Monuments Laconia, Arcadia & Achaia
This is a significant tourist destination, which combines famous sites, such as medieval Mystra, the fortress city at Monemvasia, and the tower houses in Mani, with locations of exceptional natural beauty, such as the Diros caves, Mt. Taygetos and cape Tainaros.
It has been inhabited since the Palaeolithic and Neolithic years, while it was later settled by the Leleges, Achaeans and Ionians. The Dorians arrived in 1100 B.C. and made Sparta their capital, which for centuries together with Athens, was one of the most powerful city-states in Ancient Greece, until its occupation by the Romans and later by the Franks and Turks.
Arcadia
It is geographically situated in the centre of the Peloponnese, and has huge mountains (Mainalo, Parnonas etc) and is washed by the Argolis gulf and Myrto Sea. It has an exceptional multifarious natural relief, exceptionally beautiful landscapes, regions of an intense archaeological interest and historic locations. It was first settled by the Arcadians, one of the oldest peoples in the Peloponnese, who founded significant cities.
Achaia
Boasting Patras, the biggest of the cities of the Peloponnese, Achaia is filled with exceptional mountain and seaside landscapes. It boasts the Panachaiko, Helmos and Erymanthos mountains and the most beautiful sandy beaches in the Korinthian Gulf. Achaia is one of the most historic sites in the Peloponnese and Greece’s seaside gate to Western Europe.
Text & images copyright "Visit Greece".