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This towering rock outside Corinth was the strongest natural fortification in ancient Greece. In Archaic times it was crowned by a famous temple to Aphrodite. The structures you see today are mostly medieval Turkish, often having been built over much older buildings. It is a hefty hike to the top, but the effort is rewarded with great views.

This 12th-century Byzantine convent and garden makes for a good day out from Nafplio. The nuns sell their own textiles.

Corinth’s location, between the Peloponnese and mainland Greece, made it a rich and powerful trading centre from Mycenaean times onwards. Material wealth was accompanied by a reputation for wild and licentious lifestyles, including polygamy and orgiastic cults, which St Paul addressed with great concern in the biblical Book of Corinthians . After the 19th century, Corinth declined into a small, unattractive city. Its attraction resides in the extensive remains of the ancient glories, especially the 6th-century BC Temple of Apollo, and the Roman Agora and Odeon.

Believed to be the longest continually inhabited town in Greece, the modern town sits right on top of the ancient one, leaving much to wonder about but little to see. Fortunately, the4th-century theatre and excellent museum are well worth visiting, and, if you have a car, drive to the medieval castles of Larissa and Aspis overlooking the plain immortalized by Homer.

This deserted early Helladic settlement is a delightful swimming spot. Nobel Laureate George Seferis thought so, too, in his ode to a place “unknown, forgotten by all, even Homer”.

The isthmus connecting mainland Greece to the Peloponnese frustrated sailors for thousands of years, forcing them to make long, dangerous journeys around the peninsula. Everyone from Alexander the Great to Roman emperors Nero and Caligula tried digging a canal, but success came only in 1893, when French engineers dynamited their way through the rock. Boats take about an hour to make the 6-km (4-mile) journey.

The 4th-century BC Theatre of Epidauros is one of the best sites in Greece, marvellously preserved and with astounding acoustics (see Hellenic Festival (Jun–Sep)). Outside the theatre is the sprawling Asklepion, an ancient spa and resort devoted to Asklepios, the god of health.

In recent years, the Greek wine industry has been gaining international acclaim, finally bringing serious cultivation techniques to its sun-drenched soils and indigenous grapes. Gaia is one of the best new vineyards, producing deep velvety wines from Nemea’s Aghiorghitiko red grapes.

Much of the ancient site has been destroyed, but archaeology fanatics will still want to see the Sanctuary of Poseidon and the stadium that hosted the Panhellenic Games.

A firm favourite with former president Constantine Karamanlis. Try the stuffed cabbage leaves and yiouvetsi (pasta with roasted meat), washed down with barrel retsina.