Insider Advice for a Visit to Mainland Greece

For those who are anxious to set sail to the islands, but still want to visit some important sites on mainland Greece, here is a 3 day road trip that will take you from Athens, where the airport is located, over the Corinth Canal to Olympia, the home of the first Olympic Games in 776 BC. From there, drive to Patra, known for its Mardi Gras celebrations, over the new Rio bridge, and on to Delphi, home of the oracle and the center of the world. The next major point of interest is Meteora, a group of rock formations with monasteries built at the tops.

Return to Athens via Thermopylae, where 300 Spartans and 700 Thespian volunteers blocked the way in an attempt to keep the Persians from invading Greece. This amazing last stand was portrayed in the 2007 movie "300". Before returning to Athens, stop in Kamena Vourla, a fishing village with public and private natural hot springs.

From Athens, it's a 2 hour drive to the Corinth Canal which was completed in 1893. You can stand on the foot bridge and look directly down into the canal, as well as seeing clear to both ends of the canal. It's very narrow and there are gouges in the rock where ships have rubbed against both sides while trying to pass through. This canal has no locks, but it's still interesting to watch the ships because of the narrowness of the passage.

Olympia is another 3 hour drive from Corinth, but the drive through the little villages makes it interesting. Don't be afraid to stop at the roadside stands to buy local oranges or wine sold in plastic water bottles. Olympia is a very small village considering the number of visitors to the ancient ruins. A few hotels and tavernas have popped up in modern times, but the site originally was a sanctuary with only those buildings necessary for the games and worship of the gods. Today, there are still plenty of ruins to see as well as the large playing field. Models of statues and other unique antiquities are in the places they were found. The original pieces are in the small Olympia museum behind glass to preserve them for future generations.

Take the coast route north to Patras and enjoy the varied landscape. At times there are forests, other times it looks like desert. Villages are scattered to either side of the road where tourists are very welcome to stop for refreshments and local sweets, fruit, or wine. Patras is a port city where the ferries from Italy dock. The Rio-Antirio Bridge was opened for traffic just one week before the 2004 Olympics. This is a convenient location to cross back from the Peloponnese to the mainland that you left when you crossed over the Corinth Canal.

Delphi is only a couple hours drive from Athens, but it will take about 3-4 hours from Patras. The archeological site and museum are, in my opinion, one of the best kept in the country. The museum was renovated about 4 years ago and is now up to the standards that visitors expect. With a brochure that comes with the small fee to enter the site, there is no need for a guide. It's detailed and the ruins are in such good condition that there isn't even much guessing involved as to what things were used for. Delphi is on a mountain top, so the view is spectacular, too.

For those interested in unique rock formations and odd building sites, Meteora is right up your alley. Gigantic rocks with steep sides are the homes to six monasteries, some of which welcome visitors. Not that the others didn't want tourists, but the monks are actually lifted to the top in a basket with a rope. With no stairs to reach the monastery, the priests go about their daily duties in isolation. There are quaint hotels in Kalambaka at the foot of Meteora. It's a great place to spend the night and enjoy the sunrise at one of the monasteries.

Heading back to Athens, there are quite a few places of interest to stop. Pelion, located between Athens and Thessaloniki, has the best of both worlds There are long sandy beaches with clear turquoise water, but a short drive will have you in lush mountain villages with streams and traditional style homes made from stone. This area is known for its herbs, vinegar, olive oil, and honey.

About 90 minutes outside of Athens is Thermopylae. You can stop at the Memorial to Leonidas who led 300 Spartans and 700 volunteer Thespians to block the Persian army for 3 days in a famous last stand portrayed in the movie "300". The highway runs through this area now, with the Memorial on one side of the road and a truck stop on the other. If you miss the sign, you'll never even know you passed it.

Kamena Vourla is the last worthwhile place to stop before merging back into the Athens suburbs. This is a popular spa resort among Athenians. There is an active night life, traditional Greek tavernas with grilled meats, or fresh fish tavernas right on the water's edge.

These villages will give a general overview of Greek culture, archeology, and cuisine, while leaving you time to visit several islands, all of which are very different from the other. Hopefully, you will have an adequate number of days to explore this beautiful country.