Fun things to do in Prefecture of Arcadia

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Green and luxuriant river valley with 11th and 17th century monasteries stuck on the side of cliffs 300 metres above.

There are recommended walks - along the donkey paths carved by the monks between the little chapel of Ayios Andhreas at Ancient Gortys - set beside the River Louisos - and the Prodhromou monastery, and paths that continue on to Palea and Nea Filonsofou monasteries on the opposite side of the valley.

There are also kalderini - a cobbled mule-path or foottrack - from Prodhromou and Stemnitsa which is recommended as a pleasant climb of about 90 minutes through scrub oak with nice views over the valley. and there is a proper track from Elliniko to Stemnitsa.

There is camping at Gortys and though beds are limited, the monks do welcome visitors who want to stay the night at Phodhromou monastery.

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If you peer over from the side of the modern bridge that is over the River Afios, 3 km below the hilltop town of Karitena, you will see the byzantine bridge that is there with its chapel built into the central pillar.

There is a segment in the centre of the bridge missing but it remains impressive to be seen and the entire can be walked across.

There are good views up to Karitena.

There is a small roadside parking area with a sign to the byzantine bridge just across the modern bridge in the direction away from Karitena.

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Medieval hilltop town - with a castle on top - when I read that I couldnt help but go see it!

Couldnt get any response from the phone number for the accommodation I was parked outside at Karitena - it was quite late - so I drove to Dhimitsana and found a nice place to stay and drove back in the morning.

It does take quite a bit of time driving the winding and hilly roads around the area but it was worth the extra time to go back to Karitena - the landscape surrounding the whole area is beautiful - the town on its hilltop is also photogenic - and the byzantine bridge that was for all the nation to see on one of its money notes with its cute little chapel was well worth not missing!

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Another typical Arcadian inland mountain village, also overlooking the Lousios Gorge. Pretty stone houses tumble down the tiered hillsides onto the main square and main road through Stemnitsa. This is another of the tour coaches ports of call and the couple of tavernas are waiting. I guess they stop for lunch, here. Having said that, I reckon the village is very quiet once the few coach trips have passed through.

We opted to have lunch also, as time was marching on. The coaches were just departing so peace was restored . Foolishly, we let ourselves be "schlepped" and were led to a table that was swiftly cleared of it's previous diner's debris. We were invited into the kitchen where we chose some rather nice stuffed aubergines and keftedes. The meal was ok but the portions not overly large and the wine a little oxidised. We never saw a menu and when we asked for the bill we got the feeling the owner was wondering how much he could sting us for. Nothing was written down so we had no idea of the price of anything. The bill did seem a little more expensive than we had anticipated . Still, the village was pretty as a picture and it's worth having a wander along the narrow lanes off the main road to get a true picture of the old properties here.

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One of the pretty, traditional villages in beautiful inland Arcadia. Not so much off the beaten track as it was, as a fair few coach tours make the journey into the heart of Arcadia, visiting the old villages, in particular, Dhimitsana and Stemnitsa.

Dhimitsana is spectacularly located on top of a hill, with the Loussios gorge way below. The one main street narrows right down (as in most old villages in Greece) and negotiating your way through by car can be a nightmare. Locals park wherever they want, blocking the main route through. Often, they are parked just to have a chat to someone at one of the businesses on the road so are in no hurry to make way for you!! Have a little patience!! You'll get through in the end.

Our reason for visiting this area was mainly to see the Tourist attraction of the Openair Water Museum, situated

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Out of season this is a fine little find. There did seem to be a fair amount of accommodation around so I guess it could get pretty busy as the season goes on. In May 1994 we only found one place to eat that was open, with a fairly limited menu.
There is a nice shingle beach which we had to ourselves in' 94 and when we revisited in 2001 it was still as quiet as ever. On our third visit, this year, 2006, nothing had changed. Peaceful and the restaurant as friendly as ever. There is a little ricketty jetty on the beach here.
There are lovely views across the Argolikos Gulf to Argolid.
The village is built on a hill and tumbles down prettily to the sea.
There are a few supermarkets but we never managed to purchase fresh milk.

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This is such a picturesque place you can't stop taking pictures.
It's the port for Leonidio where hydrofoils connect it with other parts of the eastern Peloponnese.
It has two beaches, a sandyish one and a pebble one. These are a magnet for free campers but there was a real crack down on it when we were there. Apparently if you don't put chairs outside your van you are not permanent and you are allowed to go on the beach but not to stay overnight. If you want to sit and enjoy the view you will be moved on as you look permanent and as if you are camping. We gave it a wide berth. There is an official campsite now.
There are tavernas and a hotel and it is such a pretty place but we didn't like the rooms on offer so opted for Poulithra.

Update: 2006: Motorhomes seemed to have a designated parking area. I don't know whether there was a charge or not to stay the night but certainly they seemed to be tolerated now and I suspect the tavernas were grateful for their custom.

For more info please look at my Plaka page.

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A very pleasant town with plenty of accommodation and restaurants. There is also a camp-site.
Very low-key out of season but it is a destination that the Greeks all pile into in high season. There are a lot of holiday homes which also boost the summer population.
Two excellent beaches, a castle, outdoor theatre and more. There is also the inland village of Astros which is well worth exploring.

More info on my Paralion Astros page.