Katakolon – Day 6 of my adventure.

Day 6 on Splendour of the Seas & we are docked in Katakolon (if you missed my Santorini blog click here).

It’s fair to say that Katakolon’s only claim to fame is that it is the nearest port to the Ancient ruins at Olympia, the birthplace of the Olympics. It’s where the ancient Greeks used to flock to every 4 years for over a thousand years to celebrate the sacred games which were dedicated to Zeus. Apart from the ruins themselves, which include  the stadium, temples & athletics quadrangles there is also a museum housing antiquities from  Roman times. Be aware that the site is not suitable for wheelchair users.

I would say that the majority of people on our sailing took a tour over to see Olympia which is around a 40 minute drive from the port. There are plenty of options to visit Olympia by yourself if you don’t want a pre-organised tour. There are lots of buses directly outside the port entrance offering return journeys from around 10 euros. A taxi costs approximately 45 euros each way. There is also a direct train which takes 45 minutes & costs 2.5 euros. The train station is about a 10 minute walk from the port at the far side of the town. The entrance fee in to Olympia itself is 10 euros.

If you’re not a history buff & don’t want to visit Olympia there is not too much to keep you on land. Katakolon itself is a very small Greek fishing village with a pretty taverna-lined seafront area. It’s nice to dock within a 2 minute walk from the centre. You will find yourself on the main street which is full of touristy shops, selling local produce such as olive oils, herbs, sponges plus a few small boutiques & jewellery shops.

There are beaches that you can get to easily. Turn right from the port & walk through the town past the train station & you’ll find an expanse of sand (not the prettiest beach I’ve ever seen). There are some sunbeds belonging to the couple of the beach tavernas which you can use for free if you buy a drink or some food. There are 2 other beaches which are a drive from the port, but in nicer settings. Some of the cruise lines offer an excursion to Kourouta beach which is about 25 minutes drive from Katakolon.

We had a walk on the beach, a little wander round the town & a coffee on the harbour front (& used the free wifi), which was nice, but in reality the town is a little unremarkable. Lots of the shops close at around 1.30pm for their afternoon break & don’t re-open until 5.30pm, so bare that in mind if you are after some Greek Souvenirs. It was actually quite nice to have a relaxing day & be back on the ship for some lunch & relaxation.

Here are a couple of the excursions offered by Royal Caribbean (11th October 2014)

OLYMPIA WITH FOLK DANCERS & MEZES

COST $96 Adult/ $60 Child

DURATION 5 hours

Includes a guided tour round Olympia plus a visit to a local club to watch traditional dancing.

MY OPINION You only get 90 minutes in Olympia and around the same in the dancing club. A lot of money for so little time in the main attraction.

ANCIENT OLYMPIA & MUSEUM WITH SHOPPING

COST $80 Adult/$46 Child

DURATION 4 hours

Includes a tour round Olympia & the  archaeological museum then time for shopping.

MY OPINION Seems like this would be a little rushed when the travelling time is an hour & 20 minutes.

So that was our last port of call. We had one day at sea left before we got back to Venice & returned home. And my next blog is about the ship itself………