Elafonisos island, heavenly beaches at a pirates’ base

Simos beach (Fragos & Sarakiniko) at Elafonisos island. Laconia, Peloponnese, Greece

Elafonisos, meaning “the island of deers”, was an important hunting place in the ancient times. Small red deers used to live there.  The ancient traveler Pausanias, reported Elafonisos as a peninsula. He also noted there were many sanctuaries in the area devoted to the goddess of hunting, Artemis.

Foloi oak forest, ancient greek gods and monsters

Foloi oak forest, named by Hercules in memory of his deceased friend, centaur Folos. Eleia, Peloponnese, Greece

This magnificent native oak forest of Foloi or Pholoe, has been given its name by Hercules himself. It’s that old! Folos (Pholus) was Hercules’ friend and he was a centaur. Centaurs were guys half human and half horses that used to live in this forest.