The first four days in the northern region of Achaia were exhausting, and the pebble beach wasn’t our thing. So, we decided to move on to the Argolis region around Nafplio.
Day 5
Campsite and Nafplio
The drive is mostly on the highway. Only the last 50 kilometers are on country roads, the quality of which varies greatly. Sometimes they’re well-maintained like an older federal highway in Germany, other times they’re just short of a gravel track. The corresponding speed limits are in no way comprehensible. A wide and well-maintained road can mean 50 km/h, while on a small, worn-out road you might be allowed to drive 90 km/h. Anyway, the Greeks see speed limits, as well as the helmet requirement for scooters and motorcycles, more as a recommendation.
We had actually planned on a campsite in Tolo, but we didn’t like the look of it from the outside. One town over, in Drepano, we found a small but shady spot on the beach at New Triton Camping. Setting up is routine by now, apart from the gravel ground and my difficulties getting pegs in—and especially getting them back out.
In the evening, we took a trip to Nafplio. The travel guide had praised the city. At least we were so late that a climb up to the fortress was no longer possible. Lucky me, I definitely wouldn’t have enjoyed that. The city itself leaves mixed feelings. Lots of people, many (including Greek) tourists, flock through the touristy alleys. You have no idea what is truly local and authentic. It’s basically just an alternation of trinket shops and restaurants. A shame. The beggars in the alleys and the begging children in the parking lot don’t lift the mood either. We ate a pita wrap at a small snack bar and then headed back to the campsite. A bit of surfing the web and reading, then it was off to bed.
Day 6
A loop around the peninsula
Our campsite again only had a pebble beach, and we had decided the day before to take a drive around the southeastern peninsula. Just to see the landscape and stop in nice little towns.
And then there was the sign: Epidauros. Epidauros was, of course, on our list, but for the next day. But when you’re just a kilometer away, you take the turn. Good decision. Epidauros was impressive, especially the theater. But the rest of the ruins also testify to the size of the settlement and its focus on the healing arts. A trip to the excavation site is definitely worth it!
Satisfied, we returned to the car and looked at the route around the peninsula again. Four and a half hours left. A bit too long, so we cut off the very southern part and headed to Galatas. Another tourist town, or rather two tourist towns with Poros on the island 100 meters away. Quite nice for a stroll. The rest of the route took us through the impressive landscape of the peninsula, but also showed us the poverty of Greece. From recently built but completely abandoned port towns like Porto Hydra Village to lively places whose streets will surely be gone after the next heavy rain. Many houses are dilapidated, and even more are only partially completed. Two-story houses where one floor doesn’t even have walls are a very common sight.
After the long tour, we were once again too lazy to cook. A simple snack had to suffice. The blog post about the first four days also needed to be finished.
Day 7
Mycenae and even more old stones
On the seventh day, we crawled out of our feather beds at 7:00 AM. That’s right, we really have feather duvets and pillows with us. It’s just so much cozier than sleeping bags. We quickly got ready and set off. Mycenae was the first destination, which we reached by 8:20 AM. Lucky for us, because besides us, there were at most five other people at the excavation site. So we could walk through the ruins without stress and in peace, read the signs, and finally visit the museum. On the way to the exit a little over an hour later, several tour bus groups were coming towards us.
Since it was on our route anyway, we made a quick detour to the Heraion of Argos. We had breakfast under the trees in the parking lot, then visited the free excavation site. There isn’t much to see, mainly foundations. But they give an idea of the size the temple must have had. The dimensions are definitely impressive. The Heraion is also barely visited; during our time there, only one other couple came to the site. A shame, really.
Argos was the next destination. Originally just the theater, but we had already seen a fortress from Mycenae. The Fortress of Larissa, as we found out when we arrived (no entrance fee). Much younger than Mycenae, but the view is beautiful and the complex is still relatively well-preserved. You can walk through the fortress and explore its layout. Unfortunately, like the Heraion, it’s poorly signposted. So you have to piece together what you’re actually seeing. The theater of Argos, on the other hand, wasn’t expensive at two euros per person, but it was also much less spectacular than the theater of Epidauros. More dilapidated and the circular path was closed. One walk-through, back down, and you’ve seen it all. And again, no signs, what a pity.
We were surprised by our next stop, Lerna. A really small excavation site for two euros per person. But very nicely prepared and explained with signs. The different eras from 3000 BC to 1200 BC are super visible. Also, how over the millennia the old ruins disappeared under new buildings. The brick construction was also very interesting, especially the thickness of the walls surprised me. It keeps it cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
The last archaeological stop of the day was impressive again in terms of size. The Acropolis of Tiryns towers a good ten meters above the surrounding landscape. Here, again, nothing was signposted and the path was a back-and-forth affair. With financial support, however, that will change. A lot is currently being restored here, and the future path is already discernible. When it’s done, a visit will be a must on any tour of the area.
Many years ago, I was on the Peloponnese with my parents, and my mother had mentioned before we left that we had stayed in Tolo. So we wanted to check out the town. I don’t remember it, but it’s a classic tourist town with little charm. Was it better back then? No idea. We went back to the campsite, exhausted. Instead of the pebble beach, we went to the bar next door; for energy, there was freshly squeezed orange juice (which is just always delicious) and a pizza for me, a club sandwich for my girlfriend.
That filled us up for the rest of the day, and we spent a relaxing evening at the campsite with our books and planning the next leg of our journey. But since this text is already way too long, today’s onward journey to the Laconia region will come in a few days as a summary with the following days.