Greece - The Peloponnese

Greece is the cradle of civilisation, and the Peloponnese is the cradle of Greece: Olympia is here, so are the mountains of Arcadia and Homer's Mycenae. But Bradt's "Greece: The Peloponnese" also embraces the living world: the traditional panagyria (village festivals) and the people who still embody the Greek spirit of philoxenia, or hospitality to strangers. It leads travellers to idyllic campsites by ancient theatres; picnic spots in olive groves; buzzing towns and hidden communities; and tells them the best places to hike, kayak or to spot the famous loggerhead turtle.

And if you want to dance on the same beach as Zorba the Greek, or wonder why newborn babies cause old women to spit over their shoulders - you'll find the answers in the pages of this, the best guide to the best of Greece.