Visiting The Gods

Exploring the Ancient (and Accessible!) Ruins of Greece

By James Glasbergen

The author visits the Parthenon, one of several famous sites in Greece.

The allure of Greek history and ancient ruins have always put Greece near the top of my list of "must-visit" destinations, but it has only recently become a real possibility for me and many other wheelchair travellers. While the Hellenic Republic has had a long-standing reputation for being inaccessible to travellers with disabilities, the 2004 Olympic & Paralympic Games in Athens brought a long-overdue awareness of disability issues. Not only are the main tourist sites now much more accessible to wheelchair users, but there is even a resort that caters to the needs of guests with physical disabilities.

Sirens Resort is located in sunny Skaloma, only 20 minutes from the tourist town of Loutraki and 30 minutes from Corinth. When I learned of the resort, it advertised five accessible apartments that were built to a higher standard to accommodate wheelchair users and people with mobility issues. One of the drawing points for me was that Sirens arranges accessible airport transfers, vehicle rentals, tours and medical equipment rentals-a convenient service that saves travellers the hassle of arranging it all on their own.

Of course, as a person with quadriplegia who uses an electric wheelchair, I am always a bit skeptical when I hear that something is "accessible". I have travelled enough to know that the term "accessible" can have a thousand different meanings to a thousand different people. I was slightly worried, but the resort staff reassured me my needs would be met, and the opportunity to see Greece was too good to pass up. So, I booked an apartment for a 10-day trip to Greece and hoped the resort would live up to its promises.

We arrived at Athens International Airport on a cool day in mid-May. My two friends and I chose to go in May for two reasons - not only was it cheaper as it was still considered off-season, but we also hoped to get there ahead of the near 40-degree Celsius heat that Greece often experiences in the summer. We ended up hitting it just right, as we enjoyed 10 days of beautiful sunshine, the first five in the mid-20s and the second five in the mid-30s.

The airport was very accessible. Although the other passengers deplaned via a jetway, I was transferred into an aisle chair and escorted through a door on the other side of the plane and into a motorized elevator. The airport workers transferred me into a manual wheelchair, and we were driven in the elevator across the airport to the baggage claim, where they helped transfer me into my waiting electric wheelchair. As we had requested, an adapted van from Sirens picked us up outside the baggage claim for the 90-minute ride to the resort.

Upon arrival, we were immediately greeted by Clio Psaraki, the resort's owner. She showed us to our apartment, which included one accessible bedroom on the main floor and an inaccessible bedroom on the second floor. There was also a pull-out sofa bed in the living room and a large bathroom that included a roll-in shower. Perhaps the nicest feature was the accessible balcony. We had a great view of the beach and the city of Corinth on the other side of the Gulf, which looked especially picturesque at night when it was all lit up.

While Sirens now offers a half-or full-board option allowing guests to enjoy one or two meals in the comfort of their apartment every day, this option was not yet available when we went, so we did our own cooking. Clio is happy to make runs to the grocery store for those without vehicles. The apartment included a nice kitchen, although it was not adapted with lower counters or cupboards, so wheelchair users might have some difficulty on their own. A nearby tavern also offers free delivery, which we only took advantage of once. The resort also has a barbecue area and a private beach on the Gulf of Corinth. There is even a wheelchair ramp that plunges into the water. Guests are free to use the resort's special sea wheelchair, a manual wheelchair that you can submerge.

Sirens offers a variety of full-day sightseeing tours. Of course, I had to try them all, beginning with the ancient cities of Mycenae and Epidaurus. We were picked up at the resort in a small sightseeing bus by Tasos, a funny, friendly guy. The bus had a hydraulic lift at the back. It did not take long for us to see what a mountainous country Greece is. A lot of the roads are a single lane with no guard rails. Needless to say, I discovered the benefits of Gravol very quickly.

At Mycenae, we met up with a guide for a private tour, prearranged by Sirens. We marvelled at the artifacts at the Archaeological Museum of Mycenae. This was the first of six archaeological museums that we visited on the trip, the others in Epidaurus, Athens, Olympia, Delphi and Corinth. They were all very accessible, and admission is free for a wheelchair user and one companion.

Next door to the museum is the Mycenaean acropolis. The word "acropolis" is translated literally as "high city," and refers to a fortified city on a hill. Most early Greek city-states were built around an acropolis where the people could seek protection in times of war. The entrance to the acropolis in Mycenae was via a fairly steep gravel slope that led up to the Lion Gate, which served as the main entrance to the ancient city. I had no problem getting up the hill in my electric wheelchair, although manual wheelchair users might have more difficulty.

Just inside the gate were the ruins of one of the grave circles where the Mycenaeans buried their royalty. The rest of the acropolis was not accessible, so we made our way over to the Treasury of Atreus, also falsely known as the Tomb of Agamemnon. This tomb is one of the best preserved of the ancient "tholos" tombs, where the Mycenaeans buried their kings. The path leading to the entrance was a little rough in several areas, but it was doable with a little determination.

From Mycenae, we made the 30-minute drive to the theatre of Epidaurus, a large, open-air amphitheatre built around the third century B.C. It has survived remarkably well - in fact, it is still used for performances. I was able to wheel right into the orchestra, where actors performed. The acoustics are amazing. A coin dropped in the centre of the orchestra can be heard from the very top row of the 14,000-seat theatre.

Our second day in Greece was spent in Athens. The highlight of the entire trip was a visit to the Acropolis. The so-called Sacred Rock is the most famous of the Greek acropolises, and known for its temples. Just two years ago, an elevator was installed, enabling wheelchair users to visit the Acropolis for the first time. There is a key-operated stair lift that takes you up a huge flight of steps, followed by the elevator, which scales along the northern wall to the very top. At first glance, it does not look very trustworthy, but it does the job.

The Acropolis features a stair lift and an elevator for visitors with disabilities

Once at the top, I was able to wheel around and see everything close up, including the Erechtheion and the Parthenon. Both temples were built under the leadership of Pericles during the Golden Age of Athens (fifth century B.C.). The Erechtheion was named in honour of the early Athenian king Erechtheus, while the Parthenon-the most famous building remaining from ancient Greece-was dedicated to the goddess Athena Parthenos (Athena the Virgin).

The pathways at the Acropolis were a combination of pavement, huge cobblestone and gravel. Although the area behind the Parthenon was extremely rough, it is worth persevering to get around and see both sides of the ancient temple. The view of Athens and the surrounding region from the Acropolis is incredible.

We also took two lengthy road trips. The first was to Olympia, a four-hour drive from the resort. We visited the museum and toured the ruins where the original Olympic Games took place from 776 B.C. until 393 A.D. While eight hours of driving is a lot for only two hours of touring, it was worth it, in my opinion. I was fascinated by the ruins of the gymnasium, the Temple of Zeus and the stadium, where 45,000 people once gathered to watch track events. We also stopped in front of the altar of Hera, where the Olympic flame is currently lit every four years for the modern Olympic Games. The entire site was very accessible.

The other road trip was a three-and-a-half-hour excursion to Delphi. Unlike our first three tours, this one was unfortunately not nearly as accessible. While the archaeological museum was completely accessible, the ruins of the ancient city were not. The site is located on the side of a hill, and there are steps everywhere. Even people who can walk a little would find the site very tough to navigate.

For our final day of sightseeing, we headed to the tourist town of Loutraki, just a 20-minute drive from the resort. Loutraki has shops, restaurants, bars, a casino and a massive beach. In the summer, sun worshippers come from all over to lie there.

Then, we drove another 15 minutes to visit ancient Corinth. You can't miss the imposing columns of the Temple of Apollo. Those who are interested in the history of the apostle Paul will find a tour of ancient Corinth quite interesting. The agora-the ancient marketplace-was fairly accessible. There were bumps and large rocks in some places, but they were usually easy to avoid. Although I could not get right up to the Temple of Apollo or down the steps to the Lechaion Road, I was able to wheel around the heart of the agora.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by the level of access we experienced on our trip to Greece. Not only was the resort fantastic, but the archaeological sites were far more accessible than I imagined. I had read many stories about Greece being a mountainous country with inaccessible attractions, but in the end there was very little that I did not get to see. While the country still has a long way to go to improve accessibility, especially in the tourist haven of Athens, where accessible hotels and taxis are in short supply, things are changing for the better.

James Glasbergen is the director of accessible travel at Frederick Travel in Waterloo, Ontario.

IF YOU GO...

Planning your own Greek quest? Here are some resources to help you get started. (All prices in Canadian dollars.)

ROUND-TRIP FLIGHTS
From Vancouver: $1,160 to $1,780
From Toronto: $795 to $1,390
From Halifax: $1,289 to $1,489

ACCOMMODATIONS
Sirens Resort
Visit www.worldonwheelz.com for information.
Phone: 1-800-578-8958
E-mail: info@worldonwheelz.com

2007 Rates:
One bedroom: 120 to 140 euros/night
Two bedroom: 150 to 180 euros/night
Four bedroom: 200 to 250 euros/night

TOURIST INFORMATION
Hellenic Ministry of Culture
www.culture.gr
Information on state museums, monuments and archaeological sites.

Wonderful Greece
www.gnto.gr/?langID=2
Official website of the Greek National Tourism Organisation.

Loutraki
www.city-of-loutraki.gr
A guide to the lively tourist town.