If it feels as though everyone around you is suddenly talking about Greece, Italy, sailing boats and epic tales, you are not imagining it. Christopher Nolan’s new cinematic blockbuster, The Odyssey, has returned one of the foundational and most influential epics in Western culture to center stage.
But while Odysseus battles terrifying monsters on screen, is caught in storms and thrown from one end of the Mediterranean to the other over the course of 10 long years, modern travelers can make the journey somewhat more easily.
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Aerial view of a boat anchored in the crystal-clear Ionian Sea near the Greek island of Ithaca
(Photo: Nik Thomas / Shutterstock)
It is impossible to recreate the entire voyage in a single vacation, and the precise locations of many of its stops remain disputed. Still, islands and sites associated for centuries, and sometimes millennia, with the stories and monsters of The Odyssey are scattered across the Mediterranean.
Here are some of the most notable stops for a mythological summer vacation filled with good food, clear water and stories that never seem to end.
Where it all began: Troy, Çanakkale, Turkey
The myth: This is where everything begins. After 10 years of the Trojan War and the famous wooden horse deception, in which Odysseus played a central role, he and his men finally set out for home. But the journey to Ithaca lasts far longer than expected, and Odysseus eventually incurs the wrath of Poseidon, god of the sea.
The travel angle: The archaeological site of Troy, near the Dardanelles in northwestern Turkey, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Travelers looking for the starting point of the story will find the remains of an ancient city that became one of the great symbols of Greek mythology over thousands of years.
Ruins of the ancient city of Troy in Turkey
(Photo: Blanca San Juan / Shutterstock)
The wooden Trojan horse at the entrance to the ancient city of Troy, near Çanakkale, Turkey
(Photo: Saaton / Shutterstock)
The Odyssey - Trailer
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In search of the sorceress Circe: Ponza, Italy
The myth: On the island of Aeaea, Odysseus and his men arrive at the home of Circe, the sorceress who transforms several of his companions into pigs. With the help of the god Hermes, Odysseus resists her powers. He and his men then remain on the island for about a year.
Ponza Island, a laid-back Italian getaway
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Ponza Island. You can imagine you have finally made it home
(Photo: Junglejuliaxx / Shutterstock)
The travel angle: Aeaea’s location has never been identified with certainty. The oldest and most familiar tradition links Circe’s home to Mount Circeo on the Lazio coast south of Rome, while other traditions associate the story with the nearby island of Ponza.
Even without resolving the mythological debate, Ponza is a worthy stop. The volcanic island offers dramatic cliffs, coves filled with clear water and sea caves, some of which are easily reached by boat. It also provides a more relaxed Italian island vacation than some of the country’s better-known destinations.
Calypso’s island: Gozo, Malta
The myth: After his ship is wrecked and all his men are lost, Odysseus arrives alone on Ogygia, the island of the nymph Calypso. He remains there for seven years as Calypso urges him to stay with her and offers him immortality. Eventually, after the gods intervene, she allows him to continue his journey home.
The travel angle: According to a long-standing local tradition, Gozo is identified with the mythical island of Ogygia.
Above Ramla Bay lies Calypso’s Cave, traditionally associated with the nymph’s story and overlooking the bay. On the opposite side is Tal-Mixta Cave, another popular viewpoint that can be reached on foot.
Gozo, the smaller and greener neighbor of Malta, also offers quiet villages, coves, hiking trails and some of the Mediterranean’s most highly regarded diving sites.
View from Tal-Mixta Cave overlooking Ramla Bay on the island of Gozo, Malta
(Photo: Sopotnicki / Shutterstock)
The Blue Hole, a natural sea pool off the coast of Gozo
(Photo: Liliana Marmelo / Shutterstock)
Between monsters and whirlpools: The Strait of Messina and Sicily
The myth: One of the most famous episodes in Odysseus’ journey is his passage between Scylla and Charybdis, two deadly dangers lurking on opposite sides of a narrow strait.
Scylla is the monster threatening sailors from the rocks, while Charybdis is an enormous whirlpool capable of swallowing a ship. Ancient tradition identifies the location as the Strait of Messina, separating Sicily from southern Italy.
The Cyclops Polyphemus, whom Odysseus blinds and whose father Poseidon he enrages, is also linked in ancient traditions to Sicily and the area around Mount Etna, although that episode occurs elsewhere in the voyage.
The travel angle: Sicily and the nearby Aeolian Islands, including Vulcano and Stromboli, provide an especially fitting setting for an Odyssey-inspired trip. The region offers active volcanoes, volcanic beaches, cliffs and open sea.
There is also one of the best reasons to visit Sicily even without any connection to Homer: the food, from arancini to cannoli.
Aerial view of the Strait of Messina, separating Sicily from Calabria in southern Italy and connecting the Tyrrhenian and Ionian seas
(צילום: Stefano Tammaro / Shutterstock)
Stromboli erupts off the coast of Italy. The volcano is known as the ‘Lighthouse of the Mediterranean’
(Photo: Smcgowan_photography / Shutterstock)
Following the Phaeacians: Corfu, Greece
The myth: After years of wandering, Odysseus reaches Scheria, the land of the Phaeacians. Exhausted and without possessions, he meets Princess Nausicaa, who helps him reach her father’s palace. The Phaeacians welcome him as a guest, listen to the story of his travels and eventually help him return home.
The travel angle: Corfu is traditionally identified with mythical Scheria, although, as with many other stops in the journey, the geographical connection is uncertain.
The island itself is one of Greece’s best-known vacation destinations, with Venetian architecture in its old town, narrow streets filled with cafés and tavernas, beaches and green coves surrounded by olive trees.
The Old Venetian Fortress on the island of Corfu, Greece
(Photo: Georgios Tsichlis / Shutterstock)
The harbor in Kassiopi
(Photo: Trabantos / Shutterstock)
Paleokastritsa Beach and the Ionian Sea on the island of Corfu, Greece
(Photo: Neirfy / Shutterstock)
The journey’s end: Ithaca, Greece
The myth: This is the destination Odysseus spends the entire story trying to reach. After 10 years of war and another 10 years of wandering, he finally returns to Ithaca, where his wife Penelope awaits him. His old and faithful dog Argos, who recognizes his master after 20 years of absence, also lives long enough to see him again.
The travel angle: Ithaca is one of the stops whose connection to The Odyssey does not rely solely on later tradition. It appears in the work itself as Odysseus’ kingdom and home. Today, it is a relatively small and quiet Greek island with green mountains, small villages and coves particularly well suited to sailing and anchoring. One of the easiest ways to reach the island is by ferry from neighboring Kefalonia.
A statue of Odysseus in Vathy, the capital of Ithaca
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Aerial view of the coastal village of Kioni and the turquoise waters of Ithaca, Greece
(Photo: Scupix / Shutterstock)
Summer view of Frikes harbor on the island of Ithaca, Greece
(Photo: Anna Yordanova / Shutterstock)
Tips for travelers following Odysseus
Do not try to see everything at once: The sites associated with Odysseus’ journey are spread across several countries and different parts of the Mediterranean. Rather than trying to combine them all into a single itinerary, it is better to choose one region, such as Corfu and Ithaca in Greece or Sicily and its neighboring islands in Italy.
When to go: June and September are generally especially convenient months for traveling in the region. The weather is still suitable for a seaside vacation, while some destinations are less crowded than during the peak tourist months of July and August.