Hotels in Phocis

About Phocis

Phocis is the prefecture on the northern shore of the Gulf of Corinth, dominated by the great mass of Mount Parnassus, and home to Delphi, which the ancient Greeks considered the centre of the world. The Sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, spreads across a steep mountainside above a valley of olive trees: visitors climb the Sacred Way past treasuries to the Temple of Apollo, where the Pythia delivered her oracles, and on to the theatre and the stadium, with breathtaking views. Below, the round Tholos in the Sanctuary of Athena Pronaia is one of the most photographed monuments in Greece, and the museum holds treasures such as the bronze Charioteer. From Delphi, the vast olive grove of Amfissa, one of the largest in Greece, descends to the sea at Itea. Amfissa itself, the capital, has a medieval castle and an old tannery quarter. On the coast, Galaxidi is a beautiful seafaring town of stone captains' mansions around two small harbours, famous for its colourful flour war on Clean Monday at the start of Lent. Mount Parnassus, with its fir forests and the Corycian Cave, is also popular in winter for skiing. Phocis suits culture lovers, couples, hikers and winter travellers.