A PAGE FOR FRIENDS…

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At Villa Rosa, Palaia Epidavros, Peloponnese, Greece (map below).

Ideally, you could be with us for between four and seven days – which gives you time to

• Island-hop – To Hydra, Spetses and/or Poros

• Visit the local world-famous ancient Epidavros Amphitheatre and other legendary sites

• Visit and sample the produce at a local cheese factory, olive oil press and (mainly) a vineyard

• Visit Nafplio – the beautiful coastal town - former capital of the whole of Greece.

• But mainly relax around the villa - with numerous great restaurants, beach bars, and hidden bays for sunbathing, SUP’ing and swimming.

• …and do whatever you like! (you certainly don’t have to ride a bike!)

We have plenty of room for you - we have 1 twin bedroom, 2 doubles and 1 self-contained apartment for 3-4.

But… we also have an amazing hotel just 100 metres away - with a swimming pool (which we are yet to build) and amazing ‘certified Greek’ breakfasts - for only about 85 euros a night for a double room. Hotel Yialasi. We won’t take it personally :)

SOME SUGGESTIONS OF THINGS YOU COULD DO TO EXTEND YOUR STAY IN THE PELOPONNESE AND ENJOY EVERYTHING IT HAS TO OFFER.

The Peloponnese is the authentic Greece - still largely undiscovered by tourism, even though it contains some of the best beaches, picture postcard villages and most important historical sites in the whole of Greece.

You could tie in your stay with us with any of the following…

The Athens/Epidavros Festival of culture

Epidavros is a key cultural centre of Greece and many Athenians visit – most often to attend plays, Greek tragedies, operas etc held each summer in the 15,000 seated, Epidavros Amphitheatre – the most famous feature of Epidavros. We highly recommend looking at the programme for this year and booking yourself seats for a show on, during your time here. Official programme website

Tour the Peloponnese

…and visit ancient remains, romantic islands and the sites of legendary stories - Olympia, Sparta, Monmevasa, Mycenae, Nemea, Messene, Mystras, Kalamata, Corinth canal.

Few areas in Greece are quite as geographically diverse and archaeologically rich as the Peloponnese. The southernmost part of mainland Greece, the Peloponnese is a self-contained peninsula separated from mainland Greece by the man-made Corinth Canal. For example, there are five UNESCO sites in the Peloponnese alone! - The Archaeological Sites of Mycenae and Tiryns, the Sanctuary of Asklepios at Epidaurus, the Archaeological Site of Olympia, the Archaeological Site of Mystras, and the Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae. A good starter guide

Attend the Kardamyli Festival

Kardamyli is one of the Peloponnese’s most beautiful seaside villages and was the home of Patrick and Joan Leigh Fermor. The perfect place to stage a festival devoted to all that’s best in the worlds of literature, history and culture. This year it is from 6th – 10th October 2022.

Now in its second year, the festival kicked off with a distinctly Greek theme, taking us on a tour of Greek history, myth, poetry and music. This year, they’re broadening the scope to also include big issues – like democracy and migration – while still connecting to the theme of Greece. It is, after all, where Western civilisation began.

Featuring a stellar list of speakers including Anne Applebaum, Adam Nicolson, William Dalrymple, Tom Holland, Peter Frankopan, Natalie Haynes, Bettany Hughes, Artemis Cooper, Paul Cartledge and Bruce Clark, we advise early booking as, with just 200 attendees, it will sell out fast. Official website

Tie in with an Island holiday

The Peloponnese is surrounded by famous and secret paradise islands, that you can drive to from our villa and then either take a car across the short ferry trip or leave in a safe car park while you spend time on the island.

• Hydra / Spetses / Poros

The three amazing islands closest to the villa and that we often visit with guests – either by car or by bike. They all deserve longer stays than one day though.

• Kythira

A secret paradise, Kythira is an island lying opposite the south-eastern tip of the Peloponnese. It is the island of celestial Venus and Love with the wonderful natural environment of beautiful beaches with blue water, authentic villages and impressive historical monuments. 

• Kefalonia

A ferry ride off the west side of the Peloponnese is the exotic Kefalonia island, the largest and one of the most beautiful Greek islands of the Ionian group. You’ve probably already seen Kefalonia island on pictures, postcards and in movies – so now it could be time to have a break there.

Walk Greece’s main Hiking trail.

The Menalon Trail - the first certified trail in Greece. 75 km of nature and beauty are waiting for you to "spend" your time and "earn" unforgettable moments from the one of the most highly rated trails of Europe. Visit the website to see and learn about the region, the villages and the flora and fauna of The Menalon Trail.

Ski!

People don't believe us, but we actually have a great ski resort on the Peloponnese – Kalavrita. Based around Mount Helmos, which means snowy mountain, is a mountain range with the highest peak at 2,355m.

Visit Athens

Athens’s attractions are obvious and if you haven’t been or haven’t been since the start of an island-hopping adventure as a student, then it’s certainly worth another visit, on your way from/to the airport perhaps.

Visit any island from Athens

Pireaus is still the start point for island hopping. You can get there directly by boat from Poros (25 miles down the coast from us) and then head off to the likes of Mykonos, Santorini and Crete.

The best guidebook

This is the best guidebook for Epidavros and the whole Peloponnese. We have one at the Villa but if you want to read up before you come – this is the book to get. On Amazon

GETTING HERE & AWAY

Breakaway Greece is about 90 minutes drive from Athens, 1.50 hours from Athens airport and about two hours from Kalamata airport.

During busy times it’s worth shopping around between airlines for the cheapest flights. If you are bringing a bike, it’s often cheaper to get a flight that includes a bike in the cost (BA etc), rather than an airline, which has cheaper tickets but charges for transporting a bike (most budget airlines).

The easiest option is to then rent a car from the airport. (Budget are generally the cheapest).

If you are not driving, you can take the direct train from Athens airport to Corinth (one hour journey). This is 45 minutes drive from Villa Rosa and we can arrange a taxi, car hire or pick you up from there.

You can also catch a boat from Piraeus to Poros island. Get the tube train from Athens airport direct to the port and catch a fast boat to Poros (about a one-hour journey). This is 25 minutes drive from Villa Rosa and we can arrange a taxi or pick you up from there.

Hope to see you soon!!

Helen & Chris xxxx

FRIENDS AND FAMILY GALLERY