A Vulcano, Ancient History and Magical Mystras

If you have never seen a volcano, the Sousaki volcano is definitely worth a stop. Is it pretty? Neh. Can you see lava? Neh. So, why then?
Well, first of all, it is nice to stretch your legs after a 1-hour drive, and you can take a short walk here. You can reach the area by taking a short, small and rough-looking path by the olive trees.
Secondly, it is on your way, and third, although this sleeping volcano isn't active you can still smell the sulfur. And hey, how cool is it to walk on a volcano! More technical info here.

Park your car in the parking lot. From there it is a ten-minute walk to Acrocorinth. Don't forget to bring your water bottle.
Acrocorinth is considered the oldest and largest fort of Peloponnese. In ancient Corinth, which was one of the largest and most important cities of Greece, the castle on the rock hill was under the power of the god Helios, according to the myth. He later offered his throne to goddess Aphrodite. More info here.

You have arrived at the Tomb of Agamemnon, which is also called the Treasury of Atreus. It was constructed in ca. 1250 B.C. The Tomb of Agamemnon is one of the beehive tombs found in what used to be the ancient site of Mycenae, and this one is preserved very well.
Fun fact: despite its name, this tomb has nothing to do with Atreus, or with Agamemnon. You can go inside the tomb (which is pretty cool, right?) and see the funerary chamber that is over 13 meters high, and over 14 meters wide.
Read more about it here and here.
Opening hours: Monday - Sunday: 08:00 - 19:00

Time for lunch! And boy, the Greeks do know how to cook a great meal for you. You can enjoy typical Greek home-cooked dishes in this cozy tavern and get a coffee to go to take with you in the car on the way to the next stop.

You can take the highway to Mystras, but what is the fun in that? So let's take a d-tour on a nice bendy road.

A quick stop here to pay respects to the victims of the Nazi execution that took place here in 1944. There still is a memorial service here every year. You can see a news report about it here. From this ugly truth, it is time to go back on the road for a one-hour drive to a beautiful place.

Mystras is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is stunning to see. It is one of Peloponnese's most important historical sites for political, religious, intellectual, and financial reasons. Mystras has a lot of history to it. If you are into that, there is much information to gather. If you are bored with history, but like photography, Mystras is also worthwhile. The light in this place is stunning. The ancient buildings overgrown with beautiful flowers and little peek holes in the walls are a photographer's Valhalla!
If you want to visit the castle on top, there are two options: walk up to the castle (which is doable but quite the challenge because it is very steep and tiring) or visit the site first, and then get your car and drive the way up to the castle.
Open hours: Summer: 08:00 - 19:00 Winter: 08:30 - 15:30

Park your car and check into your hotel. Get some rest before dinner. Don't worry about sightseeing, you will have plenty of time for that tomorrow.

On the busy street in Sparta, there are many restaurants to find. Beware, the restaurant is closed on Sunday. At Kapari you can look out on the main square of the city. The food is good and fairly priced. A great atmospheric place to recap your day. Make sure you have an appetite because there will be a lot of food on your plate.

Settle in for a good night's sleep in this hotel in the center of Sparta. From here you will discover the city on foot tomorrow. But first, charge your battery after this great first day.