The second port of call in Greece is the small township of Katakolo. Katakolo has a population of around 600 (from the most recent figures I could find) and is the smallest port we visit. The area does not have a lot to offer unless you are willing to travel a little further. The location is one of the better points for cruise ship passengers to visit Olympia.
Katakolo
Due to the last two weeks being rather port intensive, I opted to explore on my own today. I knew the next few days would be quite busy with tours and ports to explore. The weather was perfect for just taking a walk around the town. The blue sky stretching as far as you could see.
The exploring did not take long to seemingly expand the area. Within 10 minutes of disembarking the ship I had walked the length of the main street.
Small Train Tour
As I was wondering just what I would do for the rest of the day, I discovered a small train tour for fives Euros. It was like train ride you might expect at a carnival. The train travelled for around 20 minutes out of Katakolo to another small village nearby. There were views over the countryside and getting to see a little more of the local area.
Katakolo Church
After the train ride, I had hoped to visit the small church in the village. However, to my disappointment, it seemed to be closed and not open to visitors. It is surprising as most other churches I have comes upon are open to visitors. But I suppose different areas do approach things differently. From the outside, it did appear that it would have been nice inside.
Exploring Further
It was still morning and I had a map which outlined a walking track behind the town. The area behind the town mostly went up a steep mountainside. But it turned out the walk up was easy, once I found my way to the right spot. The path is rather well hidden, but it is a beautiful location once you get up here. There were plenty of stairs at both ends but nothing too challenging.
Back To The Waterfront
After finishing the loop and wandering a little further out of town to the East I arrived back into the town. For such a small town there is a disproportionate number of shops and cafes. However, I believe that this is due to the large volume of cruise ships that bring significant tourist numbers to the area. I spent some of the afternoon enjoying the area at a cafe on the waterfront, a great way to finish the day.
The area around Katakolo is an area that I believe I would like to return to one day. Not so much to revisit this exact area but to explore further into places like Olympia. I potentially could have visited Olympia today, but the public transport here at the moment is unreliable. I know some passengers visited and made it back, but it would not be fun to miss the ship.
