Katakolon, Greece | Cruise port of call | CruiseBe
✖
0
No votes yet

Read reviews
Leave reviews

Katakolo, Greece

Katakolo (Greek: Κατάκολο) is a seaside town in the municipality of

Pyrgos

in western Elis, Greece. It is situated on a headland overlooking the Ionian Sea and separating the Gulf of Kyparissia from the rest of the Ionian. It is 11 km west of downtown Pyrgos. The small village of

Agios Andreas

, which in ancient times was the natural harbor for Ancient Olympia, lies northwest of Katakolo. A railway connects Katakolo with Pyrgos and

Olympia

, but along with the rest of the rail network in the Peloponnese, services have been suspended since 2011 for economic reasons.

In... Read more

✖

Katakolo, Greece

Destination:
Mediterranean
Katakolo (Greek: Κατάκολο) is a seaside town in the municipality of

Pyrgos

in western Elis, Greece. It is situated on a headland overlooking the Ionian Sea and separating the Gulf of Kyparissia from the rest of the Ionian. It is 11 km west of downtown Pyrgos. The small village of

Agios Andreas

, which in ancient times was the natural harbor for Ancient Olympia, lies northwest of Katakolo. A railway connects Katakolo with Pyrgos and

Olympia

, but along with the rest of the rail network in the Peloponnese, services have been suspended since 2011 for economic reasons.

In the Middle Ages, Katakolo was the site of the fortress of Pontikon or Pontikokastro (Ποντικόν, Ποντικόκαστρο), which the Frankish rulers of the Principality of Achaea called Beauvoir or Belveder. The fortress was built by the Byzantines and taken over by the Franks ca. 1205.
Source:
Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0
✖

Katakolo, Greece: Port Information


Cruise ships plying the Adriatic Sea call on the very small port of Katakolon and dock at its jetty, from where it is a five-minute walk to Katakolon. Each cruising season, hundreds of cruise ships call on Katakolon, bringing hundreds of thousands of passengers to the beautiful region of the Peloponnese, eager to visit Olympia, about 18 miles east of Katakolon. There are several options to get from Katakolon to Olympia, including by prepaid ship excursions, by tours, by taxi, or by rental cars (Avis has its office opposite the port). Many transportation options can be negotiated at the various vendors located next to the Katakolon pier.
 
✖

Get around Katakolo, Greece


Katakolon Express is a private bus service between Katakolo and Olympia designed for cruisers. Must reserve online at least a week before your arrival. 

Taxi. Scores of taxis appear whenever a cruise ship docks. Rates are negotiable.
✖

What to see in Katakolo, Greece


The port of Katakolo is a popular stop for cruise ships, offering an opportunity for passengers to visit the site of Olympia. Low hills with forests surround Katakolo. Visitors here have the opportunity to visit the ancient port of Olympia, the sunken ancient city of Pheia. Ancient Pheia was on the other side of the mountain of Ichthys, now Agios Andreas, within walking distance of Katakolo port. The lighthouse of Katakolo was built in 1865. One of the most important sites of Katakolo is the Museum of Ancient Greek Technology.

In 2017 a Greek and Worldwide Mythology Park (exhibition) was established, situated in Katakolo square, where you can see mythical monsters like Cerberus, Minotaurus, Chimaera and Centaur, and it has the form of a labyrinth.

The remains of the medieval Pontikokastro/Beauvoir castle still stand on a hilltop northeast of the modern port, but the castle is mostly ruined and its original appearance can only be surmised.
✖

What to do in Katakolo, Greece


Take a stroll around the town - it's authentic and really charming. It is small, and you can easily explore it on foot with stops in cozy cafes and souvenir shops. 
Enjoy a sightseeing tour on a tourist train.
Take a trip on a Beer Bike.
Spend time on the beautiful beach.
Otherwise, you can visit Olympia. 
✖

What to eat and drink in Katakolo, Greece


Eat

  • "Psistaria" or "Souvla" (meaning broiled food in general and also the broiling apparatus)
  • Gourounopoula (Roasted Pig),
  • Arnaki Souvlas (Roasted Lamb)
  • Kontosouvli (turn-roasted pieces of pork usually)
  • Pasto (smoked pork)
  • Loukaniko (regional sausage with orange) from the South area
  • Kokoras Krasatos / Kokoras Horiatikos (rooster in wine sauce/country cooked rooster)
  • Gida vrasti (goat stew), from the northeast area.
Any of the local production of Olives (especially southwest), Grapes (especially northeast) and Oranges (especially northeast).

Other typical Greek foods, such as Horiatiki Salata (Mixed salad), Tyri Saganaki (fried cheese), Kokkinisto (tomato sauce stew), Tyropitakia(cheese pies), Souvlaki, Pastitsio (pasta in the oven), Gemista (stuffed vegetables) etc.

Drink

  • Ouzo, (liquor)
  • Tsipouro, grapes made liquor
  • Agiorgitiko, white dry wine
  • Mavrodafni, sweet dark red wine in the Patras area
  • Moschato, sweet red wine
  • Moschofilero, white dry wine
  • Xinomavro, red dry wine
  • Frappe (coffee)
✖

Shopping in Katakolo, Greece


You can buy ceramics, sculptures, olive oil, natural cosmetics products, things made from olive wood, paintings, and many other beautiful souvenirs and gifts in numerous lovely souvenir shops in Katakolo.
✖

Safety in Katakolo, Greece


In general, Greece is quite a safe place to visit, although the notorious dangers can be found here as well. Pickpockets may occur.
✖

Language spoken in Katakolo, Greece


Greek is spoken in this town, as are the usual foreign languages like English or German to cater to tourists.

LOCAL TIME

1:39 am
April 21, 2021
Europe/Athens

CURRENT WEATHER

15.6 °C / 60.08 °F
scattered clouds
Thu

15.85 °C/61 °F
light rain 		Fri

18.29 °C/65 °F
light rain 		Sat

20.56 °C/69 °F
light rain 		Sun

17.65 °C/64 °F
sky is clear

LOCAL CURRENCY

EUR

Travelers recommend visiting the following places of interests



Chlemoutsi, Katakolo, Greece
Average: 9.8 (10 votes)

Chlemoutsi (Greek: Χλεμούτσι or Χλουμούτσι) is a medieval castle in the northwest of the Elis regional unit in the Peloponnese peninsula of southern Greece, in the Kastro-Kyllini municipality. It was built in the early 1220s by the Crusader rulers of the Principality of Achaea as their main stronghold, and is perhaps the finest fortification of...
Temple of Hera, Katakolo, Greece
Average: 9.2 (11 votes)

The Temple of Hera, or Heraion, is an ancient Archaic Greek temple at Olympia, Greece, that was dedicated to Hera, queen of the Greek Gods. The temple was built in approximately 590 BC, but was destroyed by an earthquake in the early 4th century AD. In the Archaic Greek time period, the temple stored items important to Greek culture, and other...
Museum of Ancient Greek Technology, Katakolo
Average: 9.7 (10 votes)

The Museum of Ancient Greek Technology is a museum in Katakolo, Elis, Greece. It was founded by Kostas Kotsanas and holds 200 operating reconstructions of mechanisms and inventions of the ancient Greeks covering the period from 2200 BC to 100 AD. It is approximately 500 meters from the pier. The tour is conducted in English / French by the...
Temple of Zeus, Katakolo, Greece
Average: 9.1 (10 votes)

The Temple of Zeus at Olympia was an ancient Greek temple in Olympia, Greece, dedicated to the god Zeus. The temple, built between 472 and 456 BCE, was the very model of the fully developed classical Greek temple of the Doric order.   Setting The temple was probably established towards the end of the Mycenaean period. The Altis, the...
Archaeological Museum of Olympia, Katakolo, Greece
Average: 9.6 (10 votes)

The Archaeological Museum of Olympia (Greek: Αρχαιολογικό Μουσείο Ολυμπίας) is one of the great museums of Greece in Olympia, Elis, and houses artifacts found in the archaeological site of Ancient Olympia. History of the museum The museum was built opposite the excavation site in a valley northwest of the Kronion hill. Designed by Patroklos...
Elis, Katakolo, Greece
Average: 9.1 (11 votes)

Elis /ˈɛlɨs/ or Eleia /ɛˈlaɪ.ə/ (Greek, Modern: Ήλιδα Ilida, Ancient: Ἦλις Ēlis; Doric: Ἆλις Alis; Elean: Ϝαλις Walis, ethnonym: Ϝαλειοι) is an ancient district that corresponds to the modern Elis regional unit. Elis is in southern Greece on the Peloponnesos peninsula, bounded on the north by Achaea, east by Arcadia, south by Messenia, and west by...
Zakynthos, Katakolo, Greece
Average: 9.5 (10 votes)

Zakynthos (Greek: Ζάκυνθος ˈzacinθos) or Zante (/ˈzɑːnti, -teɪ, ˈzæn-/; from Venetian) is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the third largest of the Ionian Islands. Zakynthos is a separate regional unit of the Ionian Islands region, and its only municipality. It covers an area of 410 km2 (158 sq mi) and its coastline is roughly 123 km (76 mi...
Pheia, Katakolo, Greece
Average: 8.9 (10 votes)

Pheia (Ancient Greek: Φειά, also Φειαί - Pheiai) was a small town and a port in Elis in the ancient country of Pisatis. It was built in a natural bay at today's Agios Andreas, Katakolo. It was destroyed in the 6th century. It was located on the isthmus connecting the cape of Katakolo with the mainland, near the river Iardanus. During the...
Olympia, Katakolo, Greece
Average: 9.4 (10 votes)

Olympia (Greek: Ὀλυμπία; Ancient Greek: ˈolympia; Modern Greek: oliˈbia Olympía), a sanctuary of ancient Greece in Elis on the Peloponnese peninsula, is known for having been the site of the Olympic Games in classical times. The Olympic Games were held every four years throughout Classical Antiquity, from the 8th century BC to the 4th...
Pyrgos, Katakolo, Greece
Average: 8.8 (10 votes)

Pyrgos (Greek: Πύργος, meaning "tower") is the capital of the Elis regional unit in Greece. The city is located in the western part of the Peloponnese, in the middle of a plain, 4 kilometres (2 miles) from the Ionian Sea. The river Alfeios flows into sea about 7 km (4 mi) south of Pyrgos. The population of the town Pyrgos is 25,180, and of the...
See all places of interests

Latest travel blogs about Katakolo, Greece




Dull Katakolon


Katakolon  is a port of  Olympia , the birthplace of the Olympic Games. The city consists of one street and the population is only 600 people. Local guides like to joke: - Do you know what the highest building in our city is? - No! What? - Your ship! There are about 3000 people...

The first stop our ship made was in the small village of  Katakolon  near the ancient  Olympia . It is the birthplace of Olympic Games. By the way, we often mistakenly call them Olympiad. Actually, Olympiad is the time between Olympic Games. The exact history of the Olympic...
Read all articles