Kalamata airport in southern Greece has a drowsy, low-key feel, with a solitary border control official and a tiny Avis desk.
It is high season – though you would not have guessed it – and we are about to embark on a Greek road trip.
Few British holidaymakers visit the Greek mainland: Around 70-80 per cent prefer the often-overcrowded islands.
But, inspired by Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster film, The Odyssey, we are looking forward to an odyssey of our own, avoiding high-season tourist hordes, while enjoying turquoise seas, ancient ruins and silvery olive groves along the way.
The plan is to drive from Kalamata to Athens, dropping off the hire car at the other end – a journey of 160 miles.
My husband Martin and I have a week and expect to make three stops along the way.
First port of call is 30 miles west of Kalamata airport, going backwards as far as the route to Athens is concerned, but there are brilliant local ancient sights – and beaches – that we hope to see, some connected to Homer’s epic ancient tale.
Travel writer Angela Epstein embarks on a Greek road trip inspired by Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, driving from Kalamata to Athens
A smash blockbuster hit, Nolan’s three-hour epic film, starring Matt Damon and Zendaya (pictured) has inspired set-jetters all over the world to head to Greece
Our base is The Romanos, A Luxury Collection Resort, set in the Costa Navarino in the Messinia region.
Spread over 1,000 hectares of countryside facing the Ionian sea, it never feels crowded, despite countless restaurants, pools and Greece’s largest spa (22 treatment rooms).
During our stay we drive about, exploring the scenery in our trusty Volkswagen, first visiting Voidokilia Beach, an omega-shaped curve of sand overlooked by the limestone Nestor’s Cave, where Nolan reportedly filmed parts of his epic.
It’s a delightfully quiet spot off the tourist trail.
Next we drive a dozen miles south to the harbour town of Pylos, a place to pause in the square before climbing up to Niokastro, a 16th-century fortress overlooking the bay. With spaces to park and hardly any people, it’s hard not to feel smug.
Exploring the scenery in their trusty Volkswagen, Angela visits Voidokilia Beach, an omega-shaped curve of sand overlooked by the limestone Nestor’s Cave, where Nolan reportedly filmed parts of his epic
Set in the Costa Navarino resort in the Messinia region, Angela’s first base for their trip is The Romanos
After three days of pottering, it is time to move onwards to Athens. We are heading for the harbour town of Nafplio.
As we roll away from Kalamata, the scenery becomes increasingly dramatic, climbing into the Peloponnesian highlands. Equally striking is the weather, as grey clouds close in.
Along the way we call in at Messene, with its vast amphitheatre, one of Greece’s most impressive yet least crowded archaeological sites. We stop too at Tiryns, where Heracles, the great Greek hero, is said to have performed his Twelve Labours.
But the real freedom of a Greek road trip is simply pulling in where the mood takes you, and not aiming for ‘sights’. We also enjoy quiet mountain villages with stone houses and views stretching for miles.
In Nafplio, we check in to the Hotel Grande Bretagne, a neo-classical landmark in Filellinon Square. It is perfectly placed for exploring the old town and harbour, with its layers of Venetian and Ottoman architecture.
In Nafplio, Angela and her husband check in to the Hotel Grande Bretagne, a neo-classical landmark in Filellinon Square
Nafplio is easily walkable, with narrow alleyways and boutique-lined streets, though the car proves useful for the climb up to the 300-year-old Palamidi Fortress, which looms over 700ft above the town.
Back on the road again, our final leg towards Athens strings together yet more of Greece’s greatest attractions.
We pull in to Corinth to wander among the ruins, before heading to a viewpoint above the four-mile-long Corinth Canal.
This superb waterway slices through the landscape, providing a link between the Ionian and Aegean seas.
As Athens approaches, traffic thickens and we worry that the sense of open-road freedom might dissipate.
But fortunately we’re checking in to the recently opened Conrad Athens The Ilisian, where we are staying for two nights.
The hotel is a 15-minute walk from Syntagma Square, home of the Hellenic Parliament, and comes with a large pool, oversized rooms and a sense of airiness and space.
Our Greek road trip odyssey is over in style… without a Cyclops in sight.
