According to historyaah, the Peloponnese (Greek: Πελοπόννησος, Pelopónnisos, English: Peloponnese) is the largest peninsula in Greece, located on the Gulf of Corinth and the Gulf of Aegina (Europe). The Peloponnese has no official capital. By far the largest city in the Peloponnese is Patras (Patra). A number of large cities on Peloponnese are: Kalamata, Korinthos (Corinth), Tripoli, Argos and Pyrgos.
The Peloponnese is a very mountainous area with altitudes of up to 2000 meters. On the Peloponnese you can find several ancient cities such as: Sparta, Mystras, Corinth, Olympia and Tripolis. In addition, there are many ruins, caves, archaeological excavations, churches and monasteries in the Peloponnese. Many beaches can be found on the coastline, especially in the south. The Peloponnese is also known for olive production and as the founder of the Olympic Games (Olympia). An ideal way to explore the Peloponnese is by train. There is a train route around the entire island with low transport costs.
Where is the Peloponnese?
Travel information of Peloponnese
Official name: Peloponnese
Continent: Europe
Area: 21,379 km²
Capital: Patras (Patra)
Country code: GR, GRC
Population: 1,155,019 inhabitants (2011)
Form of government: Republic
Highest point: 2,407 m (Profitis Ilias)
Distance (Amsterdam – Patras): 2,039 km
Flight time: approximately 3 hours
Travel advice
Current status: No special security risks.
Current color code: Green.
Corona
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), there may be (temporary) measures in place on the Peloponnese that you as a tourist may have to deal with. For the most up-to-date corona travel advice, please refer to our special coronavirus travel advice page. For the number of current corona infections, number of deaths and various corona-related graphs of the Peloponnese, please visit Countryaah.
Travel offer
On our travel offer page you will find an overview of reliable travel organizations that offer complete trips and holidays to the Peloponnese. In addition, you will find an overview of separate travel components (car rental, hotels and airline tickets) with which you can compose your ideal trip yourself.
Travel guides and maps
Are you looking for a travel guide, map, walking map, cycling map, book or DVD about the Peloponnese?
Weather and climate
The Peloponnese has a Mediterranean climate. In the winter months the temperatures are around 10 to 15 degrees and in the summer months around 25 to 30 degrees.
The current weather (weather forecast) and a weather forecast for the Peloponnese can be found on our extensive weather page.
Extensive information about the climate of the Peloponnese can be found at Climate info.
Best time
May, June, July, August and September are the best months to travel to Peloponnese. In these months you have the best chance of good weather.
Language
Greek is the official language in the Peloponnese. In addition, a lot of English is spoken because of tourism.
Would you like to translate from or into Greek for free? Use the Google translator for this.
Travel documents
You must have a valid identity card or passport.
A visa is not necessary.
Embassies and consulates
Below is an overview of relevant diplomatic representations, including addresses and contact details.
Netherlands Embassy in Greece: netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Dutch Consulate on Peloponnese: netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Greek Embassy in the Netherlands: rijksoverheid.nl.
Greek Consulate in the Netherlands: rijksoverheid.nl.
For urgent assistance, you can contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24/7 on +31247247247.
Vaccination (inoculation)
You do not need any vaccinations for a visit to the Peloponnese.
Malaria
Malaria occurs in the Peloponnese. Malaria is an infectious disease transmitted by malaria mosquitoes. This infectious disease can lead to death if not treated in time and/or incorrectly.
For prevention and control of malaria, please visit our malaria page.
Money and Currency
In the Peloponnese people pay with the euro (EUR).
An overview of all ATMs in the Peloponnese can be found on our ATMs page.
Price level
The prices on the Peloponnese are a lot lower than in the Netherlands. The price difference with the Netherlands is -22% on average. Some examples are: restaurants (33% cheaper), food (18% cheaper), imported beer in catering (14% more expensive), cigarettes (36% cheaper) and public transport (50% cheaper). Please note that the price difference in tourist areas, especially during high season, may vary.
Tipping
In the Peloponnese it is customary to tip, even if this is already included in the bill. Good service is about 5-10% tip.
Time difference
On the Peloponnese it is 1 hour later than in the Netherlands.
Summer time in the Peloponnese is equal to that in the Netherlands.
The local time, date and time zone of the Peloponnese can be found on our time difference page.
Traffic and route
On the Peloponnese you have to drive on the right.
You do not need an international driver’s license to drive and/or rent a motor vehicle in the Peloponnese.
An overview of all ferry connections between the various Greek islands can be found on GTP.
With the Google route planner you can compile a route description from, to or within the Peloponnese.
Electricity
The same plugs and sockets are used on the Peloponnese as in the Netherlands.
More information about electricity in the Peloponnese can be found on our electricity page (see Greece).
Emergency services
If you need help from the police, fire brigade and/or ambulance in an emergency, you can use the emergency numbers below.
– Police: 112 or 100
– Fire: 112 or 199
– Ambulance: 112 or 166
Tap water
The water from the tap is drinkable, but due to the high chlorine content in many places, we recommend drinking bottled water.
News and newspapers
The latest news related to the Peloponnese can be found on Google news.
An overview of the newspapers from Greece (Peloponnese) can be found on Abyznewslinks.
Internet
Websites from the Peloponnese end in.gr.
Peloponnese official website: visitgreece.gr.
Telephony
The country code (international access number) to call someone in the Peloponnese is 0030 or +30.
Do you want to call the Netherlands from the Peloponnese? Then use the Dutch country code 0031 or +31.
(If using a country code, omit the leading 0 of the number to be called.)
All Peloponnese area codes can be found on Wikipedia.
Telephone numbers can be found in the Telephone Directory of the Peloponnese.
Company details can be found in the Yellow Pages of the Peloponnese.
Photos and videos
On Flickr you will find a nice collection of photos of the Peloponnese.
On Youtube you will find a nice collection of videos from the Peloponnese.
Public holidays and school holidays
An overview of all public holidays in the Peloponnese can be found on Beleven.org.
You will find an overview of all school holidays in Greece (Peloponnese) in the Eurydice school guide.
Reviews and travel experiences
On Zoover and TripAdvisor you will find reviews from travelers about accommodations (eg hotels and holiday homes), restaurants and destinations on the Peloponnese, supplemented with photos, videos and places of interest.
Travel reports
Are you looking for a travel report (travel story) about the Peloponnese?
Here you will find travel reports and experiences of travelers who have previously visited the Peloponnese. It is also possible to keep a free diary of your trip for family and/or friends.
Nature and world heritage
An overview of the protected nature areas (including national parks, reserves and wildlife parks) in the Peloponnese can be found on Protected Planet.
An overview of the world heritage sites in the Peloponnese can be found on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Customs rules
Do you want to know how much you are allowed to import and export when traveling to the Peloponnese? On the IATA website you will find an overview of the maximum quantities of cigarettes, alcohol, medicines and money, among other things. If you stick to these quantities, you don’t have to declare anything to customs. You will also find the laws and regulations regarding the entry of pets on this website.
Entrepreneurship and doing business
If you intend to do business in or do business with the Peloponnese, it is wise to prepare well. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency can help you with this. On PaulSourcing.com you will find a large amount of information about the Peloponnese, including: opportunities, import and export regulations, trade figures, do’s and don’ts, product requirements, business partners and subsidies.
Relevant legislation
Below you will find relevant legislation and regulations that you may encounter during your visit to Peloponnese.
– Alcohol: Buying and/or drinking from the age of 18.
– Alcohol and traffic: The maximum allowed blood alcohol level is 0.5 for cars and 0.2 for motorcycles and novice drivers up to 2 years old.
– Tobacco: Buy from the age of 18, smoking at all ages.
– Smoking ban: In public places.
– Homosexuality: Allowed
Did you know that…
…The Peloponnese has been called Morea since the Middle Ages?
…A large part of the Peloponnese falls outside the tourist regions of Greece?
…The city of Sparta was a rival to Athens for a long time?