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By Durant Imboden
ABOVE: The Alkyonis of
Pegasus Cruises, which runs excursions to Monemvasia from Tolo near Napflio.
Transportation
Monemvasia lies near the southeastern tip of the Peloponnese
peninsula, about five hours from Athens by car. If you drive to Monemvasia,
you'll probably be doing so as part of a motor tour through the Peloponnese.
Read my articles on driving in Europe and
European rental-car insurance before
planning your trip. A short-term Renault or
Peugeot lease may save you money if you reside outside the EU and are
driving in Europe for 17 days or longer; see our car
rental vs. leasing article for a comparison of the two methods.
If you're intimidated by the idea of driving in Greece, where
the roadsides are littered with shrines to traffic-accident victims, you can
reach Monemvasia by bus (either directly or via Sparta, a.k.a. Sparti,
where you can stop over while visiting the Byzantine ruins of Mistras).
Another option is to drive or take
the bus from Athens to Napflio (a.k.a. Nauplion) and transfer to the nearby
resort of Tolo, where
Pegagus Cruises
runs day excursions to Monemvasia aboard the Alkyonis (see photo
above.
Unfortunately, the
Hellas Flying Dolphins hydrofoil service
from Piraeus to Monemvasia has been suspended indefinitely. The closest ferry
port that I'm aware of Githio, which you can reach via the car-passenger ferry
that runs from Piraeus to Kythira (the isle of Eros) in the Ionian Islands. Do a
Google search on "Anen Lines" for timetables.
A few cruise lines call at
Monemvasia, albeit rarely. We visited the town during a
Silversea
Mediterranean Cruise aboard the M/V Silver Whisper, and the approach
from the sea was one of the most dramatic port arrivals we've experienced in a
lifetime of ocean travel.
Next page:
Tourist information links
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