Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Kástro
Using Arkoúdhi as a base, it's worth taking time to hitch or walk to the village of
Kástro
, at the centre of the cape. Looming above the village and visible from many
kilometres around is the Frankish
castle of Khlemoútsi
(Castel Tornese; summer daily
8am-7pm; winter Tues-Sun 8.30am-3pm; €3), a vast hexagonal structure built in
1220 by Geoffrey de Villehardouin. Its function was principally to control the province
of Ahaïa, though it served also as a strategic fortress on the Adriatic. Haze permitting,
there are sweeping views across the straits to Zákynthos, and even to Kefaloniá and
Itháki, from the well-preserved and restored ramparts.
2
Kyllíni
Heading north, you'll pass a rather clinical spa resort,
Loutra Kyllínis
, on the way to the
northern tip of the cape. Here, the cheerless little port of
KYLLÍNI
has little more to
offer than its
ferry connections
to Zákynthos and Kefaloniá.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
KYLLÍNI
By bus
Buses arrive daily from Athens carrying passengers
with through tickets for the ferries. Pre-booked buses also
meet the ferries here. Otherwise there are no buses from
Kyllíni except to Pýrgos (1-4 daily; 1hr).
By ferry
Operators are
W
ionianferries.gr to all
destinations and Strintzis (
W
strintzisferries.gr) for Póros.
Destinations
Zákynthos (4-7 daily; 1hr); Kefaloniá Póros
(5 daily summer, 2-3 daily winter; 1hr 15min-2hr 15min),
Kefaloniá Lixoúri-Argostóli (1 daily summer; 2hr-2hr
30min).
Pátra and Ahaïa
Capital of the large northern province of
Ahaïa
,
Pátra
is a major port and transport hub
though offers little else to visitors. To the south are high mountains while along the
narrow, densely populated coastal strip are a few decent beaches, the best at
Kalogriá
. From
the drab town of
Dhiakoftó
on the Gulf of Kórinthos, you can opt for an outing on one of
Greece's first railway lines, which follows the dramatic
Vouraikós Gorge
, up to
Kalávryta
.
Pátra
PÁT R A
(Patras) is the largest city in the Peloponnese and, after Pireás and Igoumenítsa, a
major port of Greece; from here you can catch ferries to Italy as well as to certain Ionian
islands. The city is also a hub of the Greek-mainland transport network (see p.193).
Unless you arrive late in the day from Italy, you won't need, or want, to spend more
than a few hours here. here are no beaches and no truly essential sights. Traffic noise
goes on well into the night and starts earlier than you'd want to get up. Add to that the
gangs of unemployed men, who hang around the port, and it's preferable to move on
quickly. That said, if you find yourself here for some time, there are a few reasonable
attractions: the
Kástro
, the new
archeological museum
, and the massive
church
of Áyios
Andhréas. Swimming near Pátra isn't advisable - the sea is polluted for some kilometres
to the southwest. Locals head to the
beaches
around Río (7km northeast; bus #6) or to
Kalogriá (see p.195).
The Kástro
Mon-Fri 8am-7pm, Sat & Sun 8am-5pm • Free
he
Kástro
, a mainly Frankish-Byzantine and partly restored citadel fifteen minutes'
walk up from the water, is not particularly exciting, but it is up away from the city
bustle, surrounded by a small park and with woodland beyond. Nearby, at Boukaoúri
29, is the
hammam
(Turkish baths,
T
26102 74267; €5), still good for a steam after six
hundred years.
