Katakolon

Katakolon is a seaside village in the municipality of Pyrgos in western Elis, Greece, situated on a headland overlooking the Ionian Sea. The port is a port of call on Mediterranean cruises and serves as a gateway to the northwest Peloponnese and to the ancient site of Olympia that gave rise to the modern Olympics.

The town itself is compact and unhurried. With a permanent population of around 600 and just three main streets, Katakolon sits on a wide, arching bay that has been used as a harbour for millennia. The cruise terminal is very close to downtown, within a ten-minute walk. The modern harborfront is lined with pastel-colored neoclassical buildings that host tavernas and coffee shops, backed by forests of Mediterranean pines and cypress trees.

Olympia is the main reason cruise passengers visit. It is a popular stop as the gateway to Olympia, a 45-minute drive away, where in ancient Greece the famous Olympic Games were held every four years for around 12 centuries from the 8th BC to the 4th AD. A railway opened to Katakolon in 1882, and today regional trains operate three scheduled daily services to Olympia via Pyrgos. The archaeology is considerable. Excavations at Olympia revealed temples, stadiums and sculptures that had been buried for centuries after earthquakes and floods.

The setting offers more than ancient history. Katakolon sits at the northern tip of around 50 miles of seemingly endless beach, backed by rolling green hills and pastures of olives, grapes, and pistachios. A lighthouse built in 1865 and the Museum of Ancient Greek Technology are popular local attractions, along with the ruins of the Byzantine fortress Pontikokastro northeast of the port.

Food and wine feature prominently. Local tavernas offer Greek traditional cuisine with locally caught seafood prepared grilled with herbs and olive oil, as well as flavorful vegetables served in dishes such as spanakopita and moussaka. The Domaine Mercouri Winery, a 20-minute drive away, has been operating for over 150 years and offers tastings of locally made Greek wines. Cruisers can log the exact routes their ships sailed through The Cruise Globe.