Bradt Guide to the Peloponnese

The Bradt Guide to the Peloponnese is the best book on the Greek region which includes attractions like Mycenae, Epidavros, Olympia, Monemvasia, and Nafplion.

Bradt Guide to the Peloponnese cover detail

It first came out in 2010 and this 2019 update is the fourth edition of this excellent travel guide. This tells you two things. One is that it's a popular guide, and two is that the Peloponnese is a popular part of Greece for travellers and holidaymakers.

The guide ought to be good as the first three editions were written by Andrew Bostock, who first visited the region as a 15-year-old backpacker and later lived in the Peloponnese for several years, working as a tour guide. Indeed, his daughter was born in Kalamata. This is why there are numerous references to the author having been to some places in this guide several times, and seen them change over the years.

Andrew Bostock clearly has wanderlust as he and his family eventually left the Peloponnese to live first in Alexandria in Egypt, and now in the lovely city of Suzhou in China. From there it was rather more difficult for him to revisit Greece to cover the ground again for the update, so this latest edition has been updated by one of Bradt's most experienced authors, Philip Briggs.

beehive tomb at MycenaeMycenae

The Peloponnese

Having been several times to the Peloponnese myself, researching guidebooks, writing travel pieces, and a few times purely on holiday, I know the area fairly well and can say right away that I can't imagine a better or more thorough guidebook. I read almost every page - only fast-forwarding through some of the lengthy history and mythology sections, which I also did in the Bradt Guide to Northern Greece. Safe to say that if you are fascinated by Greek history and mythology, this guide won't disappoint.

Evening performance at EpidavrosEpidavros

Beyond the Peloponnese

The guide is almost 300 pages so is very comprehensive and also includes a few places beyond the Peloponnese. The island of Kythira gets several pages, for example. Although it's in the Ionian Islands, it makes sense to include Kythira here as it sits at the foot of the Peloponnese and is easily reached by ferry from several ports there.

There's also a short section on Athens, in case you're travelling to the Peloponnese from there. As with the Bradt Guide to Northern Greece, the section is long enough to cover you for 1-2 days, but if you're staying longer you'd be advised to buy a separate Athens guidebook.

The only odd inclusion, to my mind, is a section on Delphi, which is a long way from the Peloponnese. The author says that it is one of Greece's major sites, which is undeniably true, and that you can get there from Athens, which is also true, but I think the space could have been put to better use. What's also odd is that the author suggests you avoid doing one of the organised coach tours to Delphi from Athens as you'll spend most of the day on the bus, but instead recommends getting the local bus... when you will spend even more time on the bus!

Bradt Guide to the Peloponnese cover detail: EpidavrosEpidavros, on the Cover of the Bradt Guide

Maps

The book has some excellent maps, and the author also suggests which others to buy if you're going to be driving in the Peloponnese, particularly if you're going to be going off-the-beaten-track - where some of the best places are.

If you get the e-book version, the maps are also interactive (as is the whole book). An overview map of the Peloponnese highlights at the start of the book enables you to jump straight to the section you want, perhaps on Kythira or Olympia. There are thirty other maps for towns, cities, and areas, with each one having a link underneath that takes you to the best places to stay and eat pages in that section. I only have a small Kindle and I'd say that to get the best out of the interactivity you'd need something larger, like an iPad Mini or other tablet, but if you have one it's very impressive.

The island of Kythira in GreeceKythira

Loving the Peloponnese

The author not only knows but also clearly loves the Peloponnese... well, the whole of Greece in fact. I was constantly smiling at his descriptions as they brought back memories for me:

'The Peloponnese also offers something of a time machine. Twenty years ago in Greece you could still see old men going to their fields on donkey back, old women clad in black preparing vegetables on their doorsteps, main roads blocked by herds of goats, olives being picked with no more aid than a triangular wooden ladder and a big stick, tractors made from converted lawnmowers, and village shops seemingly unchanged since the 1940s. This Greece has disappeared in most of the more visited islands, but in the Peloponnese it endures.'

Sense of Humour

The author also has a good sense of humour, and a good knowledge of the Greek language, as in this section on Greek flowers:

'Orchids grow from two underground bulbs or tubers, and get their name from the Greek for testicle (which is why you need to be a bit wary in the Peloponnese when asking someone to show you their orchids).'

I found myself laughing in several places, when the author talks about some of the Greek people's quirks, or predicaments he found himself in, or the toll that researching this book took on his car. It's not many guidebooks you can say that about, and though the author's writing style is light, there's nothing light about the amount of research that he's done. 

Two orchidsA Pair of Orchids

Feature Boxes

One thing I really like about this Bradt Guide to the Peloponnese is the inclusion of short - and sometimes not-so-short - feature boxes. These relate to the city or area or topic the author's writing about, enabling him to go into more depth about one aspect or another. So, near the entry for the town of Karadmyli, for example, you get a potted biography of the author Patrick Leigh Fermor, who lived there for many years, while for Mycenae there's a biography of the archaeologist, Heinrich Schliemann. In fact it was worth reading the book just to find out about Spyridon Louis, who won the first modern marathon race in 1896 and is a true Greek hero.

The 1896 Olympic Stadium in AthensThe 1896 Olympic Stadium in Athens

Recommended Walks

Each of the book's main chapters also includes a recommended walk, as the best way to appreciate the beauty of the Peloponnese is to get out on foot and into the countryside, or up the mountainsides.

MonemvasiaRomantic Monemvasia

Enthusiasm

For all his familiarity with the Peloponnese, the author has lost none of his enthusiasm for the place, which caused him to want to live there for several years. He rightly sings the praises of the beauty of Nafplion, accurately describes Monemvasia as 'impossibly romantic', and manages to convey just what a special place Mystra is while also giving sensible, practical information about exploring the site.

All the major sights like Mystra and Mycenae are covered in depth, the driving directions are detailed, and the practical information is thorough, down to how many ATMs a town or village has, and where to find them. In short, you won't get a better guide to the Peloponnese than this.

Nafplion in the Greek PeloponneseNafplion

More Information

You can buy this Bradt Guide to the Peloponnese on the Bradt website and on Amazon.

Bradt Guide to the Peloponnese

Other books pages

  • The Peloponnese in Greece has such sights as Olympia, Mycenae, the Mani, Nafplion, Corinth and Epidavros.

    Peloponnese: Travel Information about the Peloponnese in Greece

    The Peloponnese in Greece has such sights as Olympia, Mycenae, the Mani, Nafplion, Corinth and Epidavros.

  • Greece Book Reviews on the Greece Travel Secrets website with reviews of the best guidebooks to Greece, the Greek Islands, Athens, Crete and elsewhere.

    Greece Book Reviews

    Greece Book Reviews on the Greece Travel Secrets website with reviews of the best guidebooks to Greece, the Greek Islands, Athens, Crete and elsewhere.

  • The top archaeological sites in the Peloponnese in Greece include Epidavros, Olympia, Mycenae, Mystras, Tiryns, and Argos.

    Top Archaeological Sites in the Peloponnese

    The top archaeological sites in the Peloponnese in Greece include Epidavros, Olympia, Mycenae, Mystras, Tiryns, and Argos.

  • The Greece Travel Secrets guide to the ancient archaeological site of Tiryns, near Mycenae, in the Peloponnese of Greece, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

    Tiryns

    The Greece Travel Secrets guide to the ancient archaeological site of Tiryns, near Mycenae, in the Peloponnese of Greece, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

  • The Temple of Bassae in Messenia in the Peloponnese of Greece is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most important archaeological sites in Greece.

    The Temple of Bassae

    The Temple of Bassae in Messenia in the Peloponnese of Greece is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most important archaeological sites in Greece.

  •  The Nemean Games, like the Olympic Games, take place every four years but, unlike the Olympics, anyone can apply to take part and run in the original stadium.

    The Nemean Games

    The Nemean Games, like the Olympic Games, take place every four years but, unlike the Olympics, anyone can apply to take part and run in the original stadium.

  • Sparta (or Sparti) in the Peloponnese of Greece was one of the most important city-states of ancient Greece and has significant archaeological remains.

    Sparta

    Sparta (or Sparti) in the Peloponnese of Greece was one of the most important city-states of ancient Greece and has significant archaeological remains.

  • Patras, or Patra, in the Peloponnese is Greece's third-largest city, home to Greece's largest Carnival, with many Roman and Greek remains, museums and churches.

    Patras

    Patras, or Patra, in the Peloponnese is Greece's third-largest city, home to Greece's largest Carnival, with many Roman and Greek remains, museums and churches.

  • Nafplion in the Peloponnese was the Greek capital before Athens and today is a charming waterfront town with good restaurants, museums, shopping, beaches, old fortresses and a delightful atmosphere.

    Nafplion

    Nafplion in the Peloponnese was the Greek capital before Athens and today is a charming waterfront town with good restaurants, museums, shopping, beaches, old fortresses and a delightful atmosphere.

  • The ruined Byzantine city of Mystras sits on the top and the slopes of a hill that juts out from the plain and is one of the most remarkable places in Greece.

    Mystras

    The ruined Byzantine city of Mystras sits on the top and the slopes of a hill that juts out from the plain and is one of the most remarkable places in Greece.

  • Mycenae in the Greek Peloponnese was a royal palace and is famous for the royal tombs, Lion Gate, and was excavated by archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann.

    Mycenae

    Mycenae in the Greek Peloponnese was a royal palace and is famous for the royal tombs, Lion Gate, and was excavated by archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann.

  • Monemvasia in the Peloponnese is the Greek Rock of Gibraltar and is a huge offshore rock which conceals a tiny town connected to the mainland by a single road.

    Monemvasia

    Monemvasia in the Peloponnese is the Greek Rock of Gibraltar and is a huge offshore rock which conceals a tiny town connected to the mainland by a single road.

  • The Mani in the south of the Peloponnese is the most southerly part of the Greek mainland and famous for its rugged landscape, feuds, and tower houses.

    The Mani

    The Mani in the south of the Peloponnese is the most southerly part of the Greek mainland and famous for its rugged landscape, feuds, and tower houses.

  • Kalamata in the Peloponnese is the area's second-biggest city and is world-famous for the quality of its olives and for the nearby site of Ancient Messene.

    Kalamata

    Kalamata in the Peloponnese is the area's second-biggest city and is world-famous for the quality of its olives and for the nearby site of Ancient Messene.

  • The ancient theatre at Epidavros is one of Greece's greatest attractions, ranking alongside the Acropolis and the Palace at Knossos in Crete, and it is easily the finest theatre in Greece.

    Epidavros

    The ancient theatre at Epidavros is one of Greece's greatest attractions, ranking alongside the Acropolis and the Palace at Knossos in Crete, and it is easily the finest theatre in Greece.

  • Corinth has four aspects to it, which are the Corinth canal, the modern town of Corinth, nearby Ancient Corinth, and above that Akrokorinthos or Upper Corinth.

    Corinth

    Corinth has four aspects to it, which are the Corinth canal, the modern town of Corinth, nearby Ancient Corinth, and above that Akrokorinthos or Upper Corinth.

  • Argos is one of the top archaeological sites in the Peloponnese, one of the oldest cities in Europe, and with museums and a theatre bigger than Epidavros.

    Argos

    Argos is one of the top archaeological sites in the Peloponnese, one of the oldest cities in Europe, and with museums and a theatre bigger than Epidavros.

  • Travel guide to Ancient Olympia in the Peloponnese of mainland Greece, home to the original Olympic Games.

    Ancient Olympia

    Travel guide to Ancient Olympia in the Peloponnese of mainland Greece, home to the original Olympic Games.

  • There are many great Greek poets, with two authors winning the Nobel Prize for Literature and names include Sappho, Cavafy, George Seferis and Odysseus Elytis.

    Great Greek Poets: Cavafy, Sappho, George Seferis, Odysseus Elytis

    There are many great Greek poets, with two authors winning the Nobel Prize for Literature and names include Sappho, Cavafy, George Seferis and Odysseus Elytis.

  • A Thing of Beauty by Peter Fiennes describes ‘Travels in Mythical and Modern Greece’ and places the Greek Gods in the context of modern-day Greece.

    A Thing of Beauty

    A Thing of Beauty by Peter Fiennes describes ‘Travels in Mythical and Modern Greece’ and places the Greek Gods in the context of modern-day Greece.

  • The Lonely Planet guide to the Greek Islands is a thorough and helpful guide to all the Greek island groups, with Athens included.

    Lonely Planet Greek Islands

    The Lonely Planet guide to the Greek Islands is a thorough and helpful guide to all the Greek island groups, with Athens included.

  • The latest edition of the Lonely Planet travel guide to Greece is a comprehensive 750-page guidebook to the whole country.

    Lonely Planet Greece

    The latest edition of the Lonely Planet travel guide to Greece is a comprehensive 750-page guidebook to the whole country.

  • Lonely Planet Crete is an excellent and thorough guide of almost 300 pages to the largest of the Greek islands.

    Lonely Planet Crete

    Lonely Planet Crete is an excellent and thorough guide of almost 300 pages to the largest of the Greek islands.

  • A Rope of Vines by Brenda Chamberlain is an evocative memoir of the author’s time living on the Greek island of Hydra in the early 1960s.

    A Rope of Vines

    A Rope of Vines by Brenda Chamberlain is an evocative memoir of the author’s time living on the Greek island of Hydra in the early 1960s.

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