Cruise Travel to Gythion

Ships dock at one end of the pretty waterfront, making it easy to walk anywhere you want to go in this old-fashioned and authentically Greek fishing-port town. In the absence of facilities in the port itself, you’ll find shops and other services along the waterfront and in the streets just behind, where pastel houses climb the hillside above the quays lined with fishing boats.

If your ship docks for any length of time in Gythion—and many don’t—organized shore excursions provide the easiest way to see the surrounding region. If these aren’t available, you may not have the time or want to go to the trouble to reach Sparta, about 40 km (25 miles) north, or the splendidly evocative Byzantine ruins of Mystras 8 km (5 miles) beyond. The taxi ride from Gythion to Sparta is about €40, and it’s another €10 out to Mystras; you can usually strike a deal for a flat excursion rate with a driver. Some small agencies near the port rent cars; rates usually include only 150 free kilometers (90 miles), so you won’t want to venture too far afield.