The spring season, when nature is at its finest, is an ideal time to travel in Greece, to destinations offering fascinating pasts and abundant beauty. This is the best time of the year to leave behind the big city and head out to provincial cities, towns and villages that are laid back and offer superior life quality.

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We took off on our journey in a car whose dynamism and personality captivates, the new and very impressive Peugeot 308 Hybrid 180 e-ΕΑΤ8, making the most of its new Peugeot i-Cockpit and innovative technologies.

We headed towards our three destinations, each featuring distinctive highlights. First, we headed south to modern Greece’s previous capital, Nafplio, in northeastern Peloponnese, while, for our next drive, we visited Monemvasia, the historic city in the southeast of the Peloponnese that is renowned for its medieval fortress. Our third trip was northbound, to the mountainous Pelion area, on the mainland’s east, where we visited lovely villages and enjoyed the marvellous nature.

The overall feeling generated by the new Peugeot 308 Hybrid 180 e-ΕΑΤ8 following these trips fully justifies the car’s fine reputation. Also, this car’s appearance makes it irresistible at first sight. The particular model is the first, worldwide, to sport the car maker’s redesigned logo, at the front of the car. The logo remains timeless, combining history with ultra-modern style. Directly above, on the edge of the bonnet, the new 308 logo, displayed in sleek, modern type, signals the future look of the car brand’s models.

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Corinth Canal. Photo: Shutterstock

Nafplio

Lovely Nafplio’s features include Acronauplia, the Inner Castle, or oldest part of the city; Palamidi, the fortress to the east of the Acronauplia; Bourtzi, the Venetian water castle; as well as the modern town. Nafplio is constantly developing, as suggested by new wine bars, guesthouses, as well as restaurants, constantly popping up to reinvigorate the town with a new cosmopolitan feel. Taking off from Athens, we needed less than two hours on the road to reach Nafplio. Along the way, we made a slight detour at the Corinth Canal to inspect the view offered by the isthmus, a pivotal project for shipping and a trademark feature of Greece in the previous century.

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Palamidi/Photo: Shutterstock
Bourtzi, Nafplio/Photo: Shutterstock

A total of 13 years were needed to complete this canal, which was launched in 1893. Initial thoughts to develop this project, separating the Peloponnese from mainland Greece, date as far back as the 7th century BC, when the tyrant Periander considered its development. The canal has been closed since January, 2021, as a result of a landslide. We headed back onto the highway in our Peugeot 308 Hybrid 180 e-ΕΑΤ8, making the most of the wireless mirroring system for the mobile, opting, on this occasion, to use google maps for navigation. We swiftly reached the Argolida region, the road cutting through plains with citrus trees that were filled with oranges and lemons. We stopped briefly to enjoy the delightful scent.

Upon entering the town, we wanted a first impression from an elevated position so we headed up to the iconic Palamidi fortress, built by the Venetians in 1714 with the aim of reinforcing their military and naval operations. It has eight bastions, is built 216 metres above sea level, and offers superb views of the city and the Argolic Gulf. The fortress has 857 steps, but legend has insisted on 999, too good a figure to dispute or spoil.

From the fortress, we could see the renowned Arvanitia rock, which we would visit later, for a walk along its lovely trail.

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Nafplio / Photo: Shutterstock
Nafplio/ Photo: Unsplash

The unrivalled view got us in the mood to explore so we headed down to the town, where we spent considerable time strolling about its gorgeous alleys while enjoying the sun. We covered Syntagma Square, the city’s main square surrounded by historic buildings, as well as the esplanade, offering a view of the Bourtzi water castle, in the middle of Nafplio’s harbour, nearly 400 metres from the coast. An island-fortress, this monument is built on the islet Agioi Theodoroi. A first fortress was built in 1473. Additions and corrections ensued at various stages. The Greek government took refuge at the Bourtzi water castle twice following Greece’s liberation from Ottoman rule for protection when the nation fell into civil strife. Everyday life on Nafplio is special, the sea, fresh air, and charming sense of history being key parts of it.

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Monemvasia/ Photo: Christos Vrettos
Monemvasia/ Photo: Christos Vrettos

Monemvasia

We took the highway, which reaches as far as Sparta, and continued towards Skala and Molaoi. Slightly less than four hours later, we were standing before the amazing rock of Monemvasia. The destination, an island linked to the mainland by a short causeway, combines castles, mansions, cobbled paths and Byzantine-era remnants, all made even more special by the sincerity of locals. Historic Monemvasia is a crossroad of civilisations. The passage of time has left its mark in an insurmountable way.

Passing through the medieval tower town’s entrance is like going back in time. The settlement was established in the 6th century BC by the Lacedaemonians and went through various stages. In 1821, when the Greek Revolution began, Monemvasia was the first fortified town to be liberated. It is divided into two sections, each at different levels with separate fortification. Pano Poli, the upper town, nowadays uninhabited, hosts remnants of buildings, both Byzantine and post-Byzantine. It includes Agia Sofia, an octagonal church with a dome. On the contrary, Kato Poli, the lower city, continues to be inhabited and hosts significant monuments such as Elkomenos Christos, a triple-aisled vaulted basilica with a dome, as well as a mosque.

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Monemvasia/ Photo: Shutterstock
Monemvasia/ Photo: Christos Vrettos

We used the infotainment i-Connect system, which made our journey even more pleasant, with direct access to music, air conditioning, navigation and telephone. We spent some time driving around the region’s rich nature, seeing rare natural monuments and unique settings. We were truly impressed by the Kastania cave, one of Europe’s richest, as well as by the Agia Marina petrified forest, renowned for its uniqueness and palaeontological interest. The area’s wildlife sanctuaries, Zaraka wetlands, 13 listed traditional settlements, crystal-clear waters at the Myrtoan Sea, as well as the small coastal town Neapoli are highlights.

Pelion

Our next destination was Pelion in the mainland’s east. Though Pelion is regarded as a mountain for all four seasons, spring is a perfect time to visit and marvel at gorgeous villages with singular architecture and the rich surrounding nature. We fully utilised the comfort and safety features of the Peugeot 308 Hybrid 180 e-ΕΑΤ8 to enjoy our drives to lush settings, springs gushing crystal-clear water, as well as sensational views of the Pagasetic Gulf.

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Panoramic view of Portaria, on the western slopes of Mount Pelion/Photo: Shutterstock
Fakistra/Photo: Shutterstock

We strolled along the cobbled paths, observed old mansions and visited delightful guesthouses. The Pelion mountain range is forested with tall beech trees, plane trees, wild chestnut trees, oak trees, pines, as well as orchards, at lower levels, with olive groves and apple trees. Nature lovers have plenty to choose from in this area, including trekking, mountain biking, horse riding, as well as diving and fishing at blue waters and superb beaches, both on the side of the Aegean Sea and within the rounded Pagasetic Gulf.

The weather was sweet and we enjoyed our time spent at Portaria’s square. We headed up all the way to Makrinitsa and continued driving in our Peugeot 308 Hybrid 180 e-ΕΑΤ8 at the Taxiarchon monastery area in the Agios Georgios Nileias village.

We also drove to Kissos, Mouresi and Tsagarada along routes offering beautiful greenery and sensational views of the Aegean Sea. We headed down towards Milina and Trikeri. The Peugeot 308 Hybrid 180 e-ΕΑΤ – with a hybrid plug-in engine delivering combined power of 180 hp, plus an automatic gear box – was cruising along one of mainland Greece’s loveliest country roads.

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A magical journey through the fir forests and settlements of Arcadia