afflicted body part; it’s believed the snakes lived in the labyrinth-like inner foundations. The Excavation Museum helps put some flesh on the bones of the confusing remains with an extensive collection of architectural fragments from the site, including delicate acanthus flowers from the mysterious tholos. Assorted terra-cotta body parts were votive offerings that show precisely which part of the anatomy needed to be cured; a display of surgical implements will make you grateful that you didn’t have to go under the knife in ancient times—although hundreds of inscriptions record the gratitude of satisfied patients.

A Performance at Epidaurus

Classical performances at the ancient theater are usually given Friday and Saturday and sometimes Sunday at around 9pm June through September. Many productions are staged by the National Theater of Greece, some by foreign companies. Ticket prices range from 20€ to 60€. For the latest ticket prices and other information, contact the Athens and Epidaurus Festival, at the Epidaurus theater or in Athens at 39 Panepestimiou (greekfestival.gr; 210/928-2900). Most of Nafplion’s travel agencies sell tickets on the day of a performance. The ancient tragedies are usually performed, either in classical or modern Greek; programs usually have a full translation or synopsis of the play.

The Theater

ANCIENT SITE The magnificent open-air theater at Epidaurus is one of the best preserved from the ancient world. Buried for close to 1,500 years, the stage and 55 tiers of seats—divided into a lower section of 34 rows and an upper section with 21 rows—remain much as they were. Acoustics are so sharp that a stage whisper can be heard at the top of the house. Researchers have demonstrated that the theater’s superb acoustics are due to its limestone seats, which deaden the low-frequency murmurs of the audience while magnifying the higher-frequency voices of the actors.

odysseus.culture.gr.

27530/22009. Admission Apr–Oct 12€, Nov–Mar 6€, includes theater, sanctuary, and museum. Daily Apr–Aug 8am–8pm; Sept 1–15 8am–7:30pm; Sept 16–30 8am–7pm; Oct 1–15 8am–6:30pm; Oct 16–31 8am–6pm; Nov–Mar 8am–5pm.

One of the most popular archaeological sites in the world, the stadium, gymnasium, training hall, and dormitories at the foot of the Kronion Hill evoke Olympia’s famous ancient games, inaugurated in 776 b.c. It’s easy to see why the ancients, with their knack for finding the most beautiful settings for their creations, favored this spot, with forested hillsides, pine-scented mountain air, and the Alpheios and Kladeos rivers rushing past the remains of temples and public buildings. Before Olympia became a sports venue, the site was a sacred place, a sanctuary founded around the 10th century b.c. to honor Zeus and his older sister and wife, Hera. Like ancient worshippers and spectators, you’ll probably find that visiting the mountainside site is a bit of a spine-tingling thrill.

Olympia is about a 31⁄2-hour drive from Athens, and a little over 2 hours from Nafplion, via the new Corinth-Tripolis toll road. There are several buses a day to Olympia from Athens’ Terminal A, 100 Kifissou (

210/512-9233), requiring a change in Pirgos and sometimes in Corinth. The total trip time is long, about 7 hours. Trains run twice daily from Athens’ Stathmos Peloponnisou train station (www.trainose.gr;

210/513-1601); the trip requires a change of trains in Patras and a change to a bus in Pirgos, for a total trip time of almost 7 hours.

Modern Olympia is a one-street town; the few things you do not find on Praxitelous Kondili will be just off it. The tourist office, on the way to the ancient site near the south end of the main street, is open daily, in summer from 9am to 10pm, in winter from 11am to 6pm.

The superheroes who bring most visitors to Olympia are not gods and artists but ancient athletes. Competitors from throughout Greece were granted safe passage to the games under the Ekecheiria, a truce that promoted the notion of a united Greece. In their footsteps came spectators, touts, vendors, poetry reciters, entertainers, and prostitutes. The aim of the 5-day festivities was for city-states to commingle peaceably; in part, however, they were also a wine-fueled bacchanal.

Ancient Olympia

ANCIENT SITE Fifth-century Roman Emperor Theodosius II, ruling that the Olympic games were pagan rituals, cleared much of ancient Olympia, and earthquakes and mudslides over the centuries finished the job. Enough rubble remains, however, to lend a sense of the layout and magnificence of the ancient city. The entrance is just west of the modern village, across the Kladeos River. The first ruins are those of the gymnasium, with a field surrounded by porticoes where athletes could train in bad weather, and the Palaestra, a training ground for wrestlers and runners. Just beyond is the Workshop of Phidias, where the great sculptor crafted his gold-sheathed statue of a seated Zeus, 13 meters (43 ft.) tall, that became one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World; archaeologists found the sculptor’s tools here, along with a cup inscribed with “I belong to Phidias.” The Leonidaion was a luxurious hostel for visiting dignitaries, next to the Theokoleon, chambers of the priests who oversaw the Altis, the sacred precinct of Zeus. Within the Altis complex stood the Temple of Hera and the Temple of Zeus, once surrounded by 36 columns, one of which was re-erected in honor of the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. The Temple of Zeus was the site of Phidias’s famous Zeus statue (it was carted off to Constantinople in the 5th century, where it was destroyed in a fire). The Temple of Hera had its own great art work, Hermes Carrying the Infant Dionysus, the only work by the great sculptor Praxiteles to survive the centuries (it’s now in Olympia’s Archaeological Museum, see below). The Metroon is shrine to Rhea, mother of the gods, and the Pelopeion honors Pelops, king of the Peloponnese; his altar was drenched nightly with the blood of a black ram. When Philip of Macedonia overran Greece in 338 b.c., he erected his own shrine, the Philippeion. A perpetual flame burned in the Prytaneion, a banqueting hall where victorious athletes were feted. The most powerful city-states stored their equipment and valuables in the treasury, and next to it is the Nymphaeum, a grandiose, column-flanked fountain house from which water was channeled throughout the city. To the east of the Altis are the stadium and hippodrome.

The Archaeological Museum

MUSEUM This collection makes clear Olympia’s astonishing wealth and importance in antiquity: Every victorious city and almost every victorious athlete dedicated a bronze or marble statue to Olympia, making the city something of an outdoor museum. Among the collection’s highlights is a monumental sculpture from the west pediment of the Temple of Zeus showing the battle of the Lapiths (Greeks who lived in Thessaly) and centaurs—symbolizing the triumph of civilization (the Lapiths) over barbarism (those brutish centaurs)—as the magisterial figure of Apollo, the god of reason, looks on. On the east pediment, Zeus oversees the chariot race between Oinomaos, king of Pisa, and Pelops, the legendary hero who sought the hand of Oinomaos’s daughter. Crafty Pelops loosened his opponent’s chariot pins, thereby winning the race, the girl, and the honor of having the entire Peloponnese named after him. At either end of the room, sculptured metopes show scenes from the Labors of Hercules, including the one he performed at Olympia: cleansing the stables of King Augeus by diverting the Alpheios River.

The museum’s standout, Hermes Carrying the Infant Dionysus, has a room to itself. The glistening white marble (the torso is said to have been worn smooth by the admiring hands of temple assistants) depicts the divine messenger Hermes about to deliver the newborn Dionysos to the mountains, where he was raised by nymphs. As legend has it, Zeus conceived Dionysus with his mortal lover Semele but was forced to hide the infant from his ever-jealous wife, Hera. The plump baby thrived and grew up to become the god of wine, revelry, and theater. The work is typical of Praxiteles, the 4th-century-b.c. sculptor whose graceful, intimate creations in marble often depicted the gods as humanlike. Transporting as the work is, scholars have long debated the possibility that it’s a copy by a contemporary or even a Roman master.

The Thrill of Victory, the agony of Defeat

For the ancients, the Olympic Games were the greatest show on earth, staged every 4 years in honor of Zeus, king of the gods. For nearly 12 centuries, they drew athletes from as far as the shores of the Black Sea. Behind them followed prostitutes, pushy vendors, orators, and tens of thousands of spectators, including die-hard fans such as Plato and the tyrant Dionysus of Syracuse. Roman Emperor Nero demanded that the Games take place a year early, in a.d. 67, when his schedule would allow him to travel from Rome to compete. After bribing officials to disqualify competitors, he won six events—including a race he didn’t finish after falling from his chariot.

Conditions were primitive, but most attendees were happy to sleep under the stars to watch the world’s greatest athletes perform—and to curry favor with Zeus and the other gods, who were worshipped during the proceedings. In the early years, the only event was a foot race on a strip of grass the length of the stadium, a unit of measure known as a stade (185m/610 ft.). By 500 b.c., wrestling, boxing, discus throwing, and more than 50 events took place over the course of 5 days. The most popular event was the pankration, a combined wrestling-boxing-kicking match with only two rules: no biting or eye gouging. Strangulation was perfectly acceptable. The game ended when one athlete quit, passed out, or died. Polydamas, a pankration champ, was as famous for his exploits off the field as on—he slew a lion with his bare hands, stopped a speeding chariot in its tracks, and single-handedly defeated a trio of Persia’s mightiest warriors.

Regardless of social status, any free, Greek-speaking male without a criminal record could enter the games. Competitors rubbed themselves with olive oil and sand (an ancient sunscreen), and ate ground lizard skin (their version of steroids). Victors won money, tax emptions, free meals for life, laurel wreaths, the favor of the gods, and the services of Hetaeras, high-class escort girls. Only virgins and certain priestesses could attend the men’s games. Trespassers, if caught, were tossed from a cliff.

One brave female, Kallipateira, dressed as a trainer to watch her son compete but accidentally revealed her sex while climbing over a wall. Her life was spared, but from then on trainers, like athletes, were not allowed to wear clothes—though boxers were allowed to wear metal knuckle bands to add sting to their punches.

Other Museums Historical exhibits scattered around Ancient Olympia explore the games and the site. The Museum of the History of the Olympic Games in Antiquity

engagingly covers the ancient contests, finger-breaking and eye-gouging and all, with text panels, illustrations, and some gee-whizz artifacts, such as ancient chariot wheels. The Museum of the History of the Excavations in Olympia

, in the former home of German archaeologists, documents the excavations of Olympia with photos, journals, and letters, beginning in 1766, when British antiquarian Richard Chandler discovered the ruins.

Olympia. odysseus.culture.gr.

26240/22517. Admission Apr–Oct 12€, Nov–Mar 6€, includes site and museums. Daily Apr–Aug 8am–8pm, Sept 1–15 8am–7:30pm, Sept 16–30 8am–7pm, Oct 1–15 8am–6:30pm, Oct 16–31 8am–6pm, Nov–Mar 8am–5pm.

No other ancient site is quite as mysterious and alluring as this sanctuary to Apollo, nestled high above the Gulf of Corinth on the flanks of Mount Parnassus. It’s easy to see why the spot was so transporting for the ancients. Look up and you see the cliffs and crags of Parnassus; look down, and Greece’s most beautiful plain of olive trees stretches toward the Gulf of Corinth. Since Delphi is just about 180km (112 miles) from central Athens, you can easily visit the site in a day. The ruins look their best in spring, when they are surrounded by wildflowers and the mountain above is still covered in snow, but they’re spectacular any time.

There are usually five KTEL buses daily to Delphi from Athens’ Liosson Terminal B bus station at 260 Liossion (www.ktel-fokidas.gr;

210/831-7153 or 210/831-7096). One-way fare is 16€.

To drive to Delphi from Athens, take the National Road toward Corinth, then the Thebes turnoff; allow at least 2 hours. If you’re approaching Delphi from the Peloponnese, cross the Rio-Antirio Bridge into Central Greece and follow the coastal road as it climbs upwards from Itea to Delphi (65km/40 miles). The road is spectacular, but with many curves and almost as many tour buses.

The tourist office (

22650/82311; www.visitdelphi.gr), in the town hall, is usually open Monday through Friday from 8am to 2:30pm (in summer it sometimes reopens from 6 to 8pm). The museum and ancient site (signposted) are about 1km (1⁄2 mile) out of town, on the Arachova Road. Parking spots are at a premium both in the village and at the site. If you can, park your car near your hotel and walk everywhere.

A seaside alternative for a night or two in Delphi is beautiful Galaxidi, filled with sea-captains’ mansions and fringed with beaches, 35km (22 miles) southwest of Delphi on the coast. The Athens–Delphi bus continues on to Galaxidi, and you can use the same bus route to get back up to explore the ancient site.

Epikouros Restaurant

GREEK Views and home cooking are a winning combination in this rather sophisticated dining room and glassed-in terrace. An extensive menu features local mountain cheeses and homegrown vegetables, along with lamb with fresh tomato sauce, keftedes (grilled meatballs), sousoutakia (rice-and-meat balls, stewed in tomato sauce), and other old-fashioned classics. You’ll feel you’re enjoying an authentic Greek experience even when the tour groups pack in.

Vasileos Pavlou & Frederikis, Delphi.

22650/83250. Main courses 9€–18€. Daily noon–11pm.

Hotel Ganimede

A character-filled old mansion accommodates guests in distinctive rooms and suites, no two alike—some with antiques, polished wood floors, and paneled ceilings, others contemporary-style studios with kitchens. Guest rooms surround a flower-filled courtyard set up for lounging and casual meals, including an excellent breakfast featuring local cheeses, honeys, and jams.

Gourgouri 20, Galaxidi. ganimede.gr.

22650/41328. 7 units. 55€–95€ double. Rates include buffet breakfast. Amenities: Bar; outdoor lounge; Wi-Fi (free).

Hotel Varonos

At one of the nicest and best-value lodgings in town, comfortable guest rooms, painted in soothing pastels, overlook the plains below town, many with small balconies. A fire burns in the lobby hearth during winter months. The Varonos family could not be more helpful, and their shop next door is filled with local honey, herbs, preserves, and other goodies.

Vasileos Pavlou 25, Delphi. www.hotel-delphi.gr.

22650/82345. 12 units. 40€–70€ double. Rates include buffet breakfast. Amenities: Lounge; Wi-Fi (free).

Taverna Vakchos

GREEK The family who cook and prepare the excellent meals here pride themselves on serving only the freshest vegetables and just-picked mountain herbs. You can put together a delicious meatless feast from daily offerings of greens or briam, a juicy vegetable stew; simple grilled and oven-roasted meat dishes are also on offer. Vakchos is Greek for Bacchus, the wine god, who makes an appearance in excellent local wines and in a mural. Rooms open to a large terrace overlooking Delphi and the plains below town.

Apollonos 31, Delphi. www.vakhos.com.

22650/83186. Main courses 7€–10€. Daily 11:30am–4pm and 6–11pm.

Archaeological Museum

MUSEUM These spacious, well-lit galleries show off treasures from the Delphi temples and shrines. Seeing these magnificent works helps bring the importance of the sanctuary to light; time permitting, walk around the site, then tour the museum, then do another round of the site, using your imagination to put these treasures in place. A bronze statue of a charioteer, one of the great works to come down from ancient Greece, honors a victory during Delphi’s Pythian games. (He is believed to have stood next to the Temple of Apollo.) Some of the most fascinating finds are friezes depicting the feats of the gods, the superheroes of the ancient world. A 4th-century-b.c. marble egg (omphalos), a reproduction of an even older version, honors Delphi’s position as the mythical center of the ancient world. Legend has it that Zeus released two eagles from Mount Olympus to fly around the world in opposite directions; where they met would be the center of the world and that, of course, was Delphi.

Ancient Delphi

ANCIENT SITE Slightly below the ancient site, the terraced Sanctuary of Athena was the first stop for many pilgrims climbing up the slope from the sea. They would pause to pay homage at such shrines as the exquisitely beautiful and photogenic Tholos (Round) temple, dedicated to an unknown goddess. A shrine has stood on this spot since 1500 b.c., when the Mycenaeans established a sanctuary to the earth goddess Gaia. The formal entrance to the site was the monumental walkway known as the Sacred Way

, once lined with magnificent temples that city-states erected as votive dedications to Apollo (with a bit of one-upmanship to see who could outdo one another). These were some of the greatest works of antiquity, filled with treasures. Today only their foundations survive, except for the Athenian Treasury, restored in the 1930s. The 4th-century-b.c. theater

and nearby stadium

hosted the musicians, performers, and athletes who came to Delphi for the Pythian Games, held every 4 years in honor of Apollo. Both the theater and the stadium afford magnificent views over the sanctuary and surrounding mountains.

The main attraction, however, was (and still is) the Temple of Apollo

. Six limestone columns and rocky foundations, set against craggy cliffs, are all that remain. Begun in the 7th century b.c. the temple, according to legend, was designed by Trophonios and Agamedes, gods who labored as earthly architects. Over the centuries, the temple was financed by Greece’s most important families and foreign powers. Funding the temple was not only a mark of status but also a sound investment in the future, because here one might receive life-altering words of wisdom. Allegedly, questions inscribed on stone tablets were presented to a Pythian priestess, who’d undergone a cleansing and purification ritual. Speaking for Apollo, she would utter garbled verse to priests, who interpreted them and passed along enigmatic statements (setting a precedent adapted by today’s politicians). Among the supplicants were rulers and generals who came from throughout the Mediterranean world seeking advice. Perhaps the most famous piece of advice was given to King Croesus of Lydia, who asked if he should attack the Persians. If he did so, he was told, he would destroy a great empire. He did attack, and he did destroy a kingdom—his own.

odysseus.culture.gr.

22650/82312. Admission Apr–Oct 12€, Nov–Mar 6€, includes site and Archaeological Museum. Daily Apr–Aug 8am–8pm; Sept 1–15 8am–7:30pm; Sept 16–30 8am–7pm; Oct 1–15 8am–6:30pm; Oct 16–31 8am–6pm; Nov–Mar 8am–5pm.

The plain of Thessaly can seem endless on a hot summer day, until suddenly you see a cluster of gnarled black humps and peaks near the town of Kalambaka. These hoodoo-shaped formations, rising to just a little under 300m (1,000 feet), are often compared to the mountains of the moon, and they are all the more spectacular because many are topped by gravity-defying monasteries. Monks began building the monasteries on these peaks in the 9th century, for protection, proximity to the heavens, and isolation in which to commune with God. By the end of the 14th century, the pinnacles were topped with 24 religious communities. Significantly less than half are still inhabited, and those by just a few nuns and monks; six of them welcome visitors. Visiting requires a climb up steep, vertiginous stairways, often via hundreds of steps carved into the rock faces. All the huffing and puffing, however, might be an improvement over the original means of ascent: in nets hoisted on ropes that, as one 19th-century British visitor was shocked to learn, were only replaced when one broke, often with a monk suspended in midair.

Whether arriving by car, bus, or train, you’ll probably approach the monasteries from the gateway town of Kalambaka. By car, the trip takes about 4 hours on the E75 and other good roads. Buses from Athens’ Liossion Terminal B Station (260 Liossion St.;

210/831-7096) go to Trikala, about a 5-hour trip, where you can switch to a bus to Kalambaka, another 45 minutes. Trains make the trip from Athens’ main Larissa Station (Stathmos Larissis; www.trainose.gr;

210/529-8837) to Kalambaka in about 4 hours, making this the easiest transport for a day trip, provided you’re willing to get an early morning start and return late in the evening. Key Tours (www.keytours.gr;

210/923-3166) is one of many companies that offer 2-day trips to Delphi and the Meteora, with transport, guided tours of both, and overnight accommodation, from about 150€. Meteora Thrones Travel Center (meteora.com;

24320/78455) organizes a day trip from Athens by train, with a departure from Athens at 7:15am and return at 9:30pm. A minibus meets the train in Kalambaka for a tour of the monasteries. Fee is about 95€, fares and monastery admissions included. Another good source for information and tours in the area is Meteora Travel (www.visitmeteora.travel,

24320/23820).

Kastraki, a little town adjoining Kalambaki, is more low-key than its larger counterpart and a little less geared to tourism.

Meteora Restaurant

GREEK To enjoy the offerings of the region, it’s hard to beat this century-old Kalambaka institution. Lamb stewed in wine and meatballs in a tomato sauce are typical of the meat-heavy local cuisine, accompanied by plenty of fresh garden-grown vegetables, and no one does these standards better than this family-run kitchen.

Trikalon 2, Kalambaki.

24320/22316. Main courses 6€–12€. Daily noon–10pm.

Pyrgos Adrachti Hotel

You’d have to sleep in a monastery to feel more attuned to the spirit of the Meteora than you will at this simple but attractive guest house practically snuggled against the rocks. A cozy fireplace in the lobby and polished wood and rich fabrics in the guest rooms make you feel right at home, but you’ll probably be planted in front of one of the large windows or on one of the balconies to take in the spectacle just outside.

Kastraki. www.hotel-adrachti.gr.

24320/22275. 10 units. 55€–65€ double. Rates include buffet breakfast. Amenities: Bar; garden; Wi-Fi (free).

The circuit of the six Meteora monasteries is only about 25km (15 miles), though after climbing up and down steep steps and paths you’ll probably decide to limit your visits to two or three. After a day of touring, you’ll understand why it was once believed that St. Athanasios (founder of Megolo Meteoro, the first great monastery here) was carried up to his lonely aerie by an eagle.

Ayia Barbara Roussanou

MONASTERY Time was, you could only reach this 13th-century convent via ladders and ropes, which made it a safe refuge for rebels hiding from the Turks. Today, 16 resident nuns and their visitors need only cross a bridge from a nearby hillside to access what is essentially a flat-topped rock, large enough to accommodate nice gardens. If the nuns offer you sweets while you sit there, be sure to leave a contribution in the church collection box.

24320/22649. Admission 3€. Open daily except Wed; Apr–Oct 9am–5:30pm (opens 9:30am Sun); Nov–Mar 9am–2pm.

Ayia Triada

MONASTERY It’s not easy to say which of the monasteries has the most spectacular position, but this perch on a slender pinnacle, reached only by laboring up 140 steps, is near the top of the list. It really does seem to belong to another world. The few monks who live here are usually glad to show visitors around the refectory, courtyard, and chapel hewn into the rock, as well as knockout views of the other monasteries. During World War II Germans looted most of the riches, including the bell, but a remaining fresco shows St. Sisois looking upon the skeleton of Alexander the Great, a reminder that earthly power is fleeting. If this monastery looks familiar, perhaps you remember it from the final scene of the James Bond film For Your Eyes Only. You may walk the 3km (2 miles) here from Kalambaka on a well-marked footpath.

24320/22220. Admission 3€. Open daily except Thurs; Apr–Oct 9am–5pm; Nov–Mar 10am–4pm.

Ayios Nikolaos Anapaphas

MONASTERY A relatively gentle path leads up to this little 14th-century hideaway that seems jammed onto a tiny outcropping atop a pinnacle. Splendid frescoes by the 16th-century Cretan painter Theophanes the Monk include a delightful depiction of the Garden of Eden, with elephants, fantastic beasts, and all manner of fruits and flowers; scenes from of the life of St. Ephraim the Syrian portray the pillar atop which he lived for many years in the Syrian desert. Tour buses often bypass this stop, meaning you may well enjoy the sense of isolation that drew monks here in the first place.

24320/22375. Admission 3€. Open daily except Fri; Apr–Oct 8am–4pm; Nov–Mar 9am–4pm (opens 9:30am Sun).

Ayios Stefanos

MONASTERY Founded in the 12th century and now a nunnery, this airy complex is easily accessible via a bridge from the main road from nearby Kalambaka. Many priceless frescoes were defaced and others were destroyed during World War II and the civil war that followed, but the monastery’s most famous relic was saved: the head of St. Charalambos, whose powers include warding off illness. The 30 or so nuns who live here sell embroidery, paint icons, work in the community, and restore sections of the monastery as they can afford to do so. Donations are always welcome.

Megolo Meteoro

MONASTERY Founded in the 14th century by St. Athanasios from the famous monastic island of Mt. Athos, the largest, loftiest, and richest of the Meteora monasteries was greatly enlarged in the 16th century. Frescoes in the Church of the Transfiguration depict gruesome scenes of the martyrdom of the saints and a bloodcurdling Last Judgment and Punishment of the Damned. A shady courtyard is a pleasant place to catch your breath after a 400-step ascent, and a barrel-lined wine cellar suggests that monastic life was not all prayer and meditation—though a spooky collection of skulls in the sacristy might dampen earthly levity.

24320/22278. Admission 3€. Apr–Oct daily except Tues, 9am–3pm; Nov–Mar Fri–Mon 9am–2pm.

Varlaam

MONASTERY Across a narrow bridge over a ravine and up 192 steps, this lonely 14th-century hermitage was expanded in the 16th century by two brothers from Ioannina, who considered Ioannina’s monastery and lakeside scenery too sybaritic for the monastic life. The Meteora’s harsh landscape was more to their liking, though it took them more 20 years to haul enough materials up the cliffs to build the fresco-adorned church. (According to legend, they had to drive away the monster who lived in a cave on the summit before they could begin work.) Monks sitting in the peaceful garden are often willing to chat with visitors.

24320/22272. Admission 3€. Open daily except Fri, 9am–4pm (Nov–Mar opens 9:30am Sun).

When the heat in Athens gets to be too much, do as the Athenians do—get on a boat and head to a nearby island in the Saronic Gulf. Aegina, Poros, Hydra, and Spetses dot the waters between Athens and the Peloponnesian peninsula. To reach any of them, all you need to do is take the Metro to Piraeus and board a hydrofoil; the farthest of the four main islands, Spetses, is less than 2 hours away.

Each serves up a taste of island life, but with a distinct character all its own. Aegina retains the old-world atmosphere of a fishing port and also has one of Greece’s best-preserved temples, dedicated to the mysterious Aphaia. Poros promises miraculous cures at its Monastery of Zoodochos Pigi, as well as a long stretch of lemon-grove-backed sand that’s not on the island at all, but along its mainland holdings in the Peloponnese. Hydra, with its rugged landscapes and handsome stone mansions, wins the prize for beauty and a sense of getting away from it all (the island is car-free)—even the dearth of beaches doesn’t detract from the island’s charm. Spetses combines both—lots of worldly elegance, with palm-shaded neoclassical mansions, and plenty of sand.

Car ferries and excursion boats for the Saronic Gulf Islands usually leave from Piraeus’s main harbor; hydrofoils leave both from the main harbor and from Marina Zea harbor. Hydrofoil service is at least twice as fast but more expensive. Schedules can change, so double-check information you get—www.gtp.gr is a useful site for ferry schedules.

Hydrofoil and ferry service is offered by Hellenic Seaways (www.hellenicseaways.gr;

210/419-9200). Saronikos Ferries (www.saronicferries.gr;

210/417-1190) takes passengers and cars to Aegina, Poros, and Spetses (cars are not allowed to disembark on Hydra). Euroseas Ferries (www.ferries.gr/euroseas;

210/411-3108) offers speedy catamaran service from Piraeus to Poros, Hydra, and Spetses. Many travel agencies in Athens offer three-island tours (usually to Poros, Hydra, and Aegina), though you’ll find it hard to savor the character of each place on a fairly exhausting round of island hopping. Given the ease of reaching the islands on your own, you’re better off choosing one and enjoying a relaxing day there.

Proximity and boat service makes it easy to visit the Saronic islands on a day trip from Athens, but if you’re not rushing back, hands-down the nicest island on which to stay is Hydra.

Economou Mansion

While Spetses seems more geared to day trippers and wealthy Athenians with island homes than it does to overnight guests, this 19th-century sea captain’s mansion is the exception. The shady garden is enlivened with sea-motif mosaics and a pool, while in the cozy and elegant sea-view guest rooms, handsome tile floors are covered with old carpets and big iron bedsteads are dressed with fine linens.

Kounoupitsa, Spetses Town. www.economouspetses.gr.

22980/73400. 8 units. 80€–150€ double (discounts for long stays and in winter). Rates include buffet breakfast. Amenities: Breakfast room; pool; Wi-Fi (free).

Hotel Miranda

Oriental rugs, antique cabinets, wooden chests, marble tables, nautical prints, and contemporary paintings do justice to a beautifully restored 1820 captain’s mansion on Hydra. There’s even a small art gallery downstairs; upstairs are bedrooms and suites of varying shapes and sizes, many with such enhancements as frescoed ceilings and large balconies overlooking the town and port.

Miaouli, Hydra. www.mirandahotel.gr.

22980/52230. 14 units. 100€–225€ double. Rates include breakfast. Amenities: Breakfast room; Wi-Fi (free). Closed Nov–Feb.

Lazaros Taverna

GREEK Spetses gets downright homey at this friendly place that caters to locals. Potted ivy, family photos, and big kegs of homemade retsina line the walls, and a small menu sticks to such basics as grilled meats and goat in lemon sauce. It’s an uphill climb, about 400m (1,312 ft.) from the waterfront.

Dapia, Spetses Town. No phone. Main courses 7€–14€. Daily 6:30pm–midnight. Closed mid-Nov–mid-Mar.

Maridaki

GREEK One of a string of old-fashioned tavernas and ouzeri along the waterfront in Aegina’s port, Maridaki has a ringside seat on the sparkling water and all the comings and goings on land. Join the locals with a plate of grilled octopus (dried on a line right out front) and a glass of ouzo. The mezedes are also excellent, as are souvlaki, moussaka, and other taverna fare.

Port, Aegina Town.

22970/25869. Main courses 8€–20€; some fresh seafood priced by the kilo. Daily 7:30am–midnight.

To Steki

GREEK A few blocks up from the quay end of the harbor, this Hydra mainstay has simple food and reasonable prices. Murals portray a picturesque version of island life that has long since vanished (and was probably never so idyllic), though the island life passing by the terrace is certainly colorful. The kitchen does a fine job of maintaining old ways: The moussaka, oven-roasted lamb, and stuffed tomatoes are delicious, and the fish soup is memorable.

Miaouli, Hydra Town.

22980/53517. Main courses 7€–18€. Daily noon–midnight.

The largest island in the Saronic Gulf is so close to Athens that many islanders commute to the capital for work. A walk along the waterfront of Aegina Town shows off Aegina at its best, giving a glimpse into island life that, despite the presence of Athenian teenagers staring into their iPhones, seems unchanged over the decades. Fishing boats bob at the docks; a covered fish market, the Psaragora, does a brisk business in the morning; and fishermen hang out on the terraces of ouzeris. A walk inland along winding stone streets to the corner of Thomaidou and Pileos shows off Markelos Tower, a Venetian-era fortified house that in 1827 hosted meetings of the first government in Greece; the pink-and-white landmark now occasionally hosts art exhibits.

Aegina was at one time a rival to Athens, and the island’s most splendid ancient monument—in fact, one of the best-preserved, though unsung, antiquities in Greece—attests to its onetime wealth and power. The majestic Temple of Aphaia

, set above the sea in a pine grove 12km (7 miles) east of Aegina Town (odysseus.culture.gr;

22970/32398) commands a promontory facing Athens and the coast of Attica. It’s so close to the mainland, in fact, that both the Parthenon and Temple of Poseidon can be seen on a clear day (with the aid of binoculars); to the ancients, these three sanctuaries constituted a Sacred Triangle. Built in the late 6th or early 5th century b.c., on the site of earlier shrines, Aegina’s temple was dedicated to Aphaia, a goddess with the enviable ability to vanish into thin air to avoid unwanted amorous advances (see box, above). Although 25 columns of the temple remain standing, the finest feature is missing: a magnificent pediment frieze depicting scenes from the Trojan War, now in the Glyptothek in Munich. Admission is 6€; the temple is open daily 10am to 5:30pm (from 10:30am October through April).

Aphaia, the vanishing Goddess

While the Temple of Aphaia (p. 138) is Aegina’s most evocative ruin, no one really knows who Aphaia was. It seems that she was a very ancient, even prehistoric, goddess who eventually became associated with both Artemis and Athena. According to some legends, Aphaia lived on Crete, where King Minos—usually preoccupied with his labyrinth and Minotaur—fell in love with her. When she fled, Minos pursued her, until she finally threw herself into the sea off Aegina to escape him. She became entwined in fishing nets and was hauled aboard a boat. A sailor then fell hopelessly in love with the beautiful creature. So she jumped overboard again, swam ashore on Aegina, and, as her smitten admirer watched from his boat, vanished right before his eyes (afandos means “disappear”).

The crumbling remains of the island’s longtime capital, Palechora

, sprawls across a hillside 5km (3 miles) east of Aegina Town. The ghost town was abandoned in the early 19th century, when an end to piracy made it safe to settle along the coast again, but more than 30 Byzantine churches remain, a dozen or so of them still in use. Many of these are decorated with faded frescoes, with the best covering the walls of the church of Ayioi Anargyroi.

One of the island’s nicest seaside perches is Perdika, a leisure and fishing port 9km (51⁄2 miles) south of Aegina Town, easily reached via the island bus (see below). Aside from a lively waterfront, with a long line of fish tavernas, the town has a sandy beach, Klima, that may be the island’s nicest. For an extra-special getaway, and a refreshing swim, take a boat from the pier in Perdika to Moni, a pine-clad island nature preserve; boats come and go about every hour and charge 5€ round-trip.

Good bus service around Aegina leaves from Plateia Ethneyersias, near the ferry dock in Aegina Town. Buses leave hourly in summer for the Temple of Aphaia (3€); purchase tickets before boarding). Every Saturday and Wednesday in summer, Panoramic Bus Tours (

22970/22254) offers a 31⁄2-hour bus tour of the island (6€; leaves Aegina Town 10:35am), taking in the Temple of Aphaia, several beaches and villages, and the Hellenic Wildlife Hospital (

22970/28267) at Pachia Rachi, where monkeys, wild boar, crocodiles, owls, and other exotic creatures are rehabilitated and housed before being returned to the wild.

This rugged little island has been admired and appreciated for centuries. Seafaring merchant families built proud mansions of honey-colored stone on Hydra in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, artists and writers began arriving in the 1960s, and in their wake came the rich and famous and the simply rich. They keep a low profile, however, and with the absence of cars (transport is by foot or mule), Hydra seems wonderfully removed from the modern world.

The captains’ lasting legacy, their handsome stone archontika (mansions) overlooking the harbor, still give Hydra town its distinctive character. The curved, picturesque harbor and these worldly houses overlooking the blue waters (many now occupied by bars and expensive shops) are especially striking because they’re enclosed by barren gray and brown mountainsides. The only places on Hydra that are habitable, in fact, are Hydra Town and some small collections of pretty seaside houses at neighboring Kamini and Vuchos, making the island seem even more like a privileged getaway.

In earlier days, Hydra was a prosperous port that sent ships as far away as America; that history comes to the fore at the harborside Historical Archives and Museum

(

22980/52355), which displays old paintings, carved and painted ship figureheads, and costumes. Admission is 4€; the museum is open daily (May–Sept 9am–4pm and 7:30pm–9:30pm, Oct–Apr 9am–4pm). The hilltop Lazaros Koundouriotis Historical Mansion

, built by an early-19th-century Albanian family who contributed generously to the cause of independence, is now a house museum displaying period furnishings and costumes. It’s usually open from March through October, daily except Monday, 10am to 2:30pm and 5:30pm to 8:30pm; admission is 4€. If you wander the side streets on this side of the harbor, you will see more handsome houses, many of which are being restored.

Six monasteries are tucked away in the island’s remote, barren hinterlands, and hiking to them across the herb-scented countryside is a popular outing. (This is certainly not an excursion for a hot summer’s day.) Most popular is the pilgrimage up to the Monastery of the Prophet Elijah

, on the flanks of Mount Eros, at 500m (1,650 ft.) the island’s highest peak—a fairly challenging 2-hour trek along a well-marked route from Hydra Town. Many visitors make the trip by donkey, with rates starting at a highly negotiable 60€. Once there, the monks will offer you a glass of cold water in their shady courtyard and probably try to sell you some needlework made by the nuns at Ayia Efpraxia

, on the hillside just beneath the monastery. The nuns there occasionally allow visitors in to see their charming chapel as well.

A pleasant waterside walk west from Hydra Town brings you to especially nice spots for a swim in warm Aegean waters at Spilla and Kaminia. Still farther west are the pine-lined coves of Molos, Palamida, and Bisti (all three as sandy as it gets on Hydra), best reached by water taxi from the main harbor (about 10€). Excursion boats from the harbor also set sail for Ayios Nikolaos, a pebble beach on the south coast with sun beds and refreshment concessions (the cost is about 8€ a person round-trip).

Poros is separated from the mainland by a channel only 370m (1,214 ft.) wide—Poros means “straits.”

The scant remains of the Temple of Poseidon

(5km/3 miles south of Poros Town) are associated with Demosthenes, the great 4th-century-b.c. Athenian orator who took refuge here when Macedonia attacked Athens. When discovered, he asked to write one last letter—and bit the nib off his pen to release concealed poison. The orator’s remains allegedly lie beneath a monument at the Monastery of Zoodochos Pigi (3km/2 miles from Poros Town;

22980/22926), with its heavily frescoed church. The monastery also has a famous orphanage that once housed as many as 180 boys and girls whose parents had lost their lives in the Greek War of Independence. A spring is believed to have curative powers—discovered when a 17th-century archbishop, hovering near death, took a sip and sprang back to life. Similar miracles have been reported ever since, and you can fill a bottle or two at the spring to test its life-giving powers for yourself. The monastery is open daily 8am to 1:30pm and 4:30 to 8:30pm (closes 5:30pm Oct–Apr). Buses from Poros Town will take you to either the temple or the monastery.

Paradoxically, the best beach experience on Poros is actually back on the mainland. A 5-minute ferry ride will take you across the strait to Galatas, which is part of the island’s holdings; a 10-minute taxi ride from the ferry brings you to Aliki, a stretch of sand on a spit wedged between the bay and a lake. In spring and early summer, the shoreline is scented with lemons grown in surrounding groves.

The greenest of the Saronic Gulf islands was known even in antiquity as Pityoussa (Pine-Tree Island). Many of Spetses’s pine trees became the masts and hulls of vessels, and in time, the island was almost as deforested as its rocky neighbor Hydra. In the early 20th century, local philanthropist Sotiris Anargyros bought up more than half the island, then replanted barren slopes with pine trees. He also built an ostentatious mansion, the first of many to come on this island now noted for its handsome archontika, or fine houses, flanked by palm trees.

Today, pine groves and architecture are the island’s greatest treasures. Many of the mansions have lush gardens and pebble mosaic courtyards that can be viewed only in a quick peek when gates are left ajar.

Spetses Town (aka Kastelli) meanders along the harbor and inland in a lazy fashion, with neoclassical mansions set behind high walls and greenery. Much of the town’s street life takes place on the main square, the Dapia (which is also the name of the harbor where the ferries and hydrofoils arrive). The handsome black-and-white pebble mosaic on Dapia commemorates the moment during the War of Independence when the first flag, with the motto “Freedom or Death,” was raised. Greek forces routed the Turks in the Straits of Spetses on September 8, 1822.

She swore Like a Sailor!

A monumental bronze statue on the Spetses Town waterfront honors one of the greatest heroes of the War of Independence, Laskarina Bouboulina. The daughter of a naval captain from Hydra, she was the widow of two more sea captains, who left her with nine children and a large fortune. Bouboulina financed the warship Agamemnon and served as its captain in successful naval attacks on the Turks at Nafplion, Monemvassia, and Pylos. She was said to be able to drink any man under the table; strait-laced citizens sniped that she was so ugly and ill-tempered the only way she could keep a lover was with a gun. Bouboulina remained on shore long enough to settle into the Laskarina Bouboulina House ( 22980/72077) just off the port in Spetses Town; she was shot in a family feud years after retiring from sea. The house keeps flexible hours (posted outside), but is usually open daily into the evening from Easter until October. An English-speaking guide often gives a half-hour tour. Admission is 5€. In the Spetses Mexis Museum ( 22980/72994), in the stone Mexis mansion (signposted on the waterfront), you can see Bouboulina’s bones, along with archaeological finds and mementos of the War of Independence. The museum is open daily except Tuesday, from 8:30am to 4pm (it closes at 3pm October through April); admission is 3€. In the nearby boatyards you can often see caiques being made with tools little different from those used when Bouboulina’s mighty Agamemnon was built here.

Spetses has a decent bus network, and, given the flat terrain, bikes are also an excellent way to get around; rentals from the many travel agencies near the harbor run about 12€ per day. The traditional mode of transport on the island is horse-drawn carriages, a good way to tour the mansion-lined back lanes. Fares for these are highly negotiable.

The best way to get to the various beaches around the island is by water taxi. Ayia Marina, about a 30-minute walk southeast of Spetses Town, is the best beach close to town and terribly popular; it’s the place to see and be seen for a chic Athenian crowd, some of whom arrive in high style via horse and buggy. On the forested west coast, 6km (4 miles) west of Spetses Town, Ayii Anaryiri has one of the best sandy beaches anywhere in the Saronic Gulf, a perfect C-shaped cove lined with trees, but almost more bars and tavernas than greenery. Also on the west coast, about 10km (6 miles) west of Spetses Town, the beach at Ayia Paraskevi is an idyllic stretch of sand bordered by pine trees. It figures in The Magus, the novel that English author John Fowles wrote after a stint teaching at the island’s exclusive prep school in the early 1950s, though it’s no longer the isolated strand it once was. West over some rocks is the island’s official nudist beach.