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Pelops

8 Nights

From €{{parseInt(minimumpriceforpackage)}} .{{decimalpart(minimumpriceforpackage)}} Person

delphi
nafplion
olympia
mycenae
katakolon
itea
pylos
gythion

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Discover the luxury and joys of sailing the wonders of the Aegean Sea and the ancient Greek world of Byzantium, a land of heroes, myth and wonder. This cruise, offered during autumn, spring and winter, takes you back into history to some of the most incredible history around the Peloponnese coastline, discovering the glories of this often forgotten part of Greece.

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Itinerary

Day 1

Embarkation between 2-3 pm. Enjoy a welcome drink and meet your crew and fellow passengers. Sail for Palaia (old) Epidaurus. Evening arrival and dinner on board.

Day 2

We leave our ship early in the morning to drive to Ancient Epidaurus. Epidaurus was known throughout the Greek world as a healing sanctuary. It was reputed to be the birthplace of Apollo's son Asclepius - and for its theater, which is once again in use today. The sanctuary was looted by the Roman general Sulla by pirates and later by Goths in 395 A.D. and very little remains of it today. The prosperity brought by the Asclepieion enabled the residents of Epidaurus to construct civic monuments, including a huge theater (approximately 300 B.C.) renowned for its symmetry and beauty. Lunch on ship and afternoon sailing to Nafplion. Overnight at port.

Day 3

After a short walking tour of Nafplion, drive through the colorful city and the beautiful countryside of Argolis towards Mycenae for an optional excursion. The importance of the city, which Homer calls rich in gold begins in 1650 B.C and ceases around 1100 B.C with the fall of the civilization to which it gives name. Visit the remains of the ancient glorious city including the Lion's Gate, the Palace, the so called Agamemnon Tomb and the museum. Lunch on ship and afternoon sailing to Monemvassia. Overnight sailing to Gythion.

Day 4

Early morning arrival to Gythion. Optional Excursion to Mani peninsula and Cape Tenaro plus the spectacular Dirou Caves with their stalactites and stalagmites. Ancient Gythion was inhabited during prehistoric times and later the Spartans used as a port, enlarging the natural harbor they made Gythion their naval base. Leaving Gythion we will cross the scenic Mani Peninsula to reach Diros and visit the spectacular caves, discovered around the 60s, which are perhaps among the most important natural sites of Greece. After visiting the cave we will drive to nearby Areopolis for a short stroll through the town. Mani is at the tip of the Peloponnese, a distinctive area unlike any other area in Greece. A desolate region of underground lakes and rivers, windswept landscapes and towers who is strangely beautiful. Overnight at sea to Pylos.

Day 5

Pylos is a picture-perfect seaside town on the southwest corner of the Peloponnese. In 1827 a fleet of Venetians and other city states defeated an Ottoman fleet in one of the most important naval battles in history. This defeat led to the independence of Greece, which occurred in 1829. After stopping to admire the scenery, we will continue up the road to Nestor's Palace. The remains of the prehistoric Palace occupy a scenic hilltop setting north of Pylos. The palace at Pylos belonged to Nestor and was discovered in 1939 by the American archaeologist Carl Blegen. Highlights include the well-preserved royal apartments and a bathtub that archaeologists have speculated belonged to the old king himself. The palace, with its central courtyard, was originally two stories high and richly decorated with frescoes. Following our visit to the remains of the palace, we will make the short trip to the Pylos is a picture-perfect seaside town on the southwest corner of the Peloponnese. In 1827 a fleet of Venetians and other city states defeated an Ottoman fleet in one of the most important naval battles in history. This defeat led to the independence of Greece, which occurred in 1829. After stopping to admire the scenery, we will continue up the road to Nestor's Palace. The remains of the prehistoric Palace occupy a scenic hilltop setting north of Pylos. The palace at Pylos belonged to Nestor and was discovered in 1939 by the American archaeologist Carl Blegen. Highlights include the well-preserved royal apartments and a bathtub that archaeologists have speculated belonged to the old king himself. The palace, with its central courtyard, was originally two stories high and richly decorated with frescoes. Following our visit to the remains of the palace, we will make the short trip to the

Day 6

Early morning arrival in Katakolon. We will disembark the ship around 7:00 a.m. in the port town of Katakolo and an optional excursion take us by bus to Olympia, one of the most famous and important sites in the ancient world. Olympia is revered as the birthplace of the Olympic Games. In the ancient Greek world, it was also the greatest Pan-Hellenic sanctuary for the worship of Zeus. Olympia persisted well into Roman times until its demise in the 3rd century A.D. when fires, earthquakes and invading tribes from the north left the ancient site in ruins. From 1875 onward excavation work, spearheaded primarily by the German government, revealed the fantastic treasures from antiquity that sit today in the marvelous archaeological museum. The most thrilling site at Olympia is the stadium, which looks much like it did more than 2,000 years ago. You will also explore the Temple of Hera, the magnificent temple of Zeus the Philippeion ��������� lodging place for the athletes who participated in the games. We later visit the Olympia Museum, one of the most beautiful museums in the world. Following lunch in the town of Olympia, we���������ll visit the museum of the History of the Olympic Games of Antiquity. Unlike the main archaeological museum, this building houses statuary and a host of artifacts specifically related to the ancient Olympic Games. After having time at leisure we will travel overland to Patras on the north coast of the peninsula, where we will re-board our ship and depart for Itea in the Gulf of Corinth. Overnight at Itea.

Day 7

Morning optional excursion to Delphi, one of the most revered sites from the ancient world. We will disembark the ship early this morning and proceed to the ruins complex. Unlike other archaeological sites in Greece, Delphi is built on the side of a mountain. First time visitors are awed as much for the stunning natural beauty that surround the ruins as for the ancient buildings themselves. In its prime, Delphi was revered for its wealth and reputation, attributes which grew from the site's location as hosting the most important oracle in the classical world. Indeed, because everything in Greece is connected to mythology, Delphi became the premier site for the worship of the god Apollo. The oracle had the ability to prophecy the future and give advice. Visitors from across the Greek world traveled here to consult with the oracle, and responded by offering thanks to Apollo in the form of treasure. We will have a half day to walk around the ruins complex and visit the adjoining museum. Return to the ship and cross the Corinth Canal. Later in the evening we sail to Marina Zea. Overnight in Marina Zea

Day 8

Disembarkation after breakfast.

Perfect trip to Skopelos and Athens with walking tour of Athens

Anastasia at Antelope Travel organized an amazing trip that for us - we postponed it over 20 years and the trip planned with Anastasia lived up to the expectations.

We knew we were going to fly from the UK to Skiathos as we wanted to spend time on Skopelos. While I usually do all of our travel planning personally, we decided to give a travel agency a try at the recommendation of a friend. Everything was so simple and went so smoothly, with transportation arranged from plane and ferry to hotels, a car arranged while on Skopelos brought to the hotel, transportation from the ferry at Agios Konstantinos to Athens by Iannis, who was both a very friendly driver, and very knowledgeable, with recommendations and history information as he drove.

While in Athens we took the 5 hour walking tour of the Acropolis and museum led by Maria. She knew a few days in advance we needed to leave an hour earlier than planned and made sure we were in line just as the Acropolis opened, saving us hours of wait time. Without her knowledge both the site and the museum could have been overwhelming, but instead we felt like we understood both the ancient nature of the site, and the current archeological situation. She was outstanding.

The entire trip went without a hitch, and was simple so all we had to do was relax on the island and enjoy the sites in Athens. The hotels were lovely with great breakfasts. I would book with Antelope again the next time we go to Greece, they made it all so easy.

Written July 3, 2023

Planning excellence

My kids (18 & 20) and I had the most amazing 2-week trip to Greece May/June 2023. We were fortunate to have been introduced to Anthony Alagiah, who came highly recommended through a friend and colleague. I’m a researcher by nature, love planning trips and like to make very purposeful choices. What I lacked was local, expert perspective, and felt I wasn’t getting thorough, objective advice from my usual online sources. I was looking for a professional who would work with me to collaborate, share options, and guide our choices. Anthony has a network of colleagues with Antelope Travel and affiliated agencies throughout Greece who gave timely advice and knew what hotels and excursion providers could be relied on for consistent, quality experiences. Our vacation was impeccably planned from the moment we arrived. The communications were excellent not only during planning but while we were in Greece. We had a clear itinerary, with details, contact names and numbers for every step of our trip - everything from start to finish ran smoothly and we felt very well cared for. The hotel choices, tours/guides and restaurant recommendations were excellent. Overall, it was the trip of a lifetime, and the planning from start to finish exceeded our expectations.

Written June 17, 2023

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