Arcadia
in Peloponnese

Most visitors to Greece head straight for the coast. Arcadia quietly thanks them for it. Up in the Peloponnese interior, the landscape shifts into something altogether different: cool pine forests, the deep cut of the Lousios Gorge, and villages of grey stone where the kafeneion closes when the owner feels like it. The Menalon Trail links eight communities across mountain terrain and is one of the finest walking routes in the country. Order the roast kid, find a guesthouse with a fireplace, and ignore the schedule entirely.

how long to go for

a long weekend, a week

when to go

may, june, september, october

holidays

Independence Day (25 Mar), Orthodox Easter (variable), Assumption Day (15 Aug), Oxi Day (28 Oct)

how to get there

fly in to Athens or Kalamata, then hire a car and head into the mountains.

how to get around

by car, on foot

nice to know

a car is essential as villages are small and public transport is very limited.

local language

Greek

currency

euro

in an emergency

call 112