Greece

[Jux]

DH wants to go to Greece; we'll be wandering around looking at amazingly old things anything ancient.

Where's the best place to stay to get around enough to see at least the main things? I know they're all scattered around.

Which are really worth seeing? Any little secret less known things?

Our other option is Morocco....

TIA

Peloponese. Fly to Athens. Have a look around if you haven't already, hire a car and then head South West.

We are going in April and I can't wait!

I saw the thread title and thought Peloponnese!

A couple of years ago we flew to Athens, spent a couple of nights there and then drove the 3 hours to Kalamata neck of the woods. From there you can do a day trip to Olympia which is amazing, you can visit the Gates of Hades, there are some amazing beaches (Kalogria near Stoupa is the best).

Failing that - Delphi is 2.5 hours from Athens and is really worth seeing.

big yes to Pelopenesse. And def. go to Delphi. There is a really strange majesty about the place. Looks like lumps of old rock on a hill side, with a museum, but it feels much more than that.

and great walking country, with the smell of herbs being kicked up as you walk along.

ooh, can you recommend anywhere in Messinia, Hassled? DH says it's very over-developed esp around Stoupa but I've heard Kardamilli nice. Sorry for hijack, OP, but thought I'd ask!

No sweat castlesintheair, the more info I've got the better! Who knows, we might end up going to Messinia!

I'm kind of leaning towards Morocco tbh, but I know that, as we won't be taking dd to Egypt this year, then Grecian ancientness will be the next best thing (especially as Mayan civilization involves too much climbing difficult mountains for me, so she can do that when she's older instead of Club 18-30).

Tell me more about the Pelopennese?

castles - Kardamilli is a lovely town with nice restaurants and shops, but the beach is shit - sharp stones, so you need hideous footwear.

Stoupa is nice - more touristy, definately, but still a nice little town. That beach - Kalogria - is just round the corner from Stoupa and really is unbelievable - there are cold water springs that come up under the sand so as you're swimming you'll get a sudden blast of cold freshwater. It's so clear you can see amazing fish, even without snorkelling - but the snorkelling is great. Good restaurants dotted all around.

The roads are good though and DH enjoyed the driving (I don't drive - I navigate :o) despite horror stories of Greek drivers. It's a great area. We actually stayed in the back of beyond - a place called Doli - and everywhere was a drive over stones and through olive groves.

Apart from Olympia, there's the ancient citadel of Mycenae, the fortress town of Mystras with Sparta nearby, Greece's first capital city Nafplio steeped in history obviously, the theatre at Epidavros 30km away ... the region is basically bursting with ancient sites/history.

It's also extremely beautiful and comparatively unspoilt - snow in the mountains in the north in winter, stunning sandy Messinian beaches, especially along west coast around Kyparissia which is quite deserted in parts. There's plenty of hiking or walking too.

We are going in April, a great time to visit.

Oh we went to Mystras. In August. It was the hottest place in the world ever - I have a photo of DS3 looking Seriously Pissed Off in Mystras. But amazing - and then we went to Sparta which wasn't quite as Spartan as I'd have liked.

And and and - driving there, some bastard cloned my credit card in a service station in, of all places, Arcadia. The injustice of it .

x-posts with Hassled. Thanks, sound's interesting. The Peloponnese is nothing like some parts of Greece and DH's idea of "over-developed" is based on what it was like 30 years ago!

I have made a list of everything you've all suggested and given it to dh. He and dd can decide where they want to go and I shall organise it!

Thanks to all for the info.