Greece 2015 (#4)

Part 4: May 7th – 10th

By Watracz Is Traveling

Day 12: Zakynthos, Olympia

May 7th, 2015

View day 12 route on Google Maps

From Zakynthos, I’m taking a Kefalonianlines ferry to the Kyllini port. Going south-east from there, I enter the highway in Andravida, I pass by Pyrgos, and reach Olympia around 4 p.m.

Olympia

Starting with 776 BC, games in honor of Zeus were held here every four years. I start my tour at the temple of Philip II of Macedon, located close to the excavation site’s entrance. All that’s left of the temple are three columns. Most of the buildings, erected several hundred years BC, is in worse shape, and you can only guess as to what they looked like in their prime.

Even though ancient Olympia was a place of worship of Zeus, the oldest of the temples there is devoted to his wife Hera, rather than Zeus himself.

As I walk up to the Olympic stadium, I pass by several interesting ruins: the Pelopion (the tomb of the legendary Pelops), the Nympheon (a place of worship of nymphs and other water deities), and the Metroon (the temple of Reia, mother of the gods).

The stadium itself could hold over 40 thousand spectators. The last games were held here in 393 AD. And the current site is not exactly awe-inspiring.

After I take my tour of the archaeological site, it’s time to hit the museum, exhibiting mostly sculptures and figurines from the period, showcased in several rooms.

Among of the most valuable exhibits are two statues: the Nike of Paionios from the 5th c. BC and the Hermes by Praxiteles from the 4th c. BC. The former was almost 10 meters tall, and the latter is one of the best preserved sculptures of that era.

Around 6 p.m. I’m back to the parking lot and I start to look for a place to camp. I can see two campsites on my map. The closer of the two is pretty expensive, and the owner doesn’t want to lower the price, so I head to the second one; I manage to get a better rate and I spend the night there.

Day 13: Olympia, Kalamata, Mystras, Sparta

May 8th, 2015

View day 13 route on Google Maps

I head south from Olympia, going towards Kalamata, and stopping along the way by the ruins of the temple of Apollo in Bassae. There are renovation works going on, and the whole structure is covered by a tent.

In Kalamata I turn east, and cover the next 50 kilometers on a nice, tangled mountain road heading to Sparta.

Mystras

Mystras, a fortified medieval town, is located a few kilometers before Sparta, on the slopes of the Taygetos mountain range. There’s a parking lot near the entrance to the ruins. I leave my bike there, buy the ticket, and set out to explore. There are quite a few monasteries and churches in the ruins, and you can view the entire area from the castle at the top.

When I’m about halfway through, a storm comes. There’s a strong wind that might tip over my bike. I quickly come back to the parking lot to make sure everything’s fine. The storm passes a while later, and I set off towards the ruins of ancient Sparta.

Sparta

The ruins don’t impress me all that much. They’re also empty — there’s no one here apart from myself. The excavations are a bit off the road, and difficult to find. In the distance, on the other side of the town, I see an interesting-looking road heading towards the mountains. Tomorrow morning, I’ll need to see where it’s going.

I start my search for a campsite right after sunset. There’s Camping Castle View not far from Mystras, with a view of the ruins that are illuminated at night. It’s definitely one of the better views from a campsite I’ve had on this journey.

Day 14: Sparta, Cape Matapan, Gytheio, Monemvasia

May 9th, 2015

View day 14 route on Google Maps

At 7 a.m. I’m already high in the mountains. The road is steep and dangerous, and there’s only enough room on the sharp curves for a single vehicle, so I need to keep an eye for anything going the other way.

I head south from Sparta, towards the Mani Peninsula with Cape Matapan — the southernmost point of mainland Greece. I have some 270 kilometers to go.

Limeni

At 9 I’m already in Limeni, on the western side of the peninsula, and go south, to Yerolimin. I stop on a rocky beach to rest a while, and take a few photos with the sea and boats.

The further south I go, the wilder and rougher the scenery gets. There are typical stone houses on the slopes, looking like towers, like they came from a different time.

Cape Matapan

I reach Cape Matapan. The sea is right there, on both sides. The top of the hill ahead of me shows the ruins of a fortress peeking through the fog. On the western side, there’s Marmani Paradise — a huge tourist center built in part on rocks.

I park my bike at the end of an old village, right by the temple of Poseidon of which there’s not a lot remaining. There’s a hiking trail going further south; I take it all the way to the lighthouse that marks the southernmost point of Greece.

The heat is unbearable. I find a small bay on my way back and jump in to cool off a bit.

Back on the bike, I go back north, this time on the cape’s eastern side.

I make a few photo stops on the way; my favorite spot is the beach with a deserted, rusted wreck of the Dimitrios, a 67-meter-long ship. It’s located about 5 kilometers north-east of Gytheio.

I pass through an orange plantation and I take the opportunity to fill up my case with fruit.

Monemvasia

Just about 7 p.m. I reach the town of Monemvasia, sitting on a huge rock jutting out from the sea. There are some interesting fortifications and Byzantine churches. The Island is connected to the mainland only by a narrow bridge.

After sunset I head to the mountains just west of the town, and I find a good camping spot on a clearing. I take my dinner on a stone table, clear out unnecessary photos, plan my route for the next day, and go to sleep.