Argolis

We will visit:

• The Corinth Canal
• Ruins of the Ancient Corinth city
• Mycenae
• Nafplion
• Theater of Epidaurus

Argolis full day tour begins driving west along the National Highway, until we reach the Corinth Canal or else Isthmus completed in 1893 – 6 km length, 25m width, 8m depth- which connects the Aegean with the Ionian Sea. Our 15’ stop there gives us the opportunity to take some marvelous pictures and then continue our route until we reach the Ruins of the city of Ancient Corinth.
You can see the long rocky wall of Acrocorinth leading to Lechaion (artificial harbor of the Corinthian Gulf) where the road leading to Ancient Agora starts. The Temple of Apollo (6th c. B.C.-restored 1st c. AD) is the only Greek monument standing, as all others are mainly Roman. Another interesting spot to see is the museum of Acrocorinth which hosts many objects and findings like the head of Goddess Tyche (Luck), the Bema where Saint Paul preached, and the fountain of Glauke.
Leaving Acrocorinth we visit Mycenae ‘Rich in Gold’, the kingdom of mythical Agamemnon, the most important and richest palatial centre of the Late Bronze Age in Greece. Its name was given to one of the greatest civilizations of Greek prehistory, the Mycenaean civilization. Great Cyclopean walls surround the almost triangular acropolis, accessed through the famous Lion Gate, symbol of the Mycenaean rulers’ power. The palace, symbol of the power of Mycenaean rulers, dominates the citadel’s highest point. According to the myth, Perseus’s descendants reigned at Mycenae for three generations. After the last of them, Eurystheas, died childless, the Mycenaeans chose Atreus, son of Pelops, father of Agamemnon and Menelaos, as their king. We can see Grave Circle A, whose six large shaft graves contained numerous gold objects and other works of art. Beyond this is a series of buildings, possibly the residences of high officials. Outside the fortification walls, west of the Lion Gate, is Grave Circle B, which encloses fourteen shaft-graves. The “Treasure of Atreus (Agamemnon)” the most impressive of the preserved Mycenaean tholos tombs, situated at Mycenae, on Panagitsa hill, was constructed in ca. 1250 B.C. and was in use for a long period.
Driving through the citrus fruit Argolis plain we reach Nafplion a seaport city expanding up the hillsides near the north end of the Argolic Gulf. Count Ioannis Kapodistrias, first head of state of newly liberated Greece, made it the official capital of the First Hellenic Republic in 1829 until 1834. Nafplio is now the capital of the regional unit of Argolis and nowadays is a very popular destination both from Greece as well as from abroad. We will have the opportunity to see Acronafplia the oldest part of the city. Until the thirteenth century, it was a town on its own. The arrival of the Venetians and the Franks transformed it into part of the town fortifications. Other fortifications of the city to visit are the Palamidi Castle with 999 steps to climb and Bourtzi island, which is located in the middle of the harbor.
Continuing our tour we drive to reach Argolid Epidaurus, known for its sanctuary, as it was the birthplace of Apollo’s son Asclepius the healer. The Asclepeion at Epidaurus was the most celebrated healing center of the Classical world. The prosperity brought by the Asclepeion enabled Epidaurus to construct civic monuments, including the huge Ancient Theater of Epidaurus worldwide known for its perfect acoustics to all 15.000 spectators, its symmetry and beauty, which is used again today for dramatic performances. The advanced design of the rows of limestone seats filter out low-frequency sounds, such as the murmur of the crowd, and amplify high-frequency sounds from the stage.
In the end we drive back to Athens…

Duration : approx. 9 hrs