Mapping round trip Athens to Pelopenese, back to Athens

We had a lot more time but stayed in Napflio which I highly recommend to visit the Mycenae sites and Epidavros.. Then drove to Sparta to visit nearby Mystras also very worthwhile, Byzantine so a break from the ancients. .Then mountain roads down theough Kalamata and up to Olympia. Like you, we couldn't imagine not visiting Olympia. Many discouraged us but one friend insisted we visit it. We are so glad we did Seeing where the flame has been lit back in history and today, the stadium where museum, etc. We found it very exciting to be there and bet you and your family will be too.
We stayed in Napflio, Sparta and Olympia. But we spent a lot of time in Greece.

Thanks Suki,
As you may have read from my other posts, we are starting in Sicily and visiting 3 main sites there, then relaxing on Santorini and Naxos (Delos) for a total of 9 nights before heading over to Athens.
I appreciate your advice!
Lori

With only 5-6 nights (!) I feel your itinerary is drastically over-stuffed; Of course you want to see Everything--- but a cruel drive-a-thon = exhaustion, temper fits, everything's a blur. I beg of you, edit!! Have a Guidebook??? for $10 used on Amazon, ROugh Guide will insert a reality check, i.e., Sparta, it says no ancient vestiges remain of ancient days. Also, pleeeeze, x out Monemvasia! You'll spend all 5 days in the car!

PLANNING TOOLS - Again, a guidebook! and This FAB map (click to enlarge - use sidebars to navigate) http://euro-map.com/karty-grecii/peloponnes/podrobnaya-turisticheskaya-karta-peloponnesa.jpg -- is wonderful for visualizing an itinerary... all the way from Athens (or ATH airport) and back! BTW, save Athens for last day, since u need to be there last night before flight. And BTW, for this drive, use paper map in addition to GPS; the latter can lead you astray -- due to duplicated names + spellling differences. Based on my trips in Peloponnese, car & bus some comments & ideas.

OLYMPIA -- Didn't see until trip #7, because of long trek; 6+ hours, 2 busses. Museum is well-signed but ruins v. confusing unless you are a true ancient hist buff/scholar like moi. And the drive takes precious hours/days you don't have. A great Alternative is just past Corinth Canal -- NEMEA, "runner-up" to Olympia for ancient games, authentically excavated/preserved by U of Cal Berkeley. Mighty columns, temple ruins, museum -- and a Stunning stadium, with "heroes tunnel" and starting-blocks from 400 BC your men can race from! Everything but tour mobs!, and just off the highway! Show this to your guys - https://nemeangames.org -- 10 mins off highway, do-able in 1 hr.

NAFPLIO - on your list, looks like a lunch stop, but actually an IDEAL base for 3 days exploring Argolid ... the Most-Densely Historic area in Greece! This NONcommercial website http://www.visitnafplio.com - is info-crammed (click every link!!) describes sights, beaches, gorgeous Old Town & around. Nearby ruins: Iliad-era FOrtresses Mycenae, Tiryns, Asine (my secret gem), the town's Acronafplia, Towering Palamidi, etc etc. This photo album http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr54/sets/72157632094108982/ - shows highlites, & sunsets that outdo Santorini, IMHO. With this start, here's my suggestion for do-able rewarding itinerary:

DAY 1 (Arrive fr Santorini @ AIRPORT?) - Rental car on modern highway (see map), zip past Canal, exit @ Ancient Nemea sign, 5 km away. It's heart of wine country;optional stop @ Nemea Village bottling plant for samples (adults only!), Cross highway, go S 30 minutes to NAFPLIO by mid day. Explore Old town, go up AcroNafplia, OR to Town beach for late-day swim; sunset at seafront!

DAY 2 - Start w. Palamidi (drive up back, 1 parent walks DOWN 999 steps with teens, other parent drives to cafe at foot of steps to await them). Amazing Small Museum in Main Square -- a must for your hero buffs! 30-min video explains ancient wars, PLUS the place has world's ONLY Iliad-era suit of armor. More ruins? Mycenae is tour-mobbed, but 5 Km from Town, Tiryns is another HUGE fortress, almost deserted.

Day 3 - More exploring; TOLO beach, OR escape July Crowds just down the road -- ASINE fortress on Kastraki beach (only 1 taverna, great for snax or sunset dinner!)

Day 4 - Leave early, drive to Epidaurus (mainly for theatre) ... go to beach road (quick swim?) drive north, exit at ISTHMUS, to walk on Old Bridge for Canal photos (so deep! so skinny!). You can be at your hotel by late-day, go to Acropolis at 5 pm (crowds will be gone... wonderful golden light for pix!).

Day 5 - Other Landmarks - Ancient Agora. Acropolis Museum (3rd floor has GREAT video, photo & animated, of Parthenon history, downfall, restoring). Also 1896 Olympic Stadium (built on actual site of ancient one).

Oh Janet I could tell this was YOU just from your email style! :-)
I will take a look at all of this - THANK YOU for all this TIME!!
Just this morning I'm somewhat thrilled (but obviously may change this now) as I booked a 3 night stay in Mystra at this wonderful country house, with a pool, ( http://www.smallhotelsingreece.com/hotel/mazaraki/ ) that I can hold onto for free until I rethink this trip. Some of my fear is getting one-room accommodations for my family of 5.
I'll get back to you on the final plan.
Lori

Please please don't make that mistake of falling for a pretty villa photo, paying no attention to what you want to see or what you want to experience!! Just look somewhere around outside Nafplio .... for 4 nights, then your final 2 nights in Athens. Mystra is NOT for you on this cram-jammed trip. Believe me. Plenty of places to swim around Nafpio .... Frankly I looove that wacky town beach. You dive off a concrete platform ... the beach itself is rocks. In the morning the water is like glass.... in the afternoon, it roils around like an old bendix ... what a kick! And afterwards, to walk the water-lvel path around the peninsula point ... a thrill every time I do it ...

TOLO beach will be very busy, but it's sandy & lovely water ... Kastraki is a small cove ... partly sandy, partly stony. On the latter part ..... about 20 feet out, in deep water, I found myself standing waist deep. Below me, shaped oblong huge stones, fitted together. I remembered at Asine, they excavated an ancient pottery Head, they call it "King of Asine." And Asine is mentioned as sending warriors & boats to troy. Was I standing on an ancient pier? Goosebumps.

Lori,
It looks like Janet has you covered ;) We are doing something similar in the Peloponnese, and here's our plan (also with 3 kids: 10, 13, 15):
Nafplio 3 nights = town itself and surrounding sites/day trips (Epidavros, Mycenae)
Arcadia area/sm. mountain village - 2 nights - Olympia and other ruins/surrounding sites, and canyon hike, and waterfall
Kardamyli - 1 night - a hike and beach
Monemvasia - 1 night on the "island"

We're skipping the Mani peninsula entirely. Will hit Mystras outside Sparta on our final day en route from Monemvasia back to Athens (so the four hour drive will be broken up by a visit to the site, with arrival at Athens airport around 8p)
We will average ~ 2 hrs. driving most days, which may seem hectic to some but we've done something similar on other trips and the pace works for us.
Our trip will, like yours, include Santorini and Naxos (and Crete), so we are more interested in the ruins and landscape than beaches for the Peloponnese portion, besides, with the way we time the driving, we still get nearly full days even on driving days.
What I am NOT doing that is on your list is the Corinth canal and Kalamata. We will 'see" Aeropolis en route from Kardamyli to Monemvasia but not spend substantial time there. And we are seeing Athens at the end of our whole trip - this is the first week. We then go to Islands, then Athens, then home.

Cheers,
Jessica

Jessica, don't tempt her to revert to her Wish List!! You have 8 days to her 5 -- really her 4, because she also wants to do Acropolis and surrounding landmarks on day 5. Alas, she does NOT have time for the Mystra interlude, unless she wants to dump Nemea and make Nafplio a lunch stop, just because of a pretty villa picture. I'm willing to help her find a place around Nafplio ... and really, it has more for kids than Mystra does. How many kids thrill to a Medieval church ruin?

I did a similar leg in October. I would say definitely keep Nafplio, it is a fantastic place with many options for a variety of interests (you can actually swim there too). Stopping in Sparti is a great idea, but you don't need to stay long. I would recommend stopping in Mycenae--fantastic ruins and very historically significant.

I cannot recommend Kalamata. It is mostly just a port town and not really appealing to tourists. I found a hidden gem not too far from Kalamata in the ruins of Ancient Messene near Mavromati. Absolutely fantastic and real, with little tourism and great authentic restaurants nearby. Great B&B in town too.

I didnt make it to Monemvasia, and I am regretting it to this day, but I would take Rick's advice and not try to do too much and stress yourself out.

I have done this route several times, the first time all in one week while on Spring Break:
Athens, drive to Delphi (stay overnight)
Delphi, drive to Olympia (stay overnight)
Olympia, drive to Napflio( stay overnight)
Napflio, drive to Athens, seeing Mycenae and Epidaurus on the way.
2 or 3 nights in Athens seeing the sights.
Each time I go (4X) I try to add a new archeological site.

If time, try to see the Temple of Apollo Epikouros at Bassae. Or see the ruins at Corinth and Acro Corinth.
A few days in Napflio is a great relaxation break.
I would usually arrive in the early afternoon and go to the archeological site and tour the museum. The next morning I would b at the gate of the site when it opened (usually 8:30) and see the ruins with the knowledge from the museum to help me.
Hotels: Delphi: Fedriades Hotel
Olympia: Hotel Kronio (the absolute best host in Greece! The true spirit of Greek xenia).
Napflio: Hotel Marianna (great place, best B&B I've ever stayed in, great view!!)
Athens: Attalos Hotel (great view from the rooftop bar, great falafel place right down the street).