Kyparissia - Ilia beach - Ancient Olympia - Patra

In the shadow of the Sacred Grove, in slender rows of moss-covered marble columns, time has stopped. The first sports competitions were held here almost 3 thousand years ago, in 776 BC, and were held every four years for a thousand years. To this day, the start and finish lines for the single-stage (192.27 m) competitions have been preserved in the ancient stadium. The sanctuary of Zeus, decorated in the V century BC with a grandiose statue of gold and ivory, became one of the seven wonders of the world. Today, you will see the impressive ruins of a Doric temple and the workshop of the sculptor Phidias, who made himself famous for centuries. The history of the Olympic Games will be told not only by the stadium and Palestra, the treasury and the altar where the Olympic flame is lit to this day. The Archaeological Museum of Olympia, where ceramics, sculptures, armours, jewellery from the archaic to the Roman period are collected, has one of the richest collections in Greece.

Elijah is rightly proud of its many kilometres of sandy beaches, stretching from Zaharo to Kalogria, the northwest point of the Peloponnese. Eight of the beaches have been awarded the Blue Flag. You can choose to relax at the beach bar with sun loungers and umbrellas, or place yourself where you like, there is enough room for everyone. If you're already a little tired of the beaches, go straight to Patras and take time out to explore the city. For information, ferries to the islands of Zakynthos and Kefalonia depart from the port of Killini, which is located in Ilia. If you have extra days, you can add one of the islands to the route.