If you like hiking ancient and remote trails that lead to UNESCO monuments like the Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae of Phigaleia, then you are going to love this part of Peloponnese Greece.
The Greek traveler Pausanias hiked in 174 CE to the Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae of Phigaleia and was fascinated by the atmospheric Temple and the wilderness of the surrounding nature.
The Temple of Apollo Epicurius is in the western Peloponnese, 65 km from Ancient Olympia and 80 km from Ancient Messene and Kalamata. It was built on top of bare and rocky Kotilio Mt at 1130 meters.
Some even characterize the Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae as the ‘Second Parthenon‘ because according to Pausanias, Iktinos, who was one of Parthenon’s architects, also designed Apollo Epicurius.
I first visited the Temple in 2010 and have hiked this magnificent, wild area three times since. It is a challenging and almost mystical experience to walk to one of the most important Temples of Classical Greece. Let’s find out together why is that!
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Brief Info on the Temple of Apollo Epicurius
- Region: Bassae (Vasai), Figaleia (Prefecture of Ilia), 14 km far from Andritsena Village
- Phone +30 26260 22275 (Contact the ticket office to confirm the operation of the site)
- Hours 8 am-8 pm Easter – Oct, 8.30 am-3.30 pm Nov-Easter
- Price adult/child €6/free – half price during off-season
Basic Explanation of Temple’s Keywords
Before we get further into why the Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae is so significant and why you should visit it, let me clarify a few words:
Apollo, son of Zeus and Leto, was the Olympian god of music, truth, prophecy, healing diseases, the sun, and light.
Epicurius means supporting or helping and it has nothing to do with the ancient Greek Epicurean Philosophers.
Phigaleia was a powerful ancient Greek city, 7 km from the area of Bassai where they built the Temple of Apollo Epicurius.
What is Significant about the Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae
The temple of Apollo Epicurius is the second best-preserved Temple of classical antiquity right after the temple of Hephaestus in Ancient Agora in Athens.
The Phigaleians, dedicated the Temple to Apollo because he helped them (Apollo was an Epicurius) to survive a plague.
Special Points of Interest for Temple of Apollo Epicurius
- The Temple was built on Kotilio Mt, a bare mountain with fierce winds in the winter, and underground prone to earthquakes. It was built at 1130 meters between 420-410 BC, 7 km from Phigaleia, not an easy task at all
- Iktinos was the architect of the Temple (he was also the Parthenon’s architect along with Kallicrates) who added groundbreaking new archaic elements to its structure, making it a unique Temple in the whole of ancient Greece
- It is the only Temple that combines elements of the three architectural styles of antiquity (Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian) and elements that remind of the large Apollo Temple in Delphi
- Unlike most Greek ancient Temples made of marble, this one is made of local limestone. Its marble frieze depicting battles between Greeks and Amazons, and between Lapiths and Centaurs were taken away and sold to the British Museum.
- Temple’s dimensions: 14.48×38.24m
- UNESCO, taking into account how remarkable it is for its archaic features (unique artistic achievement), the central column of the Temple of Bassae is the most ancient conserved Corinthian capital and its rural isolation in a conserved environment included it in its inscribed lists in 1986
In 1902 the Greek archaeologists Konstantinos Kourouniotis, Konstantinos Romaios, and Panagis Kavvadias discovered the exact position of the Temple and made extensive excavations in the area. Kourouniotis also contributed to the excavations in Eleusis (the main location of the Eleusinian Mysteries) in Athens.
Since 1987 the Temple has been protected from extreme weather conditions with a special canopy, which will be removed after the completion of the necessary work.
Besides the Temple of Apollo Epicurius, there are pathways that lead to various ruins in the surrounding archaeological site and 100 meters up from the Temple to the other 2 Temples of Artemis and Aphrodite.
Hiking to the Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae
If you are visiting the Temple of Apollo Epicurius from Athens, then you should organize it as a 2-day trip minimum as it is a very long journey from Athens. The most convenient village to stay in is the beautiful mountainous Andritsena (or Andritsaina) village where the actual trail to the temple begins.
The trail starts at the most famous fountain in Andritsena, the Trani Vrysi, built in 1724. You soon reach Andritsena’s main square with impressive plane trees, the farming area, and the small valleys that are around the village.
However, for me, the most thrilling part is that on the last kilometers to the Temple of Epicurean Apollo, you hike on the mountain ridge with a limitless view of the Peloponnese.
The total distance is 11.6 km, with moderate difficulty, and about 4,5 hours of hiking. There are signposts indicating the trail towards the Temple and is not recommended during summer, as it is too hot and you may get heatstroke.
It is better to have called a day or two the archaeological site in advance so that you make sure the site will be open to visiting at +30 26260 22275.
Where to Stay in Andritsena
Abeliona Retreat is in an amazing natural environment, with both luxurious and traditional decorations that will make your trip to this side of the Peloponnese really unforgettable. Best touch: complementary tsipouro, walnuts, and preserved cherries in the room.
A more budget option is Xenonas Myrto (self-catering), a small, beautifully decorated studio run by a private hostess in central traditional Andritsena.
Andritsena deserves a visit on its own. It is a very beautiful and traditional village with stone mansions, cobblestone alleys streets, a stone square with a wonderful view of the mountains of Arcadia, and the oldest fountain of the Peloponnese. It also has a very large Library and a few folklore museums that will offer insight into old Greece. Andritsena is an ideal destination all year round.
How to Get to Andritsena
The Temple is 240 km from Athens through a very mountainous area with many turns en route, at least the last foot of the journey. You can go to Andritsena by public bus, the KTEL (see info at the end of this post), but you have to find your own transportation to the Temple, as no buses go there.
Ideally, you hike there and have made arrangements with a taxi to pick you up or you can do all 22 km in one go (but not during the summer, as it is a wild area and way too hot).
I always travel in my own car as it offers the freedom to explore an area in depth. Nearby are the stunning waterfalls of Neda, Nemouta waterfalls, and Ancient Olympia. However, you will need a rental car to get to all of those places.
Map of the Temple of Apollo
Get the Interactive map with all the areas mentioned in this post:
Did you hike to the Temple of Apollo Epicurius? Let me know what you think about visiting Andritsena in the comments, I’d love to hear whether I managed to get it onto your bucket list! Till next time, Evgenia❤️
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Dear Evgenia, my name is Viorel, I am from Romania, I am 67 years old and I come to Greece two or three times a year, I know your country well. In short, I love Greece. Your blog pleasantly surprised me with its honesty and accuracy. Congratulations!
I have prepared a trip between June 11 and June 23. But I haven t chosen a destination yet. I have to choose between the southwest coast of Crete, with the Aradena Canyon, etc., or Anafi and Santorini (for the Arkesini site and Caldera) or Pavlopetri with Elafonisi island and Monemvasia. I think I ll still go to Anafi and Santorini (it s very hard to resist the Ciclades…) and two or three days in Pireus for Egaleo mountain and the Eleusis Archaeological site. But I have a very old desire, the temple of Apollo in Bassae, and on your blog I saw a very exciting approach to the temple from the village of Andritsena. I would hike from the village to the temple and return by taxi. I don t drive and therefore I can t rent a car. But please tell me how and from where to reach Andritsena with Ktel. It is not very clear on the Ktel Lakonias website. Of course I would get an accommodation in Andritsena and explore the area. Thank you very much!
Dear Viorel,
Thank you so much for your kind words and I am very happy you enjoyed the temple of Apollo in Bassae! If you go to Egaleo Mt, do not forget to go to Daphni Monastery as well. Parnitha Mount is also very impressive but it is more of a forest. Eleusis is wonderful and I love going there. As for Andritsena, you can take the KTEL bus from Athens at Kifisos Avenue 40, all taxis in Athens know where that is. There is a bus every day leaving at 9.30 from Kifisos going to Tripoli where you will change buses to Andritsena with the same ticket. At around 14.00 you will be in Andritsena. If you need more info, you can send me an email here at info@travelthegreekway.com. Hope you enjoy Greece, Evgenia 🙂