island of pelops

The Peloponnese  (‘Island of Pelops’) is actually a peninsula that constitutes the southernmost part of the Greek mainland. Its name comes from the ancient Greek legend of the hero Pelops, who was said to have conquered the region. Fruit orchards and olive groves lie near snow-capped mountains and rugged coastlines. You can drive from arid, Mars-like landscapes with unforgiving sunlight to lush, foggy mountaintops within minutes. It is a land of myth and superstition, ancient cities and mountain villages, art and archaeology, military conquest and  civil war, poverty, emigration and resilience.