When you book into a discount hotel in Itea, you are entering the world of ancient Greek history and mythology. Itea is a port community in the prefecture of Fokida in Greece. It is about 200 kilometers west of Athens. In ancient times Fokida was the city state of Phocia. On Itea’s doorstep are the crystal clear waters of Korinthian Bay, an extension of the Gulf of Corinth. Behind it are the myth shrouded Parnassus Mountains. Here you can stroll along an ancient path through an olive grove, or enjoy ouzo and Greek seafood on the waterfront or in the Park or Skala. On a clear day you can see across the water to the Peloponnesian Peninsula.

Your budget hotel in Itea is an excellent base from which to explore some of the most famous sites in Greece. Not far away is Delphi, home of the Oracle of Apollo. It was here that the Greeks consulted with the gods. Much of the site has been excavated, and it is a must-see. A little farther away is Thermopylae, where in 480 BC the Spartan king Leonidas led a band of warriors in a heroic stand against an invading Persian army. The site is marked by an impressive statue of Leonidas. At Mesolongi there is a statue of the English poet Lord Byron. In the 19th century he helped the Greeks in their revolt against Turkish rule, but died of a fever in 1824. Byron’s heart is buried beneath the statue.