Blessed with a magnificent sandy coastline lapped by the inviting Ionian Sea and witness to some of the most beautiful sunsets in Greece, Ilia has the privilege of preserving the traces of its glorious past. Olympia is the undisputed star, yet lesser known sites should not be overlooked, including Ancient Elis, Scillus, Filageia and the impressive temple of Apollo Epicurius. Byzantine and Frankish churches, castles ruins of cities such as Glarentza and the 19th century neoclassical edifices of the capital, Pyrgos, all attest to the region’s storied past.

Long a cosmopolitan destination thanks to its natural springs and two ports (Kyllini, the gateway to the Ionian islands and beyond, and Katakolo, a cruise ship hub), Ilia is both a stopover and a destination in its own right. There is more than enough to enchant nature lovers: Rolling hills, vast olive groves, valleys, forests, ravines, streams and dozens of waterfalls fed by four legendary rivers (Pineios, Alfeios, Erymanthos and Neda), the Pineios reservoir in the north, Kaiafa Lake in the south, the rare oak forest of Foloi in the west and the amazing Kotychi-Strofilia Wetlands on the border with Achaia. Not to mention the hiking and cycling trails that criss-cross the region.