A three-day trip to Ancient Olympia - what did I do, where did I go
I have always wanted to visit Ancient Olympia to see the birthplace of the Olympic Games, but now that I have children it is an extra reason to combine the archaeological site with the wonderful sandy beaches of Ilia Prefecture. Although it is not a popular destination we had a remarkably good time.
But let's start from the beginning. I went via Tripoli although towards the end of the route I needed the help of the Google Maps GPS to locate the turn to Krestena - Ancient Olympia and this is because it is the only point on the route that I did not know.
Ilia is a place blessed with the waters of the Alpheus River while it carries a rich cultural heritage that makes it known throughout the world. From what I saw the landscape has turned green again as several years have passed since the 2007 mega fires.
We arrived early at 11 am at the Kronion Hotel in the city center near the archaeological site. I chose to stay in Ancient Olympia for two reasons: first I wanted to be close to the archaeological site and second the hotels in Ancient Olympia have a better quality / price ratio than the beach hotels. For a family of four, €110 per night with breakfast is a very good price.
Below is a list of the hotels I recommend you to stay at:
- (€€) Europa Hotel Olympia (⭐ 9.4) within walking distance to the archaeological site. With spacious rooms, a swimming pool and a rooftop restaurant it will make your stay unforgettable.
- (€€) Bacchus Hotel (⭐ 8.9) a top choice for stay in nearby Ancient Pisa in a very nice spot with mountain views, a swimming pool and a restaurant with delicious dishes
- (€) Kronio Hotel (⭐ 8.4) with a very good quality / price ratio with quality breakfast, a short distance from the archaeological site
The first thing we did was visit the archaeological site and the museums. I have dedicated an entire article to this visit which took us about 3 hours. After the visit we went out for lunch in the afternoon. We sat down at the Rodos cafe for a club sandwich and a crepe but as it turned out it was not the most affordable choice.
The museum of the history of the ancient Olympic Games
On the second day we had breakfast and got ready to explore the beaches of Ilia. I asked the receptionist for information and he advised me to go to Kato Samiko beach. Half an hour away it was a real lottery, an incredible sandy beach with wonderful waters and strong waves that the children enjoyed. I was pleased that there was not even a speck of trash. We sat in a green area with grass and trees for shade since I had forgotten my umbrella with the shower nearby.
The best way to visit the archaeological site is with a guide so that you understand what you are seeing. I recommend the tour with headphones and virtual reality glasses so that you can see the ruins as they were in ancient times.
If you are a group og friends you can get a private tour guide.
Kato Samiko beach
We stayed there for a long time and enjoyed swimming, young and old. Then for lunch I chose Krestena which was on the way back to Olympia, at the Strata grill restaurant in the square with the plane trees. We ate well, pies and gyros portions for €30. The positive thing is that there was enough food left over for the evening which I took as a takeaway. In the evening we walked around the city of Olympia. The disadvantage of staying in Olympia is that it has no nightlife.
On the third and last day, we left the room ready for a swim. We went back to Kato Samiko, since we liked it so much we chose the same beach. We stayed there for a while, we took a shower, changed and slowly set off for the return.
But before the trip began we had to eat. I consulted Google maps again and saw that Zacharo was nearby and indeed we stopped to eat at the Kokoriko grill restaurant on the main road, pies with souvlaki. We were full and started to return.
