After Tiryns, we rushed to Epidaurus to be there before the last entrance time crosses and gladly we made it. The best thing about Epidaurus is, currently it is being restored (like Athens), so some of the monuments have been reconstructed already and some are being done now; tourism is well promoted, and the Greek Ministry of Culture has also come up with an app (link below) for the perfect self-guided visit! Its a vaaaaaast area and a huuuuge complex, so give it a couple hours in your itinerary.
However since we were guided by Vassilis of WithLocals, he took us straight to the most important location within Epidaurus - the Theatre! This is one of the largest theaters in Peloponnese which has the seating capacity of 12000-14000. The magnificence of the theatre is only a part of the awe! It has crazy acoustics. It wasn't too crowded when we went with hardly 10-15 people in the theatre. Ofcourse Vassilis took it on himself to do a demo - we sat atop, almost 2/3rd rows away from the centre stage and Vassilis got there to the centre and guess what, we could hear his slightest voice and when others weren't noisy, we could even hear his footsteps across the stage, all the way upto my point!
By this time, we were really really tired and we just walked past the other structures in the complex including, Propylaia, Ision etc and headed to the exit where quite a few cats were waiting to talk to Atyudarini!!!
Here's a tip: It is NOT wheelchair or stroller friendly!
Entry Tickets & Timings:
Epidavrus: €12 (€6 in winter)
Timings (for both): 8:30AM to 5:00PM (winters); 8:00AM to 8:00PM (spring & summer); 8:00AM to 6-7:30PM (autumn)
To Get There:
On Google Maps: Epidaurus
From Athens: Several tour operators have private or group daytrips to Epidaurus (along with Mykinos & Nafplio). I took the Private tour of Peloponnese by WithLocals with the awesome guide Vassilis (€15 discount code).
By Public Transport: Refer to my earlier post.
My complete -
Peloponnese Travelogue: Day trip to Peloponnese, Mycenae & Tiryns, Epidaurus
Attica Travelogue: Athens, Daphni Monastery
Central Mainland Travelogue: Delphi, Hosios Loukas Monastery
My complete -
Peloponnese Travelogue: Day trip to Peloponnese, Mycenae & Tiryns, Epidaurus
Attica Travelogue: Athens, Daphni Monastery
Central Mainland Travelogue: Delphi, Hosios Loukas Monastery
Wow! This looks so amazing! I long due for visiting Greece, and I have never been at the Peloponnese. There must be so many interesting historical sites to see with so many stories behind them. Like this one too. Just so beautiful! And looks like you had the place just for yourselves!
ReplyDeleteLove it when locals introduce you to something you might have missed. I can just imagine that theatre being filled out in its hay day. Although I would hate to picture the type of gladiator games that might have take place there. This is really making me excited for my up coming trip.
ReplyDeleteI always love reading about historical sites like this. Looks like it would take a couple of days to see the whole place properly. Good that you shared the tips about accessibility. Will keep it in mind.
ReplyDeleteWhat an incredible part of Greece to see. I think most people tend to stay in Athens, or visit the more touristy areas. I myself haven't been here, and what a shame. Those ruins are incredible, and the theatre reminds me of the one in Sicily. Incredible.
ReplyDeleteGreat that you made it to Epidaurus in time, it would have been such a shame to miss this site. The theatre does look impressive, imagine what it must have been like in its heyday! Thanks for the tip about the uneven access, that's a really helpful thing to know.
ReplyDeleteThis is good news. Happy that they are restoring the place. We would love to visit once the work has been completed. Thank you for sharing all these updates about tourism in Greece. These are really good to know and very encouraging.
ReplyDeleteHow crazy to be able to stand in a place built in 1600 BC. I can't even fathom how long ago that was. I have always wanted to visit the ruins of either Greece or Rome for this very reason. Just to witness the ingenuity that went into the architecture and the acoustics like you mentioned.
ReplyDeleteFantastic view and pictures of sceneries look so mesmerizing. I will surely try to visit Greece. It’s a great post. I love traveling and want to travel all over the world. Thanks for sharing this post.
ReplyDeleteWoW what a well planned and informative trip! With Epidaurus being under construction were there a lot of things that were off limit? The Sanctuary of Asklepios and Artemis sounds so amazing. I bet you could just feel all the energy from hundreds of years gone by as you explored the grounds
ReplyDeletegreat explained blog thanks .
ReplyDeleteI've always had a great experience using WithLocals - they really do know best. And it looks like you got an in depth tour of all the best stuff to see!
ReplyDeleteI don't even know how they managed to figure out acoustics like that; even modern theaters don't seem to be able to seat 12,000-14,000 people and have acoustics like that! Makes you wonder what they know about engineering that we can't seem to figure out. Nor can I quite wrap my head around 2800 BCE. Sounds like WithLocals is a great company to use - thank you for sharing this interesting site! What kind of events do they put on in the theater?
ReplyDeleteWow! Your tour is really awesome! I like it that the local government dutifully and diligently preserved these priceless historical/cultural sites. And I do hope it stays that way; left unguarded, irresponsible vandals will not hesitate to destroy these structures.
ReplyDeleteVisiting Greece still remains somewhat of a dream for us considering that we are from the Philippines. Getting a European visa constitutes a challenge. But who knows?
Epidaurus looks like an incredible spot to see in Greece! It's wonderful to hear that it is being restored like Athens. I love places like this, that are less touristy than the main areas. Would love to see it someday!
ReplyDeleteI've always wanted to visit Greece, it has such a unique and interesting history. I'd love to spend a month here taking tours like this one, learning the language, and sampling all the food. Maybe someday I'll get that lucky.
ReplyDeleteIt is truly amazing to see these remains, and making us realized how advance they are. They also know how to entertainment themselves!
ReplyDeleteWow! I've never been to Greece but it seems absolutely incredible. I feel like tours get a bad rep some times but I've really enjoyed the ones I've been on and it seems like yours was great too.
ReplyDeleteThere's really just no shortage of dramatic, historic sites in Greece to be honest, but this seems like another one worth adding to the list!
ReplyDeleteThose historic sites look breathtaking! I can't even imagine how they built such a massive theater with amazing acoustics in those era!
ReplyDeleteI have to admit I love to see ancient ruins of Greek or Roman Empires. I have been only to Athens, but saw a lot of Lycian ruins in TUrkey and Roman in Algeria. Stunning!
ReplyDeleteI have always had the best experience using WithLocals... they always know the lay of the land and all the hidden gems to show you. Looks like an amazing trip!
ReplyDeleteHi Bhushavali! I appreciate your efforts! Thanks for sharing about Epidaurus! However, I have heard a lot about Evros Greece! I would love to hear about that too.
ReplyDelete