Authentic Greece cruise. Peloponnesus

Day 1 Piraeus/Athens

Ten kilometres southwest of central Athens, Piraeus is dazzling in its scale, its seemingly endless quays filled with ferries, ships and hydrofoils. While technically its own city, it melds into the Athens sprawl, with close to half a million people living in the greater area.

The most attractive quarter lies east around Zea Marina and Mikrolimano harbours. The latter is lined with cafes, restaurants and bars often filled with people who've disembarked from their yachts for the day.

Day 2 Spetses

Spetses is where superyachts pop up and out next to traditional wooden fishing boats and where the super-rich rub shoulders with the locals in quayside tavernas. All are drawn to this pine-covered island for its clear waters, coves and Spetses Town.

Try local fish a la spetsiota in one of the cafes, bars and restaurants around the Old Harbor, or sit with a coffee and observe the amazing building of Grand Hotel Poseidonion. 

Spetses was the filming location of such movies as Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, The Lost Daughter, "The Magus" byJohn Fowles.

Day 3 Nafplio

Nafplio is famous for numerous fortresses, monasteries and the Medieval Old Town. It is a perfect start point to explore ancient Mycenae, Argos and Epidaurus.

Try delicious seafood in restaurants at the sea promenade, or taste trachanas soup and artichokes salad from famous Nafplio artichokes at the seaside taverns.

Day 4 Monemvasia

Medieval city on a rock

Monemvasia is a Medieval Castle Town, exclusively carved on a huge rock looking as if it came down from a fairy tale. The island is linked to the mainland by a short causeway 200m in length.

Go back in time wondering in paved narrow streets, viewing the elegant stone mansions and the Byzantine churches, such as the church of Agia Sofia and Christ Elkomenos. Do not also miss the breathtaking sea view from the top of the Castle during your Monemvasia holidays. 

Try Greek Malvasia wine. In 12-15th centuries this wine ruled the Europe. The name "Malvasia" comes from Italian word "Malvasia" for Monemvasia; because it was a trading center.

Monemvasia is also mentioned in the story of Cervantes. 

Day 5 Gytheio

Former port of Sparta

Gythio is a quiet charming fishing town with authentic architecture and very few tourists. Gythio is also a base for excursions to legendary Sparta and Mistras.

Fish taverns and beautiful mansions line up the port. Laconia region is famous for its citrus trees, figs, and tomatoes, as well as wine, ouzo, and tsipouro. Try ham in Mani and xoriatiko loukaniko in Sparta, which is a type of sausage. This place is surrounded by nice beaches. Mavrovouni is the most beautiful and longest beach close to Gythio, where the sea turtles Caretta-caretta go to lay their eggs in summer.

Back in antiquity it was a port of Sparta.There is the islet of Cranae right at the entrance port. Here according to legend Paris of Troy and Helen from Sparta spent their first night together before departing for Troy, thus igniting the Trojan War.

Day 6 Pylos

Mirriad of beaches across a vast bay, lagoon with flamingos, waterfalls, caves, castles, tombs, kayaking and diving, golf center and natural resorts - entwine activities into a hit pack in Pylos. 

Pylos is built amphitheatrically in the bay of Navarino, where the historic battle took place, and is defined by the Isle Sfaktiria. In Pylos there are many historical and natural attractions. Among them, Paleokastro, Niokastro,the cave of Nestor, the lagoon of Gialova, the bay of ​​Voidokilia - one of the most spectacular beaches and bays of Greece. the impressive ancient trees that dominate the Square of Trion Navarchon, downtown, combined with the breathtaking views of Sfaktiria Island create a separate idyllic atmosphere.

Very few towns in Greece gather this many myths. Hercules, Odyssey, Jason. Trojan War, Argonauts, and Odyssey. Zeus, Athena, Poseidon, and Hades. According to Homer, Pylos was the kingdom of Nestor.

Day 7 Katakolo

Port for the homeland of Olympic Games

Katakolo is a gateway for the archaeological site of Olympia, the birthplace of the Olympic Games. Adjacent to the port is the sunken ancient city and port of Pheia. 

The small city itself is picturesque and offers a variety of restaurants, coffee shops, and shops. And the view to the traditional lighthouse. Try kreokakavos, oktapodi or musaka in Olympia taverns. 

Be sure to visit reconstructed interactive exhibits-replicas of the ancient greek inventions in Museum of Ancient Greek Technology.

A short distance from the port of Katakolo, there are many diverse beaches, mostly sandy.

Day 8 Kefalonia/Sami

The largest Ionian island

Kefalonia is the island of sailors and mountain climbers, Greeks and Venetians, winemakers and travelers. Here stands Enom – the tallest mountain of Ionic islands (1628 m), covered with unique pine trees. Those willing to make a pilgrim tour may get into the Saint Gerasim monastery. There you will find an ancient sycamore tree still standing, said to have been planted by the saint himself. His cave-cell is located under the building of the monastery. Then we shall go for Andrew the First-Called Apostle monastery, the museum with miracle-making icons of Stephano Tsagarol, the Monastery of Saint Crucifixion in Pessado and the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary with benches. It is also possible to pop into the local winery, where six kinds of Kefalonian wine are being made out of Robola grape.

Another excursion will go to the famous Drogarati cave with stalactites, stalagmites and unusual acoustics, due to which Maria Kallas and Luchano Povarotti took the floor there once. Then the observation ground above the famous beach Mirtos awaits us, followed by a lunch in the picturesque nearby village of Agia Efimia. Our trip will end with the visit to the underground lake Melissani; the cave that once stood over it was destroyed during an earthquake. Now the lake is exposed to the sun, which creates beautiful light show on the water with colors ranging from sky-blue to intense dark-blue.

Other notable highlights is the Ainos natural reserve, the lakes, Diskardo traditional village and the filming location of Captain Corelli's Mandolin. 

Day 9 Nafpaktos

Nafpaktos is a small town with a well preserved Venetian port and a castle. It opens a way to natural wonders of mountainous Nafpaktia.

We will sail under the Rio-Antirio Bridge - longest span of its type in the world. It links Peloponnese to mainland Greece.

Miguel de Cervantes fought here in the Battle of Lepanto. His statue is displayed by the port.

Day 10 Itea

Located in the Fokida region of Central Greece, Itea is a small waterfront town located in close proximity to the archeological site of Delphi. Featuring a relatively new port that hosts a number of vessels, Itea’s view of waters and imposing mountains in the horizon make for a pleasant stroll or coffee by the sea. 

Imagine yourself in 4th century BC following the sacred path to Apollo temple. Arriving to Itea port – it’s where Apollo carried first Dephi priests. He took a shape of a dolphin and showed them the way. So maybe Delphi took its name after Apollo Delphinios. Another version is that Delphi comes from delphys (womb), indicating archaic veneration of Gaia at the site.

Day 11.1 Corinth Canal

The Corinth Canal is a canal that connects the Gulf of Corinth with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea. It cuts through the narrow Isthmus of Corinth and separates the Peloponnesian peninsula from the Greek mainland, thus effectively making the former an island. The canal is 6.3 kilometers (3.9 miles) in length and was built between 1881 and 1893.

The Corinth Canal, though only completed in the late 19th century, was an idea and dream that’s dates back over 2000 thousand years. It saves the 700-kilometers (430 mi) journey around the Peloponnese! The strip of land that connects the Peloponnese and mainland Greece is called the “Isthmus”. At its narrowest point, it is only 4 miles wide, and in ancient times, one could see from one side to the other.

Day 11.2 Epidaurus

Epidaurus is a cradle of ancient Greek drama and medicine. It is renowned for the abundance and high density of historical artifacts.

Observe the Great Theatre – best preserved and most beautiful in Greece, famous for incredible acoustics and symmetry. It was constructed in 4th century BC for ceremonies in honor of god Asclepius. Other important ancient sites include Stadium of the Asclepieion of Epidaurus, Sanctuary of Asclepion and the Sunken city of Epidaurus.

Day 11.3 Aegina

Aegina offers finest pistachios in the world, olive groves and some of the most significant monasteries and temples of Greece.

Glorious historical past left Aegina with many ancient monuments open for sightseeing. The most impressive archaeological site of the island is the Ancient Temple of Athena Aphaia, dating back to the 6th century BC. It forms in fact an equilateral triangle with the Parthenon and the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion, the so-called “holy triangle” of the antiquity. 

Other important sites are the Temple of Apollo and the Temple of Ellanios Zeus.

Aegina is a food lover’s paradise- from pistachios being ubiquitous to the freshest seafood.

Touch traditional crafts at the pottery workshops in the village of Mesagros.*

*Exact experience visits can change in the schedule and are not included in the cruise price.

Day 12.2 Piraeus

Ten kilometres southwest of central Athens, Piraeus is dazzling in its scale, its seemingly endless quays filled with ferries, ships and hydrofoils. While technically its own city, it melds into the Athens sprawl, with close to half a million people living in the greater area.

The most attractive quarter lies east around Zea Marina and Mikrolimano harbours. The latter is lined with cafes, restaurants and bars often filled with people who've disembarked from their yachts for the day.