Ancient Olympia From Cruise Port Katakolon, Greece
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A visit to the site of the first Olympic Games.
Planning a cruise to multiple Greek Islands? Check out our Guide to the Cruise Ports of Greece!
Arriving in Katakolon On a Cruise Ship
Departing the ship in Katakolon, Greece is very easy. A small cruise terminal building contains a duty-free shop and some port personnel offices. You’re able to walk off the ship and directly head into town or to your next destination.
How To Get To Katakolon, Greece From The Cruise Port
The small town of Katakolon is easily reachable on foot. Stepping off the ship until the first shop in the town will take 10-15 minutes of level walking with sidewalks.
What To See in Katakolon, Greece
There’s not a lot to see in the small town of Katakolon. There is a shopping street that runs about six blocks. There are a lot of small shops selling interesting local items including clothing, grocery items, leather goods, and interesting woodcrafts made from local olive tree wood.
There are also several Greek restaurants to choose from. The majority of the restaurants have an outdoor patio overlooking the small marina.
The Museum of Ancient Greek Technology is a small museum that would be interesting to anyone who loves engineering or history. There are many well-crafted interactive exhibits that bring science to life.
How To Get To Ancient Olympia From Katakolon
This is one of the rare places where a pre-arranged cruise shore excursion may be your best option.
The Archeological Site of Ancient Olympia is about 20 miles (33 km) from the port of Katakolon. A one-way taxi ride will cost you about €40, you may be able to negotiate a better price if you are willing to pay the driver to wait for you as you tour the site. In the best-case scenario, a round-trip taxi ride will cost you €70-€90.
There is a train that runs from Katakolon to a stop near the Archeological Site. Tickets are advertised at €10 for a round-trip ride. The train was not running during our visit, and all reports seem to indicate that budget cuts may have closed the train for the time being.
Admission tickets for the Archeological Site are currently €12 each.
What To See at The Archeological Site of Ancient Olympia
The Archeological Site of Ancient Olympia is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with some amazing pieces of history. It is one of the best ruins I have ever been to.
The Temple of Zeus was the largest and most central structure on the site. Now mostly in ruin, your imagination is tasked with visualizing the size of the structure. The impressive girth of the fallen stone columns leads us to believe it must have been massive.
The Stadium at Olympia is a massive field that was once used for many Olympic events. You can imagine the hills filled with spectators. The stone starting line is still visible in the ground.
Also on display are the ruins of the Temple of Hera, where the Olympic torch is lit for the start of the modern Olympic games.
Slightly outside of the archeological area, you will find the Archaeological Museum of Olympia. Admission to the museum is included in the ticket price. Inside there are some of the more precious artifacts recovered from the site including numerous statues and marble carvings.
What Else Is There To See in Olympia?
A short walk from the parking area is a street lined with a few souvenir shops. They are very similar to the shops at the port (but the prices here seemed to be a little bit less expensive). If you have time, it is worth a quick stroll down the street.
