Visit Sparta & Gythio, Greece – What to See & Do
Whether reliving your favorite King Leonidas moments from the Battle of Thermopylae in the hit movie “300” or hitting the beach to work on your own bronze tan there are a few decent things to check out in Sparta and Gythio, Greece.
What to See & Do in Gythio, Sparta & Mystras
What to See in Sparta:
Sparta itself is a new city and has basically no old world charm as it has been rebuilt on a nice grid structure. However, there are some neat things to check out when you are in Sparta,
- The King Leonidas I Statue at the Football stadium (it is the requisite picture for any true honest to goodness tourist).
- The Museum of the Olive and Olive Oil: A very modern museum telling the history of the olive and olive oil throughout the world, but especially Greece. I found it rather interesting and our little son (4 at the time) had a fun time there too.
- The Archeological Museum: This has a nice collection of artifacts from around the area that are well worth checking out.
- The Ruins of the Acropolis: the old market/town has been overrun with weeds and growth, but you can still go hiking through it all and get a feel for the size of ancient Sparta.
- 3.5 hours from Athens on the Bus.
Mystras: This Byzantine fortress town is still home to a few nuns and a whole lot of cool buildings and history. Not part of the ancient Greek tour it does though give you a neat take on 12th and 13th century Greece. They still hold concerts and events there as well. Amazingly well preserved. It is about 5KM (3 miles) from Sparta, lots of buses go there from the bus station in Sparta.
What to See in Gythio:
The prettiest of the towns/locales discussed in this blog Gythio has the Greek beaches we all know and love as well as a great harbor to walk around and take in the “People Watching.” So what should you see and do there?
- Museum of Mani History: Basically the history of the region taken from a traveler’s perspective… traverlers from a few hundred years ago that is. Pretty interesting.
- Acropolis: the requisite acropolis for any good Greek town.
- Walk along the water front, the sea is CRYSTAL clear here, you will see to the bottom and it makes for quite interesting conversation with small children. Also look out for the lighthouse and waving man statue.
- Eat the seafood outside. The waterfront is chock full of restaurants with great seafood, just as the waiter what is on special when you are there (and don’t forget the wine).
- Hit the beaches around town. Let’s be honest, you are down in Gythio to go to the beach so go enjoy it. There are local buses that will take you there or just hop in a taxi.
- You can take ferries from Gythio to Crete as well as a few other stops. Buses to Sparta take a bit less than an hour (winding road, so be prepared).
Other Helpful Websites
Wolters World Visit Greece Country Page – Information on travelling in Greece as well as the Top 10 cities to visit in Greece and Things You Will Love & Hate about Visiting Greece.
Wolters World Visit Sparta & Gythio Page – Information on the towns you just read about.
Wolters World Visit Athens City Page – Tourist information on the Greek capital, what to see & do as well as things you will love & hate about the capital.
The Official Greek Tourism Website www.visitgreece.com beyond helpful with tons of information on Sparta, Gythio and all parts of Greece.
Wolters World Learn Greek Video Series – Short series to teach travelers a few words and phrases that travelers will need while in Greece.
Wolters World Destinations – Choose from Numerous Countries, Cities and Regions to learn about what to see & do & Not Do while traveling.
