Why we were there
The genesis of this trip came at the Living Locally Fair in Russell, Ontario in January 2017. A man was selling olive oil from his family’s property in the Peloponnese part of Greece. Along with the bottles of oil there was a small display with photos, maps & text. I was intrigued.
“What’s it like there?” I asked Rob Andrew.
“It’s beautiful,” he replied.
Good enough for me.
Planning
Over the next year+, I made dozens of decisions that led to our two weeks in the Peloponnese along with a last day near the Athens airport. We were also fortunate to have Colleen & Bob as our travel companions for the third time, following visits to Sardinia and Crete.
Resources: There are not many guide books devoted to the Peloponnese. Fortunately, there is at least one that is excellent – Greece: The Peloponnese by Andrew Bostock, (Bradt, 2016).
I picked up a laminated map of the area at the first gas station stop away from the Athens airport. Both the book & the map were invaluable.
I can highly recommend the movie Before Midnight with Ethan Hawke & Julie Delpy. It is set in several locations in the Peloponnese.
Also, a friend recommended a visit to Monemvasia.
Along with internet searches, that was it.
Flights: Air Canada from Ottawa to Athens & return, with a connecting flight from Montreal both ways.
Locations & Accommodations:
The biggest decisions were where to stay, for how long and in what accommodations. Below are the results after much consideration.
Nafplio - 2 nights – Porto Bello - problematic for those with mobility issues. The “street” is actually a staircase. You have to walk UP (about 80) or DOWN (about 30) steps to reach it; else excellent.
Finikounda - 8 nights – Vereneki Apartments – our Slow Travel base for the south-western Peloponnese, the most interesting region. An EXCELLENT place to stay in the area
Monemvasia - 2 nights – Flower of Monemvasia Hotel – located on the mainland, not the island.
Kardamyli - 2 nights in the Mani – Marina Studios – great location; modest, but very acceptable rooms.
Rafina -1 night – Margarita’s Villa – out of the Peloponnese, north of Athens, a short drive to the Athens airport. Superior accommodations.
All our accommodations met or exceeded our expectations.
Car Rental:
We rented a VW Caddy via Greeka.com. This site appears to be a broker for smaller companies. We were very satisfied with our choice. We dealt directly with the company owner at the Athens airport and saved a lot of money.
The genesis of this trip came at the Living Locally Fair in Russell, Ontario in January 2017. A man was selling olive oil from his family’s property in the Peloponnese part of Greece. Along with the bottles of oil there was a small display with photos, maps & text. I was intrigued.
“What’s it like there?” I asked Rob Andrew.
“It’s beautiful,” he replied.
Good enough for me.
Planning
Over the next year+, I made dozens of decisions that led to our two weeks in the Peloponnese along with a last day near the Athens airport. We were also fortunate to have Colleen & Bob as our travel companions for the third time, following visits to Sardinia and Crete.
Resources: There are not many guide books devoted to the Peloponnese. Fortunately, there is at least one that is excellent – Greece: The Peloponnese by Andrew Bostock, (Bradt, 2016).
I picked up a laminated map of the area at the first gas station stop away from the Athens airport. Both the book & the map were invaluable.
I can highly recommend the movie Before Midnight with Ethan Hawke & Julie Delpy. It is set in several locations in the Peloponnese.
Also, a friend recommended a visit to Monemvasia.
Along with internet searches, that was it.
Flights: Air Canada from Ottawa to Athens & return, with a connecting flight from Montreal both ways.
Locations & Accommodations:
The biggest decisions were where to stay, for how long and in what accommodations. Below are the results after much consideration.
Nafplio - 2 nights – Porto Bello - problematic for those with mobility issues. The “street” is actually a staircase. You have to walk UP (about 80) or DOWN (about 30) steps to reach it; else excellent.
Finikounda - 8 nights – Vereneki Apartments – our Slow Travel base for the south-western Peloponnese, the most interesting region. An EXCELLENT place to stay in the area
Monemvasia - 2 nights – Flower of Monemvasia Hotel – located on the mainland, not the island.
Kardamyli - 2 nights in the Mani – Marina Studios – great location; modest, but very acceptable rooms.
Rafina -1 night – Margarita’s Villa – out of the Peloponnese, north of Athens, a short drive to the Athens airport. Superior accommodations.
All our accommodations met or exceeded our expectations.
Car Rental:
We rented a VW Caddy via Greeka.com. This site appears to be a broker for smaller companies. We were very satisfied with our choice. We dealt directly with the company owner at the Athens airport and saved a lot of money.
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