The Peloponnese is as rich in ancient history and archaeology as it is in natural beauty, boasting magnificent ruins at every turn
Peloponnesian history dates back long before King Agamemnon returned here to his palace in Mycenae after the Trojan War. The area is home to the Franchthi Cave, occupied well before 20,000 BC, with some of the earliest evidence of agriculture in the world.
Close to Porto Heli are the ruins of the prominent city-state of Sparta, which together with Athens led the combined Greek forces in the Persian Wars around 500 BC. The region flourished for millennia eventually, even before the lush sanctuary of Olympia hosted the first Olympic Games, precursor to the modern Olympics, more than 2,700 years ago. Today, that past lives on in the town of Argos, which is said to have been continuously inhabited for more than 5,000 years. The stunning ancient theatre of Epidaurus, where performances are still held every summer, lies only a short distance from Porto Heli and closer still is the picturesque city of Nafplion, the original capital of modern Greece.
The Peloponnese is home to six UNESCO World Heritage Sites, but also to some of the best-known and most impressive monasteries in the world. These include the Mega Spilaio Monastery, originally built by two brothers in 362 AD, as well as the celebrated Agia Lavra Monastery, situated on Helmos Mountain at an altitude of almost 1,000 metres.
Long after you have left, the spell cast by the many historic marvels here, including the Homeric palace of Pylos and the array of Venetian, Turkish and Frankish castles, will stay with you – until you return.