The road Palia Epidavros back to Corinth is one of the most beautiful cornices in Greece. Cut out of the mountainside, it passes through thick pine forests high above the Saronic Gulf; there are so many spectacular views it;s hard to keep your eyes on the road.
On our way we encounter another Epidavros, Nea (New) Epidavros, where the first National Assembly met in 1821, and beyond that the Monastery of the Virgin of Agnounda. Now we're entering the prefecture of Corinthia, and as we reach the seaside we're tempted by the beaches at Almyri and Loutra Oraias Elenis. The Istmus and Corinth are close at hand and we'll take some time off to visit the site of ancient Corinth, whose population were more famous for their business skills than for their philosophical or military expertise.
On the way north from Sparta, instead of talking the direct route to Tripolis, we'll turn east for Yeraki, a mini - Mystra, with its own beautifully restored Byzantine churches, crenulated walls and medieval castle. Then taking the road (not all of it paved) that winds over Mt. Patnon, we descend to Leonidion, hemmed in between its stunning red cliffs and the sea, and then wend our way up the dramatic west coast of the huge Gulf of Argos as far as Astros. All the way the beaches are stupendous, though nay all are easy to reach. Astros itself is a picturesque town, and Paralio Astros and Agios Andreas nearby are becoming popular resort areas. Continuing up the coast we meet the road which leads to Argos.
As we leave Kalamata and skirt the east coast of the bay of Messinia, we pass the beaches near the city and then go through an idyllic lush landscape. But as we penetrate further into the Mani, the surroundings become drier, harsher and wilder; prickly pears and tumbled rocks replace citrus groves and fertile valleys. With the forbidding peaks of Taygetus at our back, we're about to get to know a more austere beauty.
We're now travelling through Messinia, and it seems as though those extraordinary beaches will go on for ever. Elaia, Ayiannakis, Kalo Nero point the way to recreation possibilities on the southern shores of the big gulf of Kyparissia.
Stunning scenery at every turn, whether you happen to be along its incredibly varied coastline or in the mountains at its heart. Eons of history imprinted on its soil, monuments to past civilizations springing up at every step. The Peloponnese is an endless source of interest for the visitor. 
