Western Greece

Western Greece comprises Achaea and Elis in the northwest of the Peloponnese as well as Aetolia-Acarnania on the mainland opposite, connected by one of the longest cable-stayed bridges in the world. A vacation in Western Greece means ancient Olympia, Patras with its carnival, the Mesolongi lagoon and mountain railways into the gorges of Kalavryta.

Landscape and Location

The Gulf of Corinth separates the two parts of the region and narrows to just under two kilometers at Rio and Andirrio, where the Rio-Antirrio Bridge has connected the Peloponnese with the mainland since 2004. To the south lies the fertile plain of Elis, with long sandy beaches on the Ionian Sea, for example near Kyllini. Behind the coast of Achaea, the mountains rise steeply; in the north of the mainland you'll find Lake Trichonida, Greece's largest natural lake, and the hinterland around Agrinio, with its tobacco and olive cultivation. The lagoon of Mesolongi and Aitoliko is one of the most important wetlands in Greece, home to flamingos and pelicans.

Sights in Western Greece

The Olympic Games were held in Ancient Olympia starting in 776 B.C. Among the pine trees lie the remains of the Temple of Zeus, the stadium with its original starting line, the workshop of Phidias and the Heraion, in front of which the Olympic flame is still lit today; the museum displays the Hermes of Praxiteles. Patras, Greece's third-largest city, has the Church of Agios Andreas, one of the largest churches in the Balkans, as well as a castle and a Roman odeon; its carnival in February is the biggest in the country. From Diakopto near Aigio, a cog railway runs through the Vouraikos Gorge to Kalavryta, where the Mega Spileo Monastery is built into a rock face and a memorial commemorates the massacre by the Wehrmacht in 1943. Nafpaktos has a picturesque Venetian harbor with a fortress. Mesolongi, where Lord Byron died in 1824 during the Greek War of Independence, lies on a lagoon with fishermen's huts on stilts and salt flats. Pyrgos is the gateway to the beaches of Elis and to Olympia. Near Kyllini you'll find the Crusader castle of Chlemoutsi and thermal springs; near Kalavryta, the ski area on Mount Helmos and the Cave of the Lakes with its underground terraced pools. The naval Battle of Lepanto, in which Miguel de Cervantes took part, was fought off Nafpaktos in 1571.

Food and Drink

Achaea is wine country, famous for the sweet Mavrodaphne from Patras. Avgotaracho, salted fish roe dipped in wax, a prized delicacy, comes from the Mesolongi lagoon. In the mountains around Kalavryta, people eat lamb, goat cheese and pasteli made with honey. In Patras, the Achaia Clauss winery, founded in 1861 by a Bavarian, offers tours.

Getting There and Best Time to Visit

Patras is an important ferry port with connections to Italy, and the highway links the city with Athens in about two and a half hours. Araxos Airport is served by charter flights in summer. The best time to visit is spring and fall; for the carnival, Patras is worth a visit in February. Ferries to Zakynthos and Kefalonia depart from the port of Kyllini. If you're visiting Olympia, arrive early in the morning to avoid the heat and tour groups.