Overview

Traveling in the Peloponnese is a journey to the highlights of the ancient Greek civilization in the most family-friendly way. A rich and hospitable land all year long, that gave birth to Greek mythology and to glorious cities since antiquity, the Peloponnese offers unique opportunities for families to meet the world’s ancient past in family-oriented archaeological tours together with experienced guides and storytellers. The magnificent countryside paves the ground for you and your family to explore history and people, to live the myth… to live YOUR myth in Greece. You just made an excellent choice!

“Where climate favors agriculture, civilization is born” we read in historical sources. The Peloponnese represents Greece’s rich soil and it is an archetypal miniature of the Mediterranean landscape. It is the place where endless vineyards meet vast olive groves and the renowned Corinthian raisin, the notorious Nemean red wine colored with “Hercules’ blood”, as it is often narrated, and the Kalamata extra virgin olive oil is produced and sent to the rest of the world.

Traveling in the area combines learning with pleasure. You will be able to experience family-friendly archaeological tours, to enjoy the sea and the mountain, to taste authentic local products following the paths of Pausanias, the “pedestrian writer”, the author of the world’s oldest guidebook and MAMAKITA team’s source of inspiration and godfather of our small Pauso in our logo.

Click on the map to see all MAMAKITA accommodation proposals

Daphne’s Club Hotel Apartments

Daphne’s Club Hotel Apartments

Daphne’s Club Hotel Apartments

Getting there and choosing location for accommodation

Depending on your family interests, pace and period available for your vacation, you can choose whether you want to spend your time at one hotel or switch locations. To pick which option suits your family goals, read the following overview before choosing the location(s) for accommodation.

The Corinthian Coast can be reached within an hour-and-a-half from the Athens International Airport and it can serve as a base to visit the area around Corinth and Nemea, to enjoy the sea and sun at the beach, as well as to take daily sailing cruises to the Corinth Canal and the Saronic Gulf and day-trips to Mycenae or Nafplio. From coastal Corinthia, you can reach the mount of Arcadia and the south-west leg of the Peloponnese, Messenia, in 2 hours.

Nafplio, Greece’s first capital is a marvelous coastal town adorned with three castles. You will need a whole day to explore the city and its main sites and it can serve as a base to discover the Argolid peninsula, which is somehow geographically “isolated” from the main routes connecting the rest of the Peloponnese. If attending a performance in the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus is among your priorities, you are strongly recommended to spend at least one night in Nafplio.

Mountainous Arcadia is in the center of the Peloponnese and in the “longest” distance from the sea [the closest beach is an hour and a half away]. If you are interested in hiking and in river activities amidst fir forests and in feeling the “breeze” even in the heart of the summer, do not hesitate to spend some days in the picturesque stone-built Gortynian villages of Dimitsana or Stemnitsa. After rainy days, you will have the chance to go “mushroom hunting” and in shiny summer mornings, to jump in the cold waters of river Lousios.

In case you opt for a direct trip to Messenia, you will need 3 hours from the Athens International Airport to reach Kalamata. Kalamata can serve as your base for exploring the whole area of southern Peloponnese from Western Messenia and Olympia to Mystras and Mani (one to one hour and a half).

The western Messenian shoreline from Marathos to Pylos is the ideal choice if you are willing to stay on the unspoiled and exotic Ionian coast. The beach around Marathos is not suitable for babies and toddlers, but older kids may enjoy the combination of sandy and rocky beaches. The coast around Pylos however, is sandy and idyllic, year round, since the area is protected by strong winds, thus giving you the option to appreciate your day in the Gulf of Navarino when it is windy.

If you have more days available and you want to spend some time closer to Ancient Olympia in order to indulge yourselves in the beauty of the area and to participate in “digging” activities with kids or to visit the Archimedes Museum of Ancient Greek Technology, you are advised to book close to Kyllini, a top destination for families especially during summer months. In this area, MAMAKITA accommodation proposals include both all-inclusive hotels and family-friendly resorts on the beach, without any road or street to intervene between the hotel and the sea. Hence, you do not have to drive and carry all the baby and kids’ stuff every day to the beach and you feel as careless, safe and comfortable as possible. Remember that in the beginning of the summer, the water is cool, and babies and toddlers may not enjoy it. Keep also in mind that the north-west wind, mistral in French or maistros in Greek, usually blowing in August, affects the whole western Peloponnesian coast.

Regardless of whether you decide to stay at one place or to switch hotels during your stay, bear in mind that the maximum distance from one place/site to the other is, at most, a 2-hour drive. This means that the Peloponnesian tour can be also made with daily trips from a single point. Check the website https://vriskoapostasi.gr/en to have an overview of the distances.

All over the area, the main villages have taverns, coffee shops, playgrounds and family-friendly hotels selected according to MAMAKITA team’s first-hand experience, because they meet, to a large extent, the standards mentioned here and due to their authentic atmosphere.