The Peloponnese is linked to Attica by the Isthmus of Corinth, now breached by the Corinth Canal. It is a vast and mountainous peninsula which was also known in the Middle Ages as Morea. The landmass is made up of high peaks, inland basins and irrigated coastal plains.
The eastern coastal plain, the Argolid, which is dominated by the citadels of Argos and Mycenae, is devoted to cereals, as well as orchards and market gardens.
In the north there is a fertile coastal strip divided into Corinth (east) and Achaia (west), home of one of my favourite wines Nemea. The vines which are cultivated to produce wine and raisins often alternate with rows of vegetables or fruit trees (oranges).
Down the west coast lies the plain of Elis (Ilia), which has been successively reclaimed since the Middle Ages.
The southern coast is split into three promontories; the longest, an extension of the Taygetos massif, is Mani, limestone region.
Taygetos is flanked by alluvial plains, free from winter frost: Lakonia round Sparta and Messinia round Kalamata. Crops include grain and early vegetables while the figs and olives of Kalamata are well known for their quality.
This webpage created by Elizabeth Van Rij