Med Cruise: Katakolon
In this fifth post of a multi-part series, Bethany explores Katakolon, Greece and Ancient Olympia on her Mediterranean Cruise on Crystal.
I am exploring parts of the Mediterranean on my inaugural cruise on Crystal. The 7-night cruise on Crystal Symphony kicks off in Istanbul, Turkey and wraps up in Venice, Italy. Join me as I explore the many wonderful ports in Turkey, Greece, Croatia, and Italy along the way!
Crystal Mediterranean Cruise Full Itinerary
Below is the full itinerary for the trip. This post includes details about Cruise Day 4 in Katakolon, Greece. Looking for info on other stops? Check out the ‘Links’ section at the end of this post!
- Pre-Cruise – September 6-8: Istanbul, Turkey
- Cruise Day 1 – September 9: At Sea
- Cruise Day 2 – September 10: Kuşadası, Turkey
- Cruise Day 3 – September 11: At Sea
- Cruise Day 4 – September 12: Katakolon, Greece
- Cruise Day 5 – September 13: Corfu, Greece
- Cruise Day 6 – September 14: Dubrovnik, Croatia
- Post-Cruise – September 15: Venice, Italy
Cruise Day 4: Katakolon
Due to a slight tweak in the itinerary because of inclement weather, we skipped Mykonos and instead spent the day in Katakolon, Greece. We sailed into the beautiful port as the sun was rising.
Archaeological Site of Ancient Olympia
I did the excursion to the archaeological site of Ancient Olympia today. This was a fascinating tour. After about a 30-minute bus ride from the port, we spent the morning exploring the site. This is the site of the ancient Olympic Games. They were held here every four years from the 8th century BC to the 4th century AD. The site itself was also a major religious sanctuary. In 1829, the first excavation began. There are still active excavations at this site today.
Palaestra and Philippeoion
Our tour took us past the palaestra, or wrestling grounds, first (the area with a lot of columns, shown below). This is the home of wrestling and other martial arts. Next up was the Philippeion, a circular memorial (the area with the three columns, shown below). This monument is a celebration of Philip’s victory at the battle of Chaeronea in 338 BC. This is the only structure here dedicated to a human, not a god.
Temple of Zeus
We then got to see the remains of the Temple of Zeus, built in the 5th century BC of the Doric order. Today, only one of the 36 original massive exterior columns still stands. Remnants of the other exterior and the 14 interior columns are still in the area.
Temple of Hera
Near the Temple of Zeus is the Temple of Hera. This was my favorite stop on the tour, because it is here where the Olympic flame for our modern games is lit! Since 1936, the Olympic flame is lit here using a parabolic mirror to concentrate the rays of the sun. That flame is then carried to all parts of the world before each of the games. This temple was dedicated to Hera, queen of the Greek gods. It was the oldest temple at Olympia, built around 590 BC.
Crypt and Stadium
Another really cool area of this site is the main Stadium. The crypt (the arched walkway) is a dramatic entrance to the stadium itself. This stadium was the site of many of the sporting events at the ancient Olympic Games. It also hosted the shot put events during the 2004 Summer Olympics. Measuring 697.3 feet long and 98-112 feet wide, it is a large area where many running events were held. The white line running across the width near one end was the starting line.
The bases that line the entrance to the stadium, once held elaborate statues of Zeus. If an athlete was caught cheating (apparently, bribing your competitors to let you win was a common practice!), they would be charged a fine. Those fines were used to erect the statues. The names of the cheaters, along with the names of their family members, were added to the statue so everyone knew who had cheated.
We ended our tour after visiting the stadium and made our way back to the main entrance, spotting a few more interesting areas along the way. As with most of my other stops on this cruise, there were plenty of cats wandering around this site as well! This one was smart enough to find a nice spot in the shade on this warm and sunny morning.
Visiting Modern Olympia
After visiting the archaeological site, we had some free time to wander through the quaint village of Olympia. This is a small area near the archaeological site, full of small shops, galleries, and restaurants. I popped into a few different shops and got things from my list (something for my curio, something to hang on my wall, and something for my Christmas tree).
Back to the Ship
After a fun morning in Olympia, we headed back to the ship. I enjoyed a delicious light lunch out on the patio of The Marketplace restaurant. From my table, I had a great view of the boats coming and going. I fueled up at lunch and then headed out to explore Katakolon.
Katakolon
The village of Katakolon is absolutely gorgeous. Situated right at the water is an area of shops and restaurants. Many people were out and about on this beautiful afternoon.
A Relaxing Afternoon
Once I finished exploring Katakolon, I headed back to the ship to relax by the pool. I enjoyed a scoop of strawberry gelato and a refreshing pina colada while lounging in the sun. An afternoon lounging by a pool in Greece does not suck!
Sail Away and Captain’s Reception
We had a late afternoon sail away, which I enjoyed from the Promenade Deck just outside of my suite. During sail away, Crystal always plays, “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong. Once back inside, I got to savor this afternoon’s canape selection before getting ready for the evening. The first event of the evening was the Captain’s Reception in the Starlite Club. Our Captain Tonci Hladilo and many of the senior crew were there to greet us. I enjoyed a glass of champagne while enjoying the music by the band. I also finally had a chance to meet our Cruise Director, Russ (pictured below), tonight! We have a few mutual friends from my time on Azamara Cruises, so it was great to meet him and chat a bit.
Dinner at Osteria D’Ovidio
Tonight’s dinner was in the other specialty restaurant onboard – Osteria D’Ovidio. This one is Italian and offers delicious choices from both northern and southern Italy. I settled into my wonderful table right next to the windows. A small amuse buche was first up. A delicious assortment of Italian breads with a very nice olive oil soon followed. My starter was Astiche (lobster in Acquasale, tomato essence, and basil olive oil). From there I enjoyed my pasta course, a delicious Risotto Agli Scampi (risotto with scampi, caramelized onion, and Malga butter). A main course of Filetto di Spignota Cotto al Sale (salt baked sea bass, tarragon, sauce, Swiss chard) was phenomenal. I chose the selection of Italian cheese to round out my fantastic meal.
My view from my dinner table was wonderful! I got to enjoy a beautiful sunset as I worked my way through my fabulous meal.
Conclusion
Even though this was a last-minute addition to our itinerary, it was a lovely place to spend a glorious day! I really enjoyed the morning excursion to Ancient Olympia and learning more about the fascinating history of the area and the ongoing efforts to excavate more of the site. The port of Katakolon itself is also really pretty, and it was a great area to just wander around and enjoy during the afternoon.
Links
Check the main page for this cruise to read more about my adventures:
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