Peloponnese Holiday Guide

Kalamata Airport is one option, but most tourists head to the airport at Athens. Driving time to Corinth, on the edge of the Peloponnese, is a little less than two hours.

Renting a car is recommended if you want to explore but beware of bad drivers on mountainous roads. The local bus links, particularly between the main towns, are good. Transport links from Patras, the largest and capital city of Peloponnese, are good.

The best beaches are along the western coast. Sun worshippers consider them among the best in Greece as they are undeveloped, clean and very pretty. There's a six kilometre stretch of sand bordered by pine forests at Kalogria, close to Patras, while along the Gulf of Corinth are beaches with picture postcard views of the opposite shore.

Head a bit further away from Corinth to find sand rather than pebbles on the shore. Resorts such as Porto Heli are popular with waterskiing and jet-ski enthusiasts.

There are more classical ruins in the northern Peloponnese than anywhere else in the world. Ancient Corinth, Ancient Nemea, Mycenae, Argos, Tiryns and Edipauros are all within easy reach, close to Nafplio, the first capital of Modern Greece and one of the most beautiful towns on the island. Head to the old hill towns in the heartland such as Karytena, Stemnitsa and Dhimitsana or experience a classic Greek railway trip with the journey inland from the north coast at Dhiakofto to Kalavryta.The Peloponnese is still a fairly conservative area, so save your skimpy bikini for the beach. Many churches have signs at the entrance asking visitors to dress modestly.

There are magnificent ruins in the ancient city of Olympia, where you can see the Temple of Zeus and the remains of the Olympic stadium where the Games were first held almost three millennia ago. In the south, spend a day touring the ruined buildings and colourful frescoes of the Byzantine city of Mystras and Ancient Messene, which dates back to the 4th century.

You'll find British favourites in resorts but eating is virtually a national pastime with masses of local tavernas and simple restaurants serving lots of Greek home cooking and fresh fish with favourites such as avgolemono soup (chicken, egg and lemon), Stifado (beef with onion), arni psito (lamb on the spit) midia saganaki (mussels in tomato sauce), octopus and thick, creamy yoghurt.

The ham here is excellent too, and Greek food is ideal for vegetarians with plenty of tomatoes, aubergines, zucchini fritters and tzatziki (the dip made with yoghurt, cucumbers, dill and garlic). Wash it all down with a glass or two of retsina.

With evening meals typically eaten at around 10pm, nights are typically social affairs with masses of people heading out to eat and bar hop until the early hours. The seaside city of Patras is full of life, with excellent bars and clubs, restaurants and street entertainers.

Magpies on holiday in Peloponnese will be more than spoilt. There are absolutely masses of souvenir shops around offering everything from T-shirts to replica antique woodcarvings and museum reproductions. Look out for hand woven and naturally dyed woollens, cotton and silks, brightly coloured rugs, deep blue glassware and beautiful jewellery.

With a Mediterranean climate, many families on holiday in Peloponnese love to head to the sandy beaches of Stoupa in the south or enjoy the mineral springs at Kyllini. There are masses of places to explore and lots of holiday clubs for the children. Those who enjoy activities will love learning to sail and windsurf on these warm waters.