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Greece: The Peloponnese

Overview

Nearest Airports – Athens and Kalamata (international).

The Peloponnese peninsula (pop. 1.17 million) is the southernmost part of the Greek mainland, lying south-east of Athens. The Peloponnese is practically an island, joined to the Greek mainland by the man-made Corinth canal crossing the narrow isthmus in the north-west. The peninsula takes its name from the legendary Greek hero, Pelops, and is reputed to have the best of everything Greek. It’s an area of outstanding natural beauty with high, snow-capped mountains and some of the most famous archaeological sites in Greece, notably the ancient citadel of Mycenae, the sanctuary of Zeus at Olympia (where the first recorded games were held in 776BC), and the theatre at Epidaurus. Parts of the east and north coasts are fast developing into resort areas, although the peninsula as a whole remains more popular with Greeks than with foreigners. The beaches on the relatively undeveloped west coast are among the best in the country.

The climate in the Peloponnese varies considerably. The west has hot and dry summers, but rainfall is among the highest in the country and its winters are less severe than other parts of mainland Greece. The mountains in the central Peloponnese are snow-covered for much of the winter, and the nights can be cold even in summer. The east experiences very hot summers and is influenced by the strong north wind, the meltémi.

Communications in the northern Peloponnese are among the best in Greece. The north and west coasts as far as Olympia and south to the city of Tripoli (soon to be extended to Kalamata) are served by motorways and there are frequent bus and train services to most destinations in the north of the peninsula and to the rest of the mainland. The world’s longest cable suspension bridge, the Rio-Antirrio (road and rail) with a length of 2.3km (1.4mi), has recently been completed joining the Peloponnese with the mainland.

Getting around in the southern part of the Peloponnese is more difficult, and private transport is essential if you wish to travel at a reasonable speed. Kalamata in the south-west has an international airport with limited connections – charter flights from the UK are usually only available during the summer, although budget airlines have recently shown an interest in the route and may include it in their schedule in the near future. The journey from Athens airport to the popular Maní peninsula in the south takes around two and a half hours.

There’s a buoyant property market on the Peloponnese where prices have increased sharply over the last few years (by up to 20 per cent) and interest from foreign buyers is strong. There’s plenty of property for sale and you can choose between rural dwellings requiring total restoration from around €50,000, modern apartments from around €100,000 and villas in resort areas starting from around €150,000. Traditional stone houses are also available from €150,000. Areas popular with property buyers are the resorts around the Gulf of Corinth, where prices are among the highest in Greece, and the Maní peninsula in the south (one of the most popular areas in Greece with expatriate residents).

The Peloponnese is divided into seven prefectures and there are several important cities in the region. Corinth, at the canal entrance to the Peloponnese, is a busy city famous world-wide for its currents. South of Corinth is the vast plain of Argos, where much of the Peloponnese’s agricultural production of citrus fruits, grapes and olives is concentrated. On the Argos coast are some of the most popular resorts on the peninsula, including Killini and Porto Heli, which have some of the most expensive property in Greece. Nearby are Náfplio, one of the most beautiful towns in the Peloponnese, Epidauros with its spectacular Greek theatre, and the ancient town of Mycenae. Further south is the prefecture of Lakonia with its dramatic, harsh landscape. The famous town of Sparta is also located here as well as the remote region of Maní, noted for its fierce opposition to both foreign and home rule. Off the southern tip of Lakonia is the island of Kythira, a relatively expensive island with excellent beaches and developing resorts.

In the south-west is Messinia, one of the least-known and least developed regions of Greece, although this is changing and new development is taking place including a large golf course-complex near Finikounda. Kalamata, the capital town of Messinia, is essentially a military town and has the Peloponnese’s main airport. On the west coast are some of the best beaches in Greece, although their remoteness and the general lack of development in the area make them rather inaccessible. Inland at Arcadia, as the name suggests, is the best agricultural land in Greece, surrounded by mountains and medieval villages. In the north-west lies the city of Patra (pop. 150,000), Greece’s third-largest city and a major port serving the western Mediterranean, particularly Italy.

© Survival Books Limited 2005

“Buying a Home in Greece” 3rd Edition, Joanna Styles.

Reproduced with the permission of Survival Books Limited.

Further information on buying a home in Greece can be found in “Buying a Home in Greece” 3rd edition, by Joanna Styles.

For extensive information about buying a property in Greece, you can purchase this book at www.survivalbooks.net

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