Katakolo

Katakolo is a seaside town in the municipality of Pyrgos in western Elis, Greece. It is situated on a headland overlooking the Ionian Sea and separating the Gulf of Kyparissia from the rest of the Ionian. It is 11 km west of Pyrgos. The small village of Agios Andreas, which in ancient times was the natural harbour for Ancient Olympia, lies northwest of Katakolo. A railway connects Katakolo with Pyrgos and Olympia..

History

In the Middle Ages, Katakolo was the site of the fortress of Pontikon or Pontikokastro (Ποντικόν, Ποντικόκαστρο), which the Frankish rulers of the Principality of Achaea called Beauvoir or Belveder. The fortress was built by the Byzantines and taken over by the Franks ca. 1205.

Visitor attractions

The port of Katakolo is a popular stop for cruise ships, offering an opportunity for passengers to visit the site of Olympia. Low hills with forests surround Katakolo.Pheia. Ancient Pheia was on the other side of the mountain of Ichthys, now Agios Andreas, within walking distance of Katakolo port. The lighthouse of Katakolo was built in 1865. One of the most important sites of Katakolo is the Museum of Ancient Greek Technology.

In 2017 a Greek and Worldwide Mythology Park (exhibition) was established, situated in Katakolo square, where you can see mythical monsters like Cerberus, Minotaurus, Chimaera and Centaur, and it has the form of a labyrinth.

The remains of the medieval Pontikokastro/Beauvoir castle still stand on a hilltop northeast of the modern port, but the castle is mostly ruined and its original appearance can only be surmised.

People

Pavlos Haikalis (1949 -) actor and member of parliament
Yiannis Latsis (1910–2003) shipping tycoon
...) John Panierakis, Sanga Carlos Cantounis & John Kampiotis, music producers in the Israeli psytrance industry.

Alphabetical Index of Pages | Hierarchical Index of Pages

All content originates from the English Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0