Situated on the western edge of the Peloponnese, Katakolon is close to the archeological site of Olympia, which can be easily visited from here.

Olympia is the site of the first Panhellenic Games, forerunners of todayâs Olympic Games, held in 776 BC. From the archaeological zone you can view the running track, Temple of Hera and the Sanctuary of Zeus, king of the Gods.

Competitors in the ancient games had to be Greek, born free (not slaves) and without criminal convictions. The oldest contests were foot races, but eventually the challenges grew to include warrior games, a pantathalon, wrestling and chariot races.

As with the modern games, which were revived in 1896, the original games took place every four years. But in the ancient games all competitors were male and competed in the nude. The winnerâs reward was an olive oil branch and a wreath said to be from a tree planted by Hercules.

Standing on the banks of the River Alfios, Olympia is today a beautiful, green and placid place. Although many of its ancient buildings have been reduced to mere foundations, and others were rebuilt by the Romans and Byzantines, enough survives to make it very easy to picture what life must have been like in its heyday.

One of the most evocative ruins is that of the Doric Temple of Zeus, once as large as the Parthenon in Athens. This temple once housed the great gold and ivory (chryselephantine) statue of Zeus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.