Is Peloponnese Worth Visiting? And Why I Loved It

When people think of Greece, most likely they think of visiting Athens and Greek islands, especially the most popular ones like Santorini or Mykonos. When I was planning my first trip to Greece, I knew I had to visit Athens and ancient sites in the Peloponnese. Most of my travel friends said that they never heard of anyone going to the Peloponnese first and majority of them still haven’t been there. All of this points out that Peloponnese is nowhere near as popular and it’s not a surprise that a lot of people even wonder is Peloponnese worth visiting.

If you’re thinking about going to the Peloponnese peninsula, but are unsure of whether it would be worth your time, you’ve come to the right place.

Firstly, I need to disclaim that I really, really loved it there and if I have to give you a quick answer, yes, Peloponnese is pretty much worth visiting and you should definitely go there. I spent a week road tripping through the peninsula and had a great time.

But, I will try to be as objective as possible here and discuss both pros & cons for visiting Peloponnese, so you can make an informed decision.

I will also give you a short overview of general tips and best places to see in the region.

✅ If you’re looking for a custom travel plan, find out more about my personalised itinerary service here.

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📖 Read my Peloponnese Itinerary for 7 Days: Ancient Greece Road Trip blog post.

Why You Should Visit Peloponnese

As I briefly said in my intro, I truly loved visiting Peloponnese, and in terms of history, it was one of my favourite places in the world. Here, I will mention reasons why you should visit Peloponnese based on my personal experience of the region.

Ancient History

If you’re like me and love visiting ancient sites, then you will have a great time in Peloponnese. It’s one of the best parts of Greece with ancient sights and surely one of the most historical regions in the world.

There are many different ancient locations you can visit, but my favourites, and the ones you shouldn’t miss, were Mycenae, Olympia (where the Olympic games were founded), Epidaurus and Sparta.

Diverse Landscapes

The landscapes and nature in Peloponnese is very diverse, and you’ll notice it immediately. To me, it’s how I always imagined Greece to be – a mix of turquoise sea and sandy beaches, mountains and caves.

Sparta’s landscape impressed me the most because as soon as you approach the modern city, you’ll notice the mountain ranges in the background. I remembered learning how ancient Spartans were undergoing hard-core training in the mountains and where they were even leaving ill-born children to die (they were a pretty brutal military focused society). Seeing nature in person, gives it a much better historical context.

So, if you love to hike, you’d be able to do it, especially as some historical sights are on the top of the hills, so it takes a little bit of workout to reach them.

If you love beaches, surely you’d be able to enjoy swimming activities, especially in summer or when the sea temperature is still relatively warm.

Underrated & Authentic Destination

Because Peloponnese is not visited and nearly as popular as Athens or the islands, it still keeps the authentic charm where you can experience local culture.

I especially felt this in Sparta and Kardamyli, so if you’re looking for less popular destinations in Greece and towns or places that are off the beaten path, then Peloponnese will offer you exactly that.

Pros for Visiting Peloponnese

Okay, let’s discuss the main pros for visiting Peloponnese.

Variety

Peloponnese is definitely a place where you can’t get bored and can do many different things. You can do a lot of sightseeing, hiking or just spend days enjoying the beach.

I personally love to combine all these things whenever I travel, so having options to do so in a destination is a huge pro.

Less Touristy

The further away you go, the less touristy it gets.

For example, Nafplion, Mycenae and Epidaurus were more touristy because they’re the closest places to Athens and therefore perfectly doable and easy for a day trip.

But places like Sparta, Mystras and Kardamyli were not as busy, and at times we even found ourselves to be completely alone. Obviously, none of the places in Peloponnese are completely lacking in tourists, but they are still much more enjoyable and less touristy than other parts of Greece.

Rich Culture & History

As mentioned, Peloponnese is one of the most historical places in the world and one of the most important places when it comes to Ancient Greece. Which is why everywhere you go, you’ll see a sign indicating that you’re nearby an archaeological site.

The most important ones are Corinth, Olympia, Mycenae, Epidaurus and Sparta, but there are many more ancient sites you can see.

Also, because of the strategic geographical position, Peloponnese was important throughout history and was ruled and conquered by Franks, Venetians and Ottomans, all of whom have left a big impact on history, culture and architecture.

I was especially impressed by the Byzantine architecture, especially in Acrocorinth, Mystras and Kardamyli.

If you’re a culture traveller like myself, you will enjoy visiting Peloponnese.

Cons for Visiting Peloponnese

Okay, I think I’ve given you a lot of reasons why to visit Peloponnese, but let’s spice it up a bit and discuss some of the cons for visiting.

Accessibility

With lower popularity comes also disadvantages, the first one being that it is not that easily accessible to get to Peloponnese.

Yes, there are some guided day trips from Athens, but they mostly go to the most popular places like Mycenae and Epidaurus, and perhaps to Olympia. Mostly because these places are about 2-3h ride per one way from Athens, so it makes sense for a full day trip.

But, if you’d love to visit places that are further away, or even go to off the beaten places like Kardamyli, you will need to rent a car.

Personally, road trip through the Peloponnese was one of the best road trips I’ve had, but they are also my favourite way to travel and explore.

If you don’t drive, or don’t consider yourself a confident driver, then sadly you wouldn’t be able to reach some of the places because either there are no tours at all (like to Kardamyli) or they’re expensive (like to Sparta).

Longer Distances

In most cases you will drive about 2h from point A to point B, so you can’t expect to see it all in a day or two because that’s not gonna happen.

If you’re limited with time, you will need to plan your visit to the Peloponnese strategically. For example, 7 days are enough to see most of the main places and make a circle around the peninsula, as I outlined in my Peloponnese 7 days itinerary blog post. But you still need to plan it ahead and keep in mind the longer distances between the places.

That means that you will need to change your hotel almost daily because it makes no sense to return to point A after you’ve been to point B.

Limited Options

This especially relates to when you’re travelling off season. For example, we were there in the mid to end of October and even though Google Maps pointed out some restaurants and cafes as being open, they were actually closed, so businesses are not always up to date.

Also, a lot of sites were closing at some weird hours, like 3 or 4 pm even though the days lasted till 7 pm.

Additionally, if you’re into clubbing and nightlife, most places don’t offer this at all. For me and my husband this is not important as we don’t party, but if you love it, then know that your options will be limited.

Best Places to Visit in Peloponnese

📖 You can read more about each place in my What Should You Not Miss in Peloponnese? 8 Places I Loved blog post.

How to Get to Peloponnese

To get to Peloponnese the best is to fly to Athens International Airport.

✅ Check the flight prices here.

Once you’re in Athens, then you’d definitely need to rent a car to reach Peloponnese and explore it properly.

📖 Read my Athens Airport Guide (And How I Almost Missed My Flight) blog post.

Best Tours for Visiting Peloponnese

Where to Stay in Peloponnese

Firstly, let me say that the Peloponnese is a larger peninsula, so you can’t really stay in one place only. Me and my husband changed 5 different hotels in 7 days, and while it can seem inconvenient, it was not. When you’re with a car, things are definitely easier, especially travelling with luggage.

If you’d be visiting all the places I have listed here, then you’d need to stay in Corinth, Olympia, Kardamyli, Sparta or Mystras and Nafplion (like I did).

💡I will mention below places where we stayed personally, apart from Corinth because we had a negative experience there where we didn’t get a suite we booked and paid for as they rented it to someone else! Instead we got a cheaper double room with no views! This hotel no longer seems to appear on Booking, but it was called Apollonio Suite, so keep away from it. Instead, I will recommend the next place I would book if I knew this would be the case.

Is it Worth Visiting Peloponnese

As you’ve probably noticed, I very much loved Peloponnese and had a great time there. It’s such an underrated region in Greece with rich history, beautiful nature and authentic Greek culture.

Peloponnese is suitable for any type of traveller, so no matter if you’re a history or nature lover, or both, you won’t be bored because there’s a lot to do in Peloponnese.

If you’re a foodie, then you’ll definitely enjoy local cuisine (I returned home with a little bit of extra weight lol).

Surely, there are some disadvantages to visiting Peloponnese, especially in terms of accessibility, but if you love taking road trips, then this would be a great way of exploring the region.

With the upcoming Odyssey movie, I am sure Peloponnese would be put on the travel map and it’s a matter of time this underrated region gains on popularity.

If you’re thinking whether to visit or not, I urge you to do it now before it’s spoiled with mass tourism, which I hope would never happen.

Yes, the Peloponnese is very much worth visiting!

✅ If you’re looking for a custom travel plan, find out more about my personalised itinerary service here.

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