Katakolon (Olympia)

[pajazz28]

DW and I along with dear friends are thinking of taking a 12 day cruise which includes a stop in Katakolon port. from my research Katakolon is very small and not much to do. Olympia is 45 minutes away. We will be there from 9:00am to 6:00pm  Questions:

 

• Do you  have any suggestion for excursion on own own or through the ship? 
• Is is feasible to do an excursion on your own in Olympia becuase of travel time? 
• In Katakolon a tender port?
• Any advice or suggestions are appreciated? 

 

[marazul]

You have 9 hours in port.  You can (and should) go to Olympia.  Either a private or ship's excursion will take you there and back with ample time.  Search this board for the many posts on excursions.

It is not a tender port.

[cruisemom42]

Marazul is correct, as usual. There is usually an independent bus that makes the journey from the port to Olympia and allows about 3 hours there before returning. Taxis aren't terribly expensive either, as an option. 

 

A couple more suggestions: Do some reading about the site before you visit it, especially if you will be experiencing it on your own. I think Rick Steves has a good description of what you'll see, but there are other guidebooks/sources. Among other things, I loved the opportunity to walk through the archway into the remains of the stadium and see the actual "starting line" for the foot races...

 

Also, don't miss the small but excellent museum on site. It contains a priceless treasure, one of less than a handful of surviving sculptures that is attributed to the Michelangelo of the ancient Greek world, Praxiteles.

 

https://www.ancient-greece.org/museum/olympia.html

 

 

[PurpleTraveller]

I was in Katakolon in June 2022 where we docked. We had planned to get the train from Katakolon to Olympia but the train was not running that day. We paired up with another couple who had also wanted to get the train and we went to Olympia by taxi. It cost €80.00 (€20.00 each) to take us to Olympia, wait for two hours and then take us back to Katakolon. The drive there and back took 30 minutes each way. 

 

Once at Olympia we bought tickets which cost €12.00 each and gave us entry to the ruins and the Museum of the History of the Olympic Games which was close to the entrance. We had plenty of time to explore the ruins and visit the museum. We went early in the day to beat the afternoon heat.

 

On our return to Katakolon we went to our new friend's yacht (they happened to be sailing around the Greek Islands) and then browsed the shops in the very cute town. There are also lots of lovely waterfront restaurants. It was a wonderful day!

 

There is a bus that also goes to Olympia but we did not see it and on the day of our visit there was no booth at the port exit but that may have been because we were early. It is possible to have a DIY day in Katakolon.

 

 

Edited February 12 by PurpleTraveller

[VMax1700]

In 2022 there was only one train departure time from Katakalo 8.40am (arrive Olympia 9.30am) and the return departure from Olympia at 13.10 hrs (1.10pm) arriving Katakalo 14.02 hrs. (2.02pm).  Fare was €10 per person round trip.

There were private bus tours available at the port gate to Olympia, costs €15 per person, 30 minutes to the village, then 2 hours free time before returning to Katakalo.  Bus driver /guides have excellent english.  They wait until bus is full before departing, so no schedule as such and you may be waiting for a while at either end.

Also at the far end of Katakalo, adjacent to the train stop, is the Museum of Ancient Greek Technology.  Really worth a visit.