Achaea Regional Unit

The Achaea Regional Unit covers the northwestern part of the Peloponnese and includes five municipalities, among them the port city of Patras on the Gulf of Corinth. The landscape shifts from coastal strips along the Ionian Sea to forested mountain ranges inland that rise to around 2,000 meters (6,560 feet).

The current administrative structure emerged in 2011 as part of the Kallikratis reform, which transformed earlier prefectures into regional units. Before that, the area had been known as Achaea since ancient Greek times and played an important role in trade between East and West through its strategic access to the Ionian Sea.

The harbor city on the northwestern coast of the Peloponnese has connected Greece with Italy and the western Mediterranean for centuries. Along the quays and in the surrounding neighborhoods, residents preserve maritime customs that appear in local festivals and daily work by the water.

The Ionia Odos, a toll motorway, runs through the area from north to south and provides connections to other parts of Greece. Intercity buses operate regularly between the municipalities, making it easier to reach coastal towns and mountain villages inland.

The coast sits directly across from the Italian port city of Brindisi on the other side of the Adriatic, making it a key departure point for ferry connections to Western Europe. Many travelers experience their first or last impression of Greece here as they arrive or depart by ship from Italy.