Athens

Athens is the capital city of Greece. Here you will find the famous Acropolis- the city on a hill where the Parthenon is located. We stayed in an AirBnB about 1 km from the acropolis. It was perfect walking distance to get around to all of the various bars and restaurants. The streets in Athens can be very narrow and crowded, so walking is honestly the best option.

Peloponnese

A peninsula in southwestern Greece, connected to the central part of the country by the Isthmus of Corinth. This was an all day trip starting from Athens at about 5am and driving all over the Peloponnese region. This part of Greece is very beautiful. During your drive you will notice there is a constant change of landscape from desert stone mountains to rolling green hills to fields of olive trees to gorgeous views of the sea. We did not encounter any cops on our long journey, but we were told from the car rental company that driving ~40 kmh over posted was acceptable. There are MANY toll roads though, so be prepared cash wise. You will also encounter many winding curvy roads along the mountains. It is very common to see little prayer boxes people have put up as reminders to drive safe, remember loved ones who had close calls or passed away nearby, and also as a simple rest stop for your long journey. The highways were large and looked freshly paved and painted, and the side roads were nicely paved but could be a bit narrow. We did encounter some rocky back-roads after our pit-stop in Messene though. Our archaeological site visits included the ancient cities of Corinth, Sparta, Messene, and Olympia. We also went to the Diros caves.

Corinth

We drove through Corinth at sunrise , so not much was open yet. However, we stopped to take pictures at the Pegasus Fountain. If you have more time to explore Corinth, I would suggest bungee jumping over the Corinth Canal. You could also explore St. Paul’s journey through this area of Greece.

Sparta

If you love touching history, Sparta should be your next stop. We stopped in the modern city of Sparta for a quick Greek breakfast of pastries and coffee. Afterwards we drove down the road and past a playground until we reached a gate leading to Ancient Sparta. This ancient city was FREE to visit, and you can touch, sit, feel the stones used to build this city. There are plaques with descriptions of what you’re seeing, but we were on a time crunch and just quickly walked through the area taking snapshots every so often. There is a stoned walkway between a forest of olive trees to guide you on your self walking tour through the archaeological site. It felt very surreal to stand there and feel like you are part of history.

Diros Caves

When you reach the parking lot of the Diros caves, you will be at the top of a cliff with gorgeous views of the blue-green sea. For about €12, you can gain access to the boat ride through the caves. At the end of the boat ride, you are dropped off and walk through the caves until you exit on the opposite end. When you buy your ticket, you will give it to the man standing at the cave entrance to the left of a restaurant. He may say something about the number on your ticket that will confuse you, if he doesn’t grant you entrance immediately, just wait beside him until he calls your number. When you go inside the caves it is an immediate escape from the hot weather. The caves are dark and cool, and the freshwater is ice cold and crystal clear. I can imagine it was the perfect hangout spot/ swimming pool many years ago for those long summer days when you need to beat the heat.

Messene

Messene is another lovely ancient city with the standard stadium, bath houses, and columns. There is an entrance fee of €5-12. You are free to explore the city and touch this archaeological site as well.

Olympia

The origin of the Olympics is obviously found here. The entrance fee is €12 (there are also reduced/free days) and grants you entrance into the archaeological site as well as the Museums nearby (Museum of the History of the Olympic Games, National Archaeological Museum of Olympia, and Museum of the history of the Excavations in Olympia.) Olympia has more roped off areas; however, you are free to run up and down the sand court of the Olympic Stadium. We actually watched a few families have a foot race. We were short on time, so we only visited the National Archaeological Museum, but I’m glad we chose that one! There were countless statues and artifacts outside of the Olympic games.