Ancient Greece Roadtrip
A tour-bus-dodging Greek Mythology and ancient craft roadtrip through the Peloponnese
A few years ago, as part of an epic three-week trip to Greece, we spent a week road-tripping the Peloponnese for out-of-the-way, lesser-known locations steeped in Greek mythology with our mythology-obsessed kids. I’ve compiled a master list of our favorites, from the sacred ground where Poseidon ruled the sea to our favorite ancient sites for pre-Hellenic athletic games. Spoiler: Olympia didn’t make the cut.
We started in the Mani Peninsula, where the rustic charm of old Greece is all around—hard-scrabble terrain, prickly pear, goat crossings, ghost hill towns, ancient towers, and crumbling stone buildings/ruins. The beaches are empty and the small villages are full of fish tavernas—all of it a bonus for us; we were there for the mythology. We had about a week to play with, but spent more time than likely necessary at the southernmost tip enjoying the slow pace and finished with a day in Athens. After a week of quiet, uncrowded ramblings, the Acropolis, swarming with tourists and tchotchke kiosks, felt overwhelming in comparison. Not to say there aren’t any tourists at all in the Mani Peninsula and Peloponnese (there are—us included), but many of the sites along the route below remain gloriously untouched by mass tourism.
SANCTUARY OF POSEIDON / GATE TO HADES
This place feels like the edge of the world. Hidden away on the southernmost edge of mainland Greece (the southernmost point in all of mainland Europe, next to Tarifa, Spain), Poseidon’s Sanctuary is reached from a small, nondescript parking lot down a narrow road found by a combination of GPS and luck. Once there, follow the signs over hills and through tall grasses, with a constant gobsmacking view of the sea the entire way. Keep kids engaged with anticipation-building stories, like how the Gate to Hades was THE PLACE where Hercules dragged Cerberus from the underworld in the last of his 12 labors. Without this thrilling context, the modest crumbling hut-like structure—very different from the elaborate city ruins of the other ancient sites—might feel like little more than a big pile of rocks. And make sure to leave something behind on the stone altar (coins, candy, a flower?), because, according to legend, visitors can only avoid the fury of Poseidon by leaving him a gift.
SPARTA/MYSTRAS
By all accounts, go to the Byzantine ruins of Mystras—a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a universal don’t-miss. We missed it, and I’m still regretting it. I had a four-year-old in tow, which made navigating the steep mountainside down to the fortress feel awfully precarious. If you don’t have young kids with you, it’s a seminal stop. If I ever do this trip again one day, I’ll pair it with a hike at Taygetus, especially toward the more wild, northern section. In this area, you can also visit the villages of Kastori, Pellana, Georgitsi and Loganiko, and the Palace of Menelaus and Helen of Troy.
MESSINI
Named after a mythical queen and local deity, daughter of Triopas, the king of Argos. Full of history, but not people. Located in the southern part of the peninsula and as extensive as Olympia, it’s an underrated, little-visited ancient site with a well-preserved theater (the incredible patchwork floor still partially intact), stadium (which could be blocked off and used as a gladiator arena), temples, tombs, baths, foundations of everyday buildings— all connected and easily navigated by foot. Messini helps kids (and adults) imagine how these ancient Greek cities were laid out. Details in the stadium to look for: VIP seats with lion paw legs; and Roman toilets (holes in stone slabs over a stream).
NEMEA
A hands-down standout family favorite. Not only was Nemea home to the Nemean Lion (and one of our kids favorite Greek myths), we didn’t encounter a single overlapping visitor the entire duration of our three-hour visit, save for the concerned administrator who wandered out while we were exploring the Temple of Zeus to instruct us to go directly to the hospital in the case of a snake bite. A warning we found eerily fitting, considering this is the site where, according to another ancient myth, a snake bit baby Opheltes, a final fate as prophesied by the Oracle of Delphi.
Snake bite worries aside, we had free reign to explore the temple ruins, the museum (full of marble statues and some of my favorite mosaics), and the stadium, where, thrill of all thrills, our kids staged their own Nemean games. Emerging from the vaulted entrance tunnel to take their rightful place at the original stone starting blocks, they raced the full length of the dusty track to an audience of imaginary cheering onlookers.
EPIDAURUS
Full disclosure: We lost steam and didn’t make it to Epidaurus. I still regret it. This site is primarily about one specific awe-inspiring attraction: the massive and best-preserved theater in all of ancient Greece. With its slab stone seating and acoustics to rival any modern-day theater (try giving a clap or shout from various locations within), the amphitheater is widely established as a marvel of ancient engineering, technical ingenuity and scale. If you run out of time for side trips like we did, you can make this a quick stop—hop out, climb up the towering stone seating to appreciate the towering view from the top, and go. It’s less than an hour from Mycenae.
MYCENAE
You might know the story of Perseus accidentally killing his grandfather (who was the son of Zeus), preventing him from ruling Argos and leading him to build Mycenae, or maybe you recognize the Lion’s Gate (constructed by Cyclopes with stones no human could lift)—a profoundly impressive sight in person, no matter how many times you’ve seen it in photos. Ancient Mycenae is full of enough lore and drama to hold the rapt attention of kids for hours, which makes it the place I’d most recommend hiring a guide. Our incredibly knowledgeable guide/archaeological historian, Thodoris, told riveting, age-appropriate stories of Agamemnon's tomb, Cyclopean Walls, the Royal Tombs, and the Treasury of Atreus. Sitting on a rock under the shade of a giant fig tree, he magically wove the grand finale in great flourishing detail: the story of King Agamemnon (his wife and lover, and ultimately, his vengeful son), forever memorialized on the mountain, blood running down the side in the current form in an inexplicable barren line. You can spend an entire day here; the archaeology museum’s pottery collection is unmatched.
CORINTH
There is a wealth of mythological story here—the home of Sisyphus, the wily king who was fated to roll a giant boulder uphill for all time, and the place where Jason the Argonaut and his wife Medea took refuge—but when does a stone temple ruin start to look just like the last stone temple ruin? We may have edged up against ancient site fatigue, but the Archaeological Museum of Ancient Corinth is stellar. Among the agora, the Temple of Apollo, and the large triumphal arch, what stands out most in my memory is a very specific ancient craft appreciation moment: tiny ceramic fragments with faces that look straight out of an Edward Gorey illustration. The collection of Roman mosaics is another: a near complete mosaic scene of a naked flute-playing shepherd with his cattle and a geometric panel framing the head of Dionysus. Greek craft and artistry, all these years later, still astounds.
FOR YOUR NOTES:
1. Where to stay: We started our trip at the southern end of the Deep Mani, staying at the historical Kyrimai—a beautiful stone hotel right at the water’s edge with large, comfortable rooms, an incredible pool set-up, and a sense of tradition and history in tact (for less than $200/night). As we slowly made our way back to Athens by car (driving is a breeze), we had plans to stay in Messini, which I would recommend for a night, but we ended up driving straight to Nafplio, which we used as a basecamp for a few days while exploring the ancient sites in the northern reaches of the peninsula. Lots of small in-town b&b options, like the no-frills Kyveli Suites where we stayed for less than $100/night. Don’t overthink it; you’ll hardly spend any time in your room.
2. While staying at the Kyrimai—it’s wonderful, you won’t want to leave—I highly recommend strolling to the neighboring village for a meal or apertivo. Many of these villages are not tourist towns, and the dawdling pace and local everyday life will make you feel like you’re experiencing the real soul of the place.
3. Literary detour: If it happens to be a Monday or Thursday on the day you drive to Messini, a stop in Kardamyli will earn you a visit to Patrick Leigh Fermor’s beautiful cliffside house, which he donated to the Benaki Museum. It’s only open to the public on Mondays/Thursdays and requires pre-purchased tickets. Consisting of four stone buildings (full of his personal artifacts and books) and beautiful gardens, it’s the place he most loved in the world—and where he hosted guests like Evelyn Waugh and Bruce Chatwin. Fermor’s Mani: Travels in the Southern Peloponnese is required reading for this trip.
4. What to listen to: A few of the drives are long and your kids are at your entertaining whim: don’t squander it. We loved listening to podcasts featuring Greek mythology: Myths and Legends is a favorite (episodes with inappropriate content are flagged, plenty of Greek myths to choose from). For younger kids, I know some families like Greeking Out, but the goofy voices and sound effects drive me bonkers. You do not need to suffer for your children’s Greek mythology education. I recommend downloading D'Aulaires Book of Greek Myths, even if you have the book at home (which you should; the illustrations are etched across my kids’ childhood memories). They don’t mind listening to these stories over and over again; and the readers include Paul Newman, Sydney Poitier, Kathleen Turner and Matthew Broderick.
—Meghan McEwen
Ah, this is a trip I would *love* to make. Thank you for sharing your adventure - and for the beautiful photographs!