Spring

Spring in Peloponnese is pure magic

Travel Info: Spring in Peloponnese

_{Starting Point: Entire Peloponnese (Olympia, Mystras, Nafplio, Mani)}
_{Type: Nature, History, Activities}
_{Ideal for: Nature Lovers, Adventurers, Solo Travelers, Families}
_{Must-See: Blooming Mystras & Easter in Leonidio.}

A blooming almond tree breaking the blue and green “symphony” of a hill side that has as a background the clear sky. Tufted lilacs spreading their purple flowers upon old castle walls. Rushing waters surging the rivers with the melted snow water, creating waterfalls at the banks of which fairies dance.

Every season in Peloponnese is wonderful. The spring, however, is magical

Once the calendar is on March, the already amazing landscape fills with flower colors and becomes even more impressive. In Ancient Olympia, the bloomed koutsoupies trees add pink touches on the white marbles of its temples.

On the hills of Taygetos, Mystras overflows with poppies that fit perfectly its byzantine History. In Nafplio the sun bathes the old town with light and the bougainvilleas hug the facades of its neoclassical buildings.

In Kalamata, the most daring venture their first dips- or at least their first reluctant splashing around the shore. Also, Foloi oak forest awakes from its winter slumber to redress the branches of its oaks with green leaves, looking like they touch the sky, and invite us for spring picnics at its flowery glades.

The first months of spring are ideal for activities in the Peloponnesian nature: Rafting at Lousios, Alfios and Ladonas Rivers that in this time of the year they have enough water to make your experience feel more like an adventure and less like a boat ride.

Going canoe kayaking at the deep blue waters of Ladonas Lake. Hiking at flowery gorges like the ones of Kastoras in Taygetos, of Lepidas in Parnonas Mt., of Vouraikos outside Kalavrita, or of Vothila in New Epidaurus. Without the merciless summer sun burning your skin, the hiking to the “end of the world”, the Cape Tainaro at the last tip of the completely stone built Mani, is very pleasurable.

A true life experience, in the heart of spring, is also Easter in many parts of Peloponnese: The only thing that can compete the unique in Greece tradition of making hot air-balloons that light up the sky on the Resurrection Night in Leonidio is the lit by thousand candles castle-city of Monemvasia during the procession of Epitaphios on Good Friday.

Also famous throughout the country is saitopolemos (a fire dance that the participants dance with lit saites, which are traditional, homemade, cardboard tubes filled with gunpowder) in Kalamata on Easter Sunday, as well as – the food lovers’ favorite- souvles(big skewers used to roast lamb) that are set up at the Areos Square in Tripoli.