The usual approach from Athens to the Peloponnese is along the highway through Elefsína and across the Corinth Canal to modern-day Kórinthos (Corinth); buses and trains come this way at least every hour, the former halting at the canal. Another, more attractive approach to the peninsula is by ferry or hydrofoil, via the Argo-Saronic islands; routes run from Pireás through those islands, with brief hops over to the Argolid ports of Ermióni and Pórto Héli, and Náfplio and Paleá Epídhavros in season.

 

The region that you enter, to the south and southeast of Kórinthos, is known as the Argolid (Argolídha in modern Greek), after the city of Árgos, which held sway in Classical times. The greatest concentration of ancient sites in Greece is found in this compact little peninsula, its western boundary delineated by the main road south from Kórinthos. Within an hour or so's journey of each other are Agamemnon's fortress at Mycenae , the great theatre of Epidaurus , and lesser sites at Tiryns, Árgos and Lérna . Inevitably, these, along with the great Roman site at Ancient Corinth , draw the crowds, and in peak season you may want to see the sites early or late in the day to realize their magic.

When ruin-hopping palls, there are the small-town pleasures of elegant Náfplio , and a handful of pleasant coastal resorts . The best beaches in these parts, however, are to be found along the coast road south from Árgos, at Ástros and Tyrós, where there are some good campsites. Technically outside the Argolid, both of these are easiest reached by bus from Árgos or by hydrofoil from Náfplio (summer only), Pórto Héli or the island of Spétses. The southern continuation of these hydrofoil routes takes you on down the coast to the Byzantine remains of Monemvasiá.