Does this sound utopian? And yet, the Peloponnese has all that a family can dream of and more!
Finding the perfect destination for a family vacation is not an easy task. One that will combine activities for the little ones - preferably a hotel that meets their needs - and shallow and clear waters, sandy beaches, and other families with children, and not too far away from the city, because children might get impatient.
These are also some of the reasons why we love the Peloponnese. Because it is next to Athens and has everything. From romantic destinations for two to family fun resorts. If this year your mission is to take your family on a fun vacation, take a look at the destinations we have gathered, and load beach equipment in the car!
On the one hand, is Kantia. Known and loved by our weekends in Epidaurus, with colorful pebbles, taverns on the beach, and hotels within walking distance, so that children can enjoy their dives from morning until night. Very close and the other favorite family-friendly destination, Iria, promises relaxation with a sea breeze, on the big beach with calm waters, the windless coves and the picturesque square of the village, about one kilometer from the beach, where you will meet families with children play until late at night.
Tolo and the adjacent Drepano are also excellent choices: endless sandy beaches with plenty of tamarisk trees for the necessary shade at noon, beach sports and pedal boats if the children are a little older and bored to sit, amazing natural landscapes, endless options in hotels that everyone will appreciate - both you and the little ones.
Food: Very close to Kantia, in Vivari - which is also worth a day trip for a swim in its deep blue, successive coves - you will find the balcony of Nikos, which serves fresh fish, seafood, and home-cooked overlooking the endless blue. In Iria, you will taste homemade cuisine, cooked and grilled in the traditional tavern Kapou Allou, in the village square, where if you are lucky, you will attend evenings with live music.
Yes, and yet, Arcadia also has a beach. You will love the deep blue waters of the Argolic Gulf, which flirt with the deep green of the slopes of Mount Parnon, the picturesque alleys, the houses with tiled roofs, and the flowery courtyards of the old Paralio Astros and the Castle at the top of the hill. Your little ones, again, will love the huge beach, with its shallow waters, where they will crawl undisturbed while you enjoy your coffee on the tables or the sunbeds in its organized part due to the beach after the coastal road is suitable for dives away from the crowd.
Food: Homemade cuisine, local specialties, and excellent grill, you will try at Delfini and Steki, on the waterfront of Paralio Astros.
Because we had to choose one of the villages that surround this amazing beach that we are used to calling Kaiafas, because of the lake adjacent to Zacharo – Kaiafas Thermal Baths - and not because the beaches of Ilia are exhausted here. We are talking about a vast sandy beach 50 km long, surrounded by the turquoise waters of the Ionian Sea, and small villages that offer countless accommodation and (excellent) dining options. The sandy beach with the golden sand and the white lilies in the dunes remains an earthly paradise, which will excite both you and the little ones, who will dive and dive again in its crystal-clear waters, will build castles in its sand and the afternoons will go playground in the village square. Note the must and the archeological interest walks in the Temple of Apollo Epicurus, in Vasses, 14 km from the beautiful mountain village Andritsaina and, of course, in Ancient Olympia which is about 25 km from Zacharo.
Namely, Pylos, Kyparissia, and surroundings. From the star beach of Voidokilia, with the golden strip of sand dividing in the middle the green-blue waters of the Ionian Sea and the hills full of archeological interest to close its two ends (one hosts Paliokastro, the Byzantine castle, and the other Plosflos Mycenaean vaulted tomb of Thrasymides) to the alternative, extremely popular with families, beaches of Romanos, Gialova, Mati after the village of Tragana, and the favorite of the little Gold Coast near the beautiful lagoon of Divari, the surroundings of Pyleites explorations and dives in crystal clear waters. The large, organized beach of Kyparissia may seem a bit touristy if you are a fan of the desert, but it offers comfort and convenience - from coffee and pizza to a tourist kiosk and lifeguard - which you will especially appreciate if you have young children who want to stay all day in the sea. Passing behind the campsite on the edge you will find many smaller beaches - Trypes is one of the most popular. Kalo Nero is also a pole of attraction for families: a long sandy beach 6 km north of Kyparissia, with excellent seaside taverns and hotels, and an information center where your little ones will have the opportunity to get to know the nice Caretta Caretta turtles that breed in the area.
Food: Fresh fish at Argyris in Marathos, local specialties, excellent grill and creative cuisine at Elia in Gialova, homemade food at Rina tavern, just before Romanos beach, excellently cooked food at Spitiko in Pylos.
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