Peloponnese: Corinth to Olympia
The Corinth Canal, Venetian Nafplio, the rock town of Monemvasia, the tower houses of Mani and Ancient Olympia.
- Distance
- 495 km (308 mi)
- Driving
- 6 h 50 min
- Suggested days
- 5
- Stops
- 6
- Countries
- Greece
- Updated
- May 5, 2026
At a glance: 5-day road trip of about 495 km (308 mi) with 6 stops, from Athens to Ancient Olympia. About 6 h 50 min of driving in total.
Route description
Leave Athens west on the motorway to the Corinth Canal, where you can stand on the bridge and look down 80 m into the narrow cut. Then head south-west to Nafplio, a Venetian port with the Palamidi fortress above the town and the Bourtzi castle in the harbour.
Nafplio is a good base for Mycenae and the theatre at Epidaurus. From there the route runs south through the mountains to Monemvasia, a car-free walled town on a rock joined to the mainland by a causeway; park outside the gate and walk in.
Head west into the Mani peninsula to Areopoli, a village of stone tower houses, with the Diros caves nearby. The landscape becomes dry, rocky and remote, and the roads are winding.
Continue north via Kalamata to Ancient Olympia, with the sanctuary of Zeus and the stadium of the first Olympic Games among pine trees. Greek motorways are tolled, and in summer it is best to visit the archaeological sites early in the morning before the heat.
Stop-by-stop itinerary
In driving order. Distances are estimates between consecutive stops.
- 1Start
Athens
Greece - 280 km
Corinth Canal
ViewsIsthmia, GreeceA narrow cut through solid rock between two seas. Stand on the bridge and look 80 m down.
- 356 km
Nafplio
Greece - 4126 km
Monemvasia
Greece - 575 km
Areopoli
Greece - 6159 km
Ancient Olympia
HistoryOlympia, GreeceThe sanctuary of Zeus and the stadium of the first Olympic Games, under pine trees.
