Ancient Historical Sites

One of the landmarks of this enchanting romantic town is its remarkable historic Old Town situated on top of the hill overlooking the gulf of Kyparissia along with its famous historical and touristic site known as the Castle of Arcadia. The whole region of Western Peloponnese is extremely popular for its ancient architectural sites, exceptional beauty and its pristine, untouched nature, which includes waterfalls, mountain rivers, olive groves and vast golden beaches.

In fact, the coast of Kyparissia is renowned for being the starting point of the longest coastline in Europe that can boast a great variety of unique beaches that would be equally pleasing for children, snorkelers and experienced surfers alike. Additionally, this region, specifically the Kalo Nero shoreline, is world famous for being the hatching place of Caretta Caretta sea turtles. For this reason, this place is regularly visited by a large number of nature protection enthusiasts.

Methoni Castle

The castle of Methoni stands on the southwestern part of the Peloponnese. It connected to the small fortified island of Bourtzi through a small arched bridge.
The castle was built in 1209 A.D. by the Venetians. In antiquity the area was known as Pedasus, the “vine-clad” one, according to Homer, a name which testifies to the abundance of vines in the area. Homer also refers to it as one of the seven cities given by Agamemnon to Achilles. The natural harbour close to the castle and its strategic location resulted in its becoming a source of contention among several powerful peoples throughout the centuries, who coveted the area for their own financial and diplomatic interests. It was impossible for Franks, Venetians and Ottomans to pass from this strategic place without claiming ownership of the castle.
The castle is an exceptional example of a fortified building, and its construction is evidence of how important it was considered to be by the various people who passed through it; not only as a fort and a base, but also owing to the strategic location of the region in general.
The Castle of Methoni covers an area of approximately 93,000 square metres and is divided into two parts. Characteristic of Methoni is also Bourtzi, a small islet to the south of the castle. Bourtzi was built after 1500, and at various times was used as a fort, a prison, a lighthouse, and a refuge during periods of raids. It consists of a two-storey octagonal tower, surrounded by a low wall, ending in a circular dome.
Even though it is in ruins today, the Castle of Methoni continues to awe the visitor with its atmospheric ambience. As it stands alone, imposing, prey to the winds, it gives the impression of a silent and austere observe.

Ancient Messini

Ancient Messini is located 55 km away from Kyparissia, in the western foothills of Mountain Ithomi near the village Mavrommati, and it lies over a large area being one of the most important archaeological sites in Greece.

Ancient Messeni was built in 369 BC by the Theban general Epaminondas, after the battle of Leuctra, where he defeated the Spartans, invaded in Laconia and freed the Messenians from Spartan dominance.

Ancient Messini is excavated and gradually revealed since the time of the Revolution and because of its size, but also of its importance, it gives great information about the glorious past. It is a rare archaeological site, where the visitor is impressed by viewing temples, houses, walls and public buildings, preserved in both high altitude and good condition.
Most of the findings of the excavations are kept in the nearby museum, the two-storey building before the entrance at the archaeological site.

Ancient Olympia

Ancient or simply, Olympia, is one of the most influential ancient Greek sanctuaries, located in western Peloponnese, in Elis, about 60 km to the West of Kyparissia. It is positioned in a serene and rich valley at the confluence of the Alpheios and the Kladeos rivers. In antiquity it was famous beyond the borders of mainland Greece for hosting the Olympic Games every four years, starting in 776 BCE.
The archaeological site is located within walking distance of the modern village called Ancient Olympia and it includes ruins from Bronze Age to the Byzantine eras. The site covers an expanded area of ruins scattered among low trees, as well as the ancient stadium where the Olympics took place. An impressive array of artefacts which were unearthed during excavations are on exhibition at the nearby Olympia Museum.
The day’s visit to Ancient Olympia, the birthplace of the Olympic Games, will not be enough, so much is there to absorb at this legendary destination in Greece. The scale of ancient history here never ceases to astound.
The centrepiece of Zeus’ most magnificent sanctuary was the 13.5m-tall gold and ivory statue, dedicated to the king of the gods and created by master craftsman Pheidias. One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the statue no longer exists but you will appreciate its scale by visiting and you will be able to admire firsthand other famous artefacts, such as the statue of Hermes by Praxiteles.
Both the archaeological site and the museum in Ancient Olympia offer a vivid picture of the splendour, glory and breadth of a civilisation that continues to give so much to the modern world – not just in sporting action but ethics, ideals and sportsmanship.

Apollo Epicurean Temple

Only 52 km away from Kyparissia, one can visit The Temple of Apollo Epikourios, which has been a World Heritage Site since 1986. It is one of the most important temples of Antiquity and sits in the mountainous region of Andritsaina and Figalia (Bassae). The Temple of Apollo Epikourios was erected between 420-400 B.C. by the citizens of Figaleia. The architect, Iktinos, designed the Parthenon in Athens. Iktinos combined different elements of the preceding archaic period with a contemporary classical style and introduced a variety of novel ideas both externally and internally. The result was so impressive that Pausanias, the ancient author and traveller of the 2nd century CE, considered it to be among the finest temples of the Peloponnese.
The Temple of Apollo Epikourios is the only temple of Antiquity to combine three architectural orders: the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian styles.

Ancient Nemea

Ancient Nemea is located 31km southwest of Corinth and 4km northeast of modern Nemea. The site was once the venue for the biennial Nemean Games, held in honour of Zeus. Three original columns of the imposing 4th-century-BC Doric Temple of Zeus survive, and the on-site museum displays rich finds from the area. The atmospheric stadium is nearby. Once connected to the sanctuary by a sacred road, it plays host to a resurrected version of the Games.
Like Ancient Olympia, Nemea was not a city but a sanctuary of Zeus. The Nemean Games, held in the stadium here, were hosted by the nearby city of Kleonai and became one of the great Panhellenic festivals. It was also around here that Hercules carried out the first of his labours – the slaying of the lion that had been sent by Hera to destroy Nemea. After Hercules had killed the lion by lifting it off the ground and choking it to death, the lion became the constellation Leo (each of Hercules’ 12 labours is related to a sign of the zodiac).
It’s worth visiting the site’s museum before seeing the remains of the temple. It has two models of the ancient site – the first shows what it would have looked like at the site’s zenith around 300 BC, the second in AD 500, when a Christian basilica and community had developed around the ruined temple – as well as ancient paraphernalia from the Games and treasures from the area’s Mycenaean tombs.