When I saw Katakolon was one of the stops on our Mediterranean Cruise itinerary, I had never heard about it and had no idea what it was about. After a quick research, I realized this is the island in Greece I’m looking mostvfirward to visiting!

Katakolon is a small port and beach town in western Greece, facing the Ionian Sea. It is the second busiest port in all of Greece, after Piraeus. And it’s most famous for Olympia, the ancient site where the Olympic Games were born in the 8th century BC –basically, the reason cruise ships stop there at all.

Being not so into ruins or spending the whole day on a shore excursion, we decided to skip Olympia altogether and explore Katakolon on our own. It was the best thing we did.

Turns out the day we will spend in Katakolon will be spent with locals who have lived there for decades. A real Greek Iskand Experience! . You will get to grasp a more authentic side of Greece, not always easy to see in more manicured places like Santorini.

So here’s what to see, do and taste for a perfect day in Katakolon.

Remaining article credit: The Yogi Wanderer

Stroll around town

Upon our arrival to Katakolon early in the morning we found our way to the small seaside town, where a horde of travel agents was expecting the cruise passengers with information about all kinds of tourist excursions and programs available from Katakolon.

We passed them all, and strolled around the picturesque streets, full of souvenir shops, little cafes, and tavernas, and along the harbor, aligned with restaurants and bars admiring the sea.

The town itself is pretty small and you can see everything in less than an hour. 

Enjoy the breathtaking views

We still had a lot of time on our hands, so we decided to take the Katakolon Fun Tourist Train and explore further away, for only 6 Euros each (price for adults).

From the moment we departed from Katakolon into the countryside, I felt we were entering real Greece – a country made of green hills and valleys, vineyards and olive gropes, typical villages and crystal blue waters.

If only for the views of the landscape and the Ionian Sea, this train ride is well worth taking. We even got to experience a true Greek traffic jam, a.k.a. a flock of sheep that made the train and other vehicles slow down their pace.

Taste the local wine

The first stop on our train guided tour was the Mercouri Estate and Winery, where we were greeted by the owners and their cat.

Surrounded by 40 acres of vineyards, the Mercouri Winery is run by the fourth generation of the Mercoury family and is the second oldest estate in Greece. It was founded in 1864 and has over 150 years of history in the production of wine and olive oil.

Today, it grows more than 15 varieties of grape of both Greek and international origin and produces 13 different wines, as well as olive oil. Most of its products have repeatedly won international awards for their exceptional quality.

We paid 3 Euros for the admission ticket, which included a glass of red or white wine and a free walking around the property, where you can admire the family’s original residence and a small private church, the outside wine production area, and vineyards that stretch far out of sight. There are also peacocks, cats, dogs, geese, and a goat.

I really enjoyed wandering around the farm savoring its authentic rural charm and great wine!

Go to the beach

After our visit to the Mercouri Estate, we caught the next train to our last stop – Agios Andreas beach (you can jump in and out of the tourist trains with the same ticket).

Agios Andreas is a lovely little beach and beautiful bay, located in a tinny village with the same name. There’s a bar/restaurant just above the beach and loungers and umbrellas on the sand for the guests.

We visited in late October but the day was really hot and sunny, so we came prepared with our swimming suits – and we were so happy that we did it!

The beach is a bit rocky when you first enter the water, but if you go a little further away you can have a wonderful swim. Not to mention the temperature of the water, that was just perfect. We couldn’t help but spend a long time splashing around and playing underwater with my GoPro.

Unfortunately, we then had to hurry up to catch the last train back to Katakolon, but I can’t recommend this beach enough!