Ruins of temple dedicated to Zeus at Olympia. Image is of 3 tall stone pilllars with a crossbeam of stone at the top, all of which forms the front of the ruined temple. The pillars are a recreation of the original, which are fallen in the background.

Ancient Olympia

Posted on by Lois T.

Site of the original Olympic Games

Olympia is located in the northeastern Peloponnese region of Greece, nestled into a lush, green valley filled with trees and surrounded by dramatic hills and cliffs.

This is the site of the original Olympic Games which took place in 776 BC as part of a festival honoring the god Zeus and continued to be held every 4 years to bring people together. Differences were set aside and truces were called to allow participants and spectators safe passage from far and wide. There was a gap in the games for some time, but they resumed again in the 1800’s as we know them to exist today.

According to the official International Olympic Committee website, the rumors that the original athletes competed naked is true! They were covered in oil, had to abide by only two rules (no biting or gouging), and were encouraged not to grab other competitors by the genitals.

The site is quite expansive with the foundations of many temples, monuments, a manor house where Emperor Nero once resided, and the original Olympic competition field where thousands of people gathered on the sloped sidelines to cheer on the athletes. The field itself looks like many other fields – a rectangular area of packed gravel with an area for athletes to gather and prepare to compete – but the remarkable part is standing in the same place where athletes from nearly 3000 years ago stood and looked out over the same expanse.


The museum on site is not very large and doesn’t take too long to go through, but it is worth it even if only to get to the end and see the display of statues that were excavated in Olympia. The size of many of the statues is remarkable and the detail is fascinating. There is a part of the display that explains the tools and methods used to get the folds of the garments carved from the marble, which was interesting.

This is definitely a site worth seeing and the village of Olympia is worth a visit. There are many shops, as expected, but also a good selection of coffee shops and restaurants offering shaded outdoor seating – all only a block from the entrance to the archaeological site.

Another of the many wonders of Greece..

Where to Stay:

We stayed in the fishing village and port of Katakolo, which is located about 35 minutes by car from Olympia. This is a small village which caters to the cruise ships, and consists of the usual shops, restaurants, and coffee cafes. The village is quaint, but when the cruise ships dock, it is very busy, and the view of the sea is blocked by large ships. We didn’t find the beaches right on the edge of town to be attractive, but perhaps the beaches across the small bay are better. Paralia Kourouta, which was 25 minutes north of Katakolo, was beautiful and where we plan to stay next time we visit the area. It is a long stretch of sand backed by a long boardwalk with restaurants and shops overlooking the sea.

Orizontes Hotel

We stayed at Orizontes Hotel our first night in Katakolo and thought it was definitely worth it (costs about $120 per night) because of the stunning views, expansive verandas, and spacious rooms with balconies. The breakfast buffet included was quite good and included eggs, breads, pastries, yogurt, cereals, juices, and coffee.

The hotel is on the top of the hill in the middle of the peninsula with Katakolo below on the east side and overlooks the port. Our room overlooked the west side of the peninsula which had spectaculars views of the sea and the sunset. It was a very quiet area and had a nice breeze for a hot day.

Images taken at Orizontes Hotel in Katakolo, Greece. Clockwise from top left: Wooden deck with pink flowers and a stone thigh-high wall overlooking the coastline below of Katakolo with mountains in the background; Sunset over the Ionian Sea as seen from the deck of the hotel with a long swath of green trees leading to the sea where the blue of the water blends into the orange, yellow, and pink of the setting sun; Another view of the harber below the deck of the hotel with more flowers visible and a low table with two chairs overlooking the view; View of the harbor at night with the lights of the large harbor area, the village, and dotting the beach visible for a long distance and reflecting in the water where dark silhouettes float of the moored sailboats; the same view as the night view of the harbor but in the early morning with yellow flowers in the foreground and the expanse of the harbor, village, and beach below; An old, bright red Vespa scooter sitting in the entry way of the hotel next to potted flowers and against the stone wall of the hotel, making a very quaint and quintessential Greek scene.

Althea Apartments

I failed to get photos of this hotel, but I highly recommend it! Although it has “apartments” in the name, it is available for nightly rentals, but the rooms are very much like an apartment. Althea Apartments is located a few blocks from the water and the port, and the rooms were very roomy, very well kept, included a kitchenette, and a large balcony with a nice view of the sea and port. The hotel was bright, open and airy, clean, included a really good breakfast buffet, and the staff was amazing. There was ample parking available and it was easy to find as it is on the main road through Katakolo.

Photos courtesty of Althea Apartments website...

Althea Apartments hotel in Katakolo, Greece. Left side of the split image is the outside front of the hotel, which is built into the hill and has large, green trees visible behind the hotel. Right side of the image is the view from the stone deck of the village in front which is dotted with trees and out to the curving coastline and harbor.