How To Turn ‘Odyssey’ Locations Into A Real Greek Adventure

Christopher Nolan’s new screen adaptation of The Odyssey, Homer's ancient Greek epic, will open in theaters on July 17, 2026. It features several locations across the Peloponnese, giving travelers a new reason to look at the region. While visiting filming locations is often the main goal for set-jetters, what if the trip could be more than taking photos at each site?

The Odyssey is one of the great ancient Greek epics attributed to Homer. It follows Odysseus on his long, difficult journey home after the Trojan War. It is a story of challenging sea crossings and mythical encounters that test his loyalty and his pull toward home.

Most of the filming locations, Pylos, Voidokilia Beach, Nestor’s Cave and Methoni Castle, are concentrated around the region of Messinia, in the southwestern corner of the Peloponnese.

"Messinia has always been Greece’s best-kept secret, which is honestly one of the reasons people who have been there like it," says Yahya Dawood, founder of Bnbstay, a villa holiday specialist exclusively focused on Greece and Cyprus, in an email interview.

"But with Christopher Nolan filming The Odyssey here last year, that’s about to change very quickly," he adds.

Anyone set-jetting to the region will almost certainly head straight for Voidokilia Beach and Methoni Castle, Dawood argues, but a few realize that Almyrolakkas Beach in Gialova, just down the road from Voidokilia, is also a filming location.

But Messinia is more than a cluster of filming locations: "The real magic of the Peloponnese lies beyond its most famous sites," says Thanos Michelongonas, deputy regional governor for tourism for the Region of Peloponnese.

"Travelers can hike through the mountain landscapes of Arcadia, explore the stone-built villages of Mani, discover family-owned wineries in Nemea, experience olive oil production in Messinia, visit traditional villages, or follow routes that connect mythology, history, gastronomy, and contemporary life," he explains.

Unlike destinations where visitor life and local life feel separate, he says during a video interview, "the same taverns, the same restaurants" are used by international visitors, domestic travelers and locals, so “the experience of the visitor and the local life are integrated.”

"Peloponnese reveals itself best to those who allow themselves to wander," Michelongonas argues. “The region rewards curiosity, encouraging travelers to leave the main roads behind and explore places they may never have planned to visit.”

That means the best itinerary is not built only around what appears on screen, but around experiences such as eating in village squares, biking through small communities, staying in locally owned guesthouses and spending time beyond the coast.

"The Peloponnese is a place where you can really connect with Greek culture in a way that feels very authentic and unspoiled," says Sarah Faith, family travel expert and senior values writer at Responsible Travel.

"Some of our best family reviews come from this region, from parents and children who’ve had a brilliant time together snorkelling around uninhabited islands, sea kayaking in Kalamata Bay, or hiking through the Lousios Gorge," she adds.

Dawood also agrees that the real Messinia lies inland, in villages like Filiatra, Kiparisia, Aristomenis and Vlachopoulos, far beyond “the screen-worthy beaches.”

Kevin Wilks, trip designer at VBT | Country Walkers, recommends seeing the peninsula by bike because it lets visitors experience the region up close and at a more thoughtful pace.

"The Peloponnese is a vast peninsula, and each region has its own character," says Wilks in an email interview.

"Spread across the slopes of Mount Ithome, Messene is one of the best-preserved ancient cities in Greece," says Mary Reynolds, head of product and operations at Andante Travels, a tour operator specializing in ancient history and archaeology.

Visitors who encounter the sweeping theatre, the Doric sanctuary, the stadium and the miles-long fortification walls that still stand at their original height in places for the first time are "invariably astonished that somewhere so substantial, so spectacular, is uncrowded," she adds.

To balance a luxury stay with community-driven experiences, James Wakelin, senior Europe travel designer at Jacada Travel, recommends visiting Arcadiana Village in Arcadia, which is owned by seven residents and uses hands-on workshops such as bread baking, marmalade making and garden-to-table cooking to bring tourism spending directly into local villages.

He also points to olive harvesting, olive milling, organic farmstead visits and beekeeping workshops as ways for travelers to participate in the region rather than pass through it.

For those trying to avoid overcrowding on the coast, Wakelin recommends splitting an itinerary between the peninsula’s forested mountains for hiking, foraging and truffle hunting, and leave the coastal area for late afternoon or at sunset.

The scale can surprise first-time visitors. "We have 1500 kilometers (932 miles) of coastline," says Michelongonas, but "still 75% of the region is mountainous." Hiking, climbing and nature-based travel have grown in the last decade, especially among visitors from Athens.

Timing matters. Dawood recommends avoiding July and August around the most recognizable Messinia stops, especially Voidokilia Beach, where he says visitors may be "fighting for space on the sand," and the access road is “barely wide enough for two cars.”

His advice is to visit before 9 a.m. or after 5 p.m. during the summer, or, better yet, come in May, June, or September.

Wilks also points travelers toward the shoulder seasons. "The best months to visit are April, May, October, and November," he says, adding that temperatures are often more comfortable then.

Faith recommends May half term for families, when the weather is warm, but the worst of the summer heat has not yet arrived.

Getting there is relatively straightforward, but the region is best explored by car. Most travelers arrive at Kalamata International Airport and Athens International Airport.

Athens is the logical starting point for travelers who want to begin with Acrocorinth, another filming location, while adding eastern Peloponnese sites such as Mycenae, Epidaurus, or Nafplio to the itinerary. Kalamata is the direct gateway for Messinia.