The town and harbour of Katákolo, from N
From Ancient Port to Quiet Hamlet (ca. 8th century BC – 6th century AD)
Long before Katakolo became known by that name, the nearby settlement of Pheia (modern-day Agios Andreas, a few kilometres away) stood as a significant harbour in antiquity. The town is mentioned in the epics of Homer and in classical texts by Thucydides and Xenophon.
Its strategic position — overlooking the Ionian Sea and serving as a maritime link to the Peloponnese hinterland — enabled Pheia to thrive. Over time, however, earthquakes and possibly tsunamis took their toll, causing portions of the settlement to sink or be submerged.
By the time the village we now call Katakolo appeared on maps, much of the ancient harbour-town had receded into ruins. What remained, though, was the enduring appeal of the coast: safe anchorage, sea-breezes, a point of passage between land and Mediterranean trade and travel.
The Medieval Fortress on the Hill (11th – 15th century AD)
Rising above the headland, the ruins of Pontikokastro (also known in French as Beauvoir or Italian as Belvedere) quietly testify to the region’s medieval drama. This fortress was originally built by the Byzantines and later captured around 1205 by the Frankish rulers of the Principality of Achaea.
During the 13th century the castle perched over the sea-route housed garrisons, dominated the coast-trail and was part of the network of crusader strongholds in the Peloponnese. Although the castle eventually fell into disuse and partial ruin, its stone remains lend the village a palpable sense of layered time — an echo of pitched swords and shifting allegiances above the gently lapping Ionian waves.
Ottoman & Early Modern Period (16th – 18th century)
The area remains sparsely inhabited, serving local fishermen and traders. It is the time when the name Katakolo gradually replaces the older Pheia.
Most linguists and local historians believe the name comes from the Greek preposition “kata” meaning down, below, towards and a toponym “Kolo”, which in this case may refer to a headland or hill.
So, Kata-Kolo could literally mean “the place below the hill” or “the slope beneath the headland.” This interpretation fits the local geography perfectly. The village sits below the steep ridge where the castle of Pontikokastro (Beauvoir/Belvedere) was built.
Commerce, Raisins and the Modern Port
Fast-forward to the 19th century: Katakolo entered a new chapter with the arrival of the railway (opened in 1882) and the development of its port for commercial shipping. Raisins, the black-gold of the region, were shipped from Katakolo across Europe; the warehouses, tracks and ships of those decades still mark parts of the old waterfront.
In the mid-1800s a lighthouse was erected (1865) on the headland, a beacon of both maritime safety and the village’s growing significance. Yet for much of the 20th century, Katakolo remained a modest fishing and shipping village — until its recent transformation.
Cruise Ships and the “Gateway to Olympia”
Today, Katakolo has been reshaped by tourism. As the port of call for visitors heading to the world-famous site of Ancient Olympia (just over 30 km inland), Katakolo has become one of Greece’s busiest small-scale cruise ports.
