Greece - Korina Miller [137]
MUSEUM
The museum, between the sanctuary and the theatre, houses statues, stone inscriptions recording miraculous cures, surgical instruments, votive offerings and partial reconstructions of the sanctuary’s once-elaborate tholos. There’s not much in the way of written information but some of the statuary and the chunks of marble do hint at the sanctuary’s former status. After the theatre, the tholos is considered to have been the site’s most impressive building and fragments of beautiful, intricately carved reliefs from its ceiling are also displayed. Most of the statues are copies (the real ones are in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens).
Festivals & Events
The Epidavros Theatre is the venue for performances staged (with both modern theatre and Ancient Greek dramas) during the annual Epidavros Festival in July and August (to a changing program); part of the larger cultural Hellenic Festival. Tickets can be bought in Epidavros at the site office ( 27530 22026; www.greekfestival.gr; 9am-2pm & 5-8pm Mon-Thu, 9.30am-9.30pm Fri & Sat), or from the Hellenic Festival box office Click here in Athens. Prices vary according to seating, and student discounts are available. There are special bus services available from Athens and Nafplio.
Sleeping & Eating
Hotel Avaton ( 27530 22178; fax 27530 23059; r €55; ) If you’re planning an early-morning visit to the site, this small, clean and modern hotel is the best accommodation option, just 1km away, at the junction of the road to Kranidi and to the site of Epidavros.
There is a choice of restaurants on the main street of Ligourio, several kilometres from Epidavros.
Getting There & Away
There are buses from Nafplio to Epidavros (€2.60, 45 minutes, three to four daily) and two buses daily to Athens from nearby Ligourio (€12, 2½ hours).
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SOUTHWEST ARGOLIS
Very few travellers take the time to venture down to the southwestern heel of the Argolis peninsula, centred on the agricultural service town of Kranidi, located 90km southeast of Nafplio. The region is famous for its pomegranates, which appreciate the mild winter temperatures around here. These spectacular ruby-red fruits ripen in November.
The small resorts of Porto Heli, 4km south of Kranidi, and Ermioni, 4km east of Kranidi, are both popular weekend escapes for Athenians. For travellers, they offer convenient connections to the Saronic Gulf islands of Hydra and Spetses.
The Frachthi Cave, overlooking Kilada Bay 7km north of Kranidi, rates among the most important early sites in Europe. Excavations around here have revealed a history of continuous occupation from Upper Paleolithic to Late Neolithic times (25,000–3000 BC). Note: it’s not advisable to visit the cave – the area is full of large, unfilled holes, the unfortunate legacy of poorly completed excavations. The cave is floodlit at night, creating a spectacular backdrop for diners at the fish restaurants at Kilada, on the southern side of the bay.
About 1km west of the village of Didyma, don’t miss the Didyma Caves (admission free), two extraordinary sinkholes, caves that collapsed thousands of years ago leaving large craterlike holes. One hides a sensational surprise – a tiny Byzantine church – constructed under a crevice. The caves are well signposted.
Getting There & Away
BOAT
Hydrofoils change each season; at the time of research Hellenic Seaways ( 27540 31514) were running the show. Normally, regular hydrofoils depart from Porto Heli to Piraeus via Spetses and Hydra, and from Ermioni to Piraeus via Hydra.
BUS
There are bus services