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Retracing the Route of The Odyssey

Following Homer’s epic through the landscapes that have shaped it for nearly 3,000 years

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von Joseph Odell
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Following The Odyssey Across the Mediterranean

Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey arrives in cinemas on 17th July, introducing a new audience to one of the greatest stories ever told. But long before the cameras arrived, Homer's epic had already inspired people to look at the Mediterranean a little differently.

For all its monsters, gods and moments of spectacle, The Odyssey is also a story rooted in place. Its islands, coastlines and harbours have shaped the imagination of travellers for nearly three thousand years, and many of them can still be visited today.

Nolan filmed across Morocco, Greece, Italy and Malta, alongside Iceland and Scotland for the story's more otherworldly stretches. Several of those Mediterranean locations have long been linked with Homer's epic, while others simply capture the character of the sea that has surrounded the story for centuries. Exactly where Odysseus travelled remains a matter of debate, but many of the locations traditionally associated with his journey are remarkably easy to explore.

So rather than looking at The Odyssey through the lens of the film, we've looked at it as a journey. Following the route most often associated with Odysseus' voyage, from the ruins of ancient Troy to the Ionian islands where his long journey finally comes to an end.


Can You Still Follow Odysseus' Journey Today?

Homer gives few geographical clues in The Odyssey, which has left historians and classicists arguing over Odysseus' route for centuries. Some locations have strong traditions behind them. Sicily has been linked with the Cyclops since the time of the ancient Greek historian Thucydides, while Corfu has long been identified as Scheria, home of the Phaeacians who finally carry Odysseus back to Ithaca. Other stops are less certain. Gozo is widely associated with Calypso's island, Ogygia, but alternatives have been suggested, while even Ithaca itself has sparked debate, with some scholars arguing that neighbouring Kefalonia or Lefkada fit Homer's descriptions more closely.

In many ways, that's part of the story's appeal. The Odyssey was never intended as a sailing chart. It was a poem passed down through generations before it was written down, blending places that were familiar to ancient audiences with landscapes shaped by myth and imagination.

For this journey, we've followed the route most commonly associated with Odysseus today. It takes in Sicily, the Aeolian Islands, the Peloponnese, the Amalfi Coast, Corfu and the Ionian Islands, places that have been connected with Homer's epic for centuries, whether through ancient tradition, archaeological evidence or local folklore.

The Odyssey Route at a Glance

Troy (Türkiye) – Where the Trojan War ends and the journey home begins.

Land of the Lotus-Eaters (commonly linked to Djerba, Tunisia) – A place of irresistible temptation.

Sicily – Traditionally associated with Polyphemus and the Cyclops.

The Aeolian Islands – Home of Aeolus, keeper of the winds.

Monte Circeo, Italy – Long linked with Circe's enchanted island.

Cape Matapan, Peloponnese – Ancient gateway to the Underworld.

Li Galli, Amalfi Coast – The legendary home of the Sirens.

Strait of Messina – The waters of Scylla and Charybdis.

Gozo, Malta – The island most often identified as Calypso's Ogygia.

Corfu – Widely accepted as the land of the Phaeacians.

Ithaca – The long-awaited homecoming, though even its exact Homeric identity remains debated.


The Fall of Troy

Before there were Cyclopes, Sirens and sea monsters, there was Troy. The city had been under siege for ten years when Odysseus helped bring the war to an end. Ancient tradition credits him with devising the Trojan Horse, allowing the Greek army to enter the city after a decade of fighting. Victory should have marked the beginning of a straightforward voyage back to Ithaca.

Instead, it became the start of another ten years at sea.

Today, the archaeological site of Troy lies at Hisarlık in north-western Türkiye. While our villas are found further south around Kaş and Kalkan, the same coastline is rich in the remains of the ancient world. Walk stretches of the Lycian Way above the Mediterranean, explore the UNESCO-listed ruins of Xanthos, or visit Patara, where broad sandy beaches sit alongside one of antiquity's most important Lycian cities. From here, Odysseus sailed away from the shores of the eastern Mediterranean expecting to return home. He wouldn't see Ithaca again for another decade.


The Land of the Lotus-Eaters

No sooner had the Greek fleet left Troy than the journey began to unravel. After raiding the city of Ismarus, Odysseus and his men were blown off course by storms around Cape Malea, eventually making landfall in the country of the Lotus-Eaters. Homer never says exactly where this was, although the ancient historian Herodotus and later writers associated it with the island of Djerba, off the coast of modern-day Tunisia.

The lotus itself remains a mystery. Some believe it was the fruit of the jujube tree, others a now-forgotten narcotic plant. Whatever it was, its effect was the same. Those who ate it lost all desire to continue their journey, content to remain where they were. Odysseus was forced to drag his own crew back to the ships before setting sail once more.

Tunisia doesn't feature in our collection, but the episode marks the beginning of Odysseus' long voyage west across the Mediterranean. The next landfall, according to ancient tradition, is Sicily.

Sicily and the Cyclops

Few locations in The Odyssey are as closely linked with a real place as the island of the Cyclops. Homer never names Sicily, but for more than two thousand years the story of Polyphemus has been associated with the island and the volcanic landscape around Mount Etna.

The episode is one of the poem's best known. Exploring what appears to be an abandoned cave, Odysseus and his men are trapped by the Cyclops Polyphemus. They escape only after blinding the giant with a sharpened olive stake and hiding beneath his flock of sheep. As they sail away, Odysseus reveals his name, prompting Polyphemus, son of Poseidon, to call upon his father to curse the voyage home.

It's a connection Christopher Nolan leaned into directly. Much of The Odyssey's Italian filming took place on Favignana, the largest of the Egadi Islands off Sicily's western coast, long nicknamed "Goat Island" and considered by some scholars the closest real-world match for Polyphemus' cave. Matt Damon and Tom Holland spent weeks filming along its rocky coastline and at the Castle of Santa Caterina above the town.

Mount Etna still dominates the eastern skyline beyond Favignana, its eruptions shaping the landscape just as they did for the ancient Greeks, who believed the Cyclopes forged Zeus' thunderbolts beneath the mountain.

Today, Sicily rewards exploration in much the same way. In the east, Taormina combines Greek history with sweeping views of Etna, while nearby Syracuse and Ortigia offer layers of Greek, Roman and Baroque heritage alongside some of the island's finest food. Head west and the pace changes. Around Selinunte, vast archaeological sites overlook long stretches of coastline, while the island's Arab, Norman and Spanish influences become increasingly apparent in its architecture and cuisine.


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The Aeolian Islands: Home of Aeolus, Keeper of the Winds

After escaping the Cyclops, Odysseus arrives at the floating island of Aeolus, ruler of the winds. It's one of the few moments in The Odyssey when fortune seems to be on his side.

Aeolus traps every unfavourable wind inside a leather bag, leaving only the westerly breeze to carry Odysseus safely back to Ithaca. After nine days at sea, home is finally within sight. Then, while Odysseus sleeps, his crew open the bag, believing it contains treasure. The winds escape, the storm returns, and the fleet is blown all the way back to Aeolus. Refusing to intervene a second time, he sends them away, convinced the gods are working against them.

Ancient writers associated Aeolus' kingdom with the Aeolian Islands, the volcanic archipelago that rises from the Tyrrhenian Sea north of Sicily and the same archipelago where Nolan's crew filmed several sequences, including on Lipari, Basiluzzo and Vulcano. Stromboli's near-constant eruptions, the smoking crater of Vulcano and the dramatic cliffs scattered across the islands make them a fitting setting both for the keeper of the winds and for the film's more mythic moments.

Today, the Aeolian Islands are a natural extension of any journey through Sicily. Reached by ferry from the island's northern coast, they offer dramatic volcanic landscapes and a chance to explore one of the places most closely associated with Odysseus' voyage and now with the film itself, before returning to Sicily.

Circe's Island

Odysseus' fortunes continue to deteriorate before they improve. After escaping Aeolia, his fleet sails into the harbour of the Laestrygonians, a race of giants who destroy all but one of his ships. Only Odysseus' vessel escapes, leaving a much-reduced crew to continue the journey.

Their next landfall is Aeaea, home of the enchantress Circe. She welcomes Odysseus' men with food and wine before turning them into pigs with a spell. Warned by Hermes and protected by the mysterious herb moly, Odysseus resists her magic, persuades Circe to restore his companions and remains on the island for a year before continuing his voyage.

Like many locations in The Odyssey, the exact whereabouts of Aeaea remain uncertain. Since antiquity, however, the strongest association has been with Monte Circeo, the dramatic headland on Italy's Lazio coast around 100 kilometres south of Rome. Before the surrounding marshes were drained, the rocky promontory would have appeared as an island rising from the sea, making it an enduring candidate for Circe's mythical home.

Today, Monte Circeo forms part of the Circeo National Park, where forested trails, sweeping coastal views and long stretches of beach offer a quieter side of Italy. While we don't have villas on the cape itself, it's around a two-hour drive from our villas in Orvieto, Todi and Northern Lazio, making it an easy day trip for anyone keen to visit one of the landscapes most closely associated with Circe and The Odyssey.

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The Underworld

After a year on Circe's island, Odysseus is finally ready to continue his journey home. But before he can set sail for Ithaca, Circe tells him there is one final detour. Only the blind prophet Tiresias, who retains his gift of foresight even in death, can tell him how to complete the voyage. To find him, Odysseus must journey to the Underworld.

Homer never says exactly where this takes place, but for more than two thousand years Cape Tainaron, at the southern tip of the Mani Peninsula in the Peloponnese, has been associated with one of the entrances to Hades. A cave beneath the headland was believed by the ancient Greeks to mark the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead.

Whether or not Homer had this coastline in mind, the landscape lends itself to the myth. The Mani feels strikingly different from much of Greece, with bare limestone mountains, stone tower villages and an exposed coastline stretching towards the edge of the Mediterranean.

For anyone exploring the Peloponnese, Cape Tainaron is an easy drive from our villas around the Gulf of Messenia and makes a fascinating detour.


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The Sirens

After leaving the Underworld, Odysseus and his crew set sail once more, heading back into open sea on the long and uncertain route home to Ithaca. Somewhere along this stretch of water, they must pass the Sirens, creatures whose song has lured countless sailors to their deaths.

Odysseus chooses not to avoid them, but to hear their song for himself. He orders his crew to block their ears with beeswax, while he is tied tightly to the mast so he can listen without being able to steer the ship.

As they draw near, the Sirens promise him knowledge of everything that has been and everything still to come. Overcome by longing, Odysseus begs to be released, but the crew keep rowing until the sound fades behind them.

The Sirens are often associated with the Sirenuse, known today as Li Galli, the cluster of rocky islands just off Positano. Rising sharply from the Tyrrhenian Sea between the mainland and Capri, they feel like a natural stage for one of Homer's most haunting episodes.

Today, Li Galli remains one of the defining views of the Amalfi Coast. Whether seen from Positano, the gardens of Ravello, or from a boat offshore, the islands still carry a strong sense of myth embedded in the landscape and they're visible from many of our villas along this stretch of coast.


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Scylla, Charybdis and the Cattle of the Sun

After the Sirens comes Scylla and Charybdis. Scylla is a six-headed monster hidden in a cliff face, snatching sailors as ships pass, while opposite her is Charybdis, a vast whirlpool that swallows the sea three times a day and drags everything into its centre. Tradition places them in the Strait of Messina between Sicily and the Calabrian mainland, a narrow channel still known for its strong, unpredictable currents.

Beyond this lies Thrinacia, the island of the sun god Helios. Here, Odysseus's crew are trapped for weeks by storms and hunger. Eventually, starving and desperate, they kill the sacred cattle grazing on the island. It is the act that ends their journey: the gods destroy the ship in punishment, leaving Odysseus as the sole survivor, drifting for days before reaching Ogygia.


Seven Years on Ogygia

Ogygia is a remote island where Odysseus washes ashore after the wreck. It is home to Calypso, a nymph who keeps him there for seven years, offering him immortality if he stays. He refuses, spending his days staring out toward Ithaca while she watches from within the island, unable to let him go. Eventually, the gods decide he has stayed long enough. A messenger is sent to Calypso ordering her to release him. She reluctantly obeys, giving Odysseus tools and provisions so he can build a small raft to leave the island.

Most often associated with Gozo in Malta, Ogygia is linked with Calypso's Cave above Ramla Bay.

The Island that Saved Odysseus

After seventeen days at sea, a storm raised by Poseidon destroys Odysseus's raft. He swims for two days, exhausted and alone, before finally reaching land and collapsing into sleep. He reached Scheria, the island of the Phaeacians.

Scheria is most often identified with Corfu, though it remains a scholarly association rather than a certainty. In Homer, it is a distant, wealthy seafaring island at the edge of the known world, reached only after long drifting at sea and separated from the rest of Greece by open water. Corfu fits that broad description: a large Ionian island on the far north-west edge of Greece, facing the Adriatic and historically sitting at the frontier of the Greek world.

At dawn, Nausicaa, a Phaeacian princess, finds Odysseus washed up on the shore after being sent there with her attendants. She gives him clothing and food and leads him to the palace. At court, King Alcinous hosts him as a guest. During a feast, the blind bard Demodocus sings of Troy, and Odysseus breaks down in tears. When pressed, he reveals his identity and recounts his journey home, from the Cyclops and Circe to the Sirens and Calypso. The story lasts through the night, and by morning the Phaeacians agree to take him home.

They place him on one of their ships and carry him while he sleeps. In Homer's account, Odysseus arrives in Ithaca still unconscious, set down with his goods on the shore before the Phaeacians depart.


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Odysseus' Return to Ithaca

Ithaca is a real island in the Ionian Sea, between Kefalonia and Lefkada. It's small and mountainous, with Vathy as its main harbour, in use since antiquity. The question of whether this is Homer's Ithaca has been debated for centuries. The strongest case still sits with the modern island: it matches the Odyssey's description of a narrow, rugged place with a natural harbour and clear separation from the larger neighbouring islands. Kefalonia is sometimes suggested as an alternative because of its size and visibility from the mainland, while Lefkada is proposed because it was once connected to the mainland by a causeway, but neither fits as neatly overall.

Odysseus arrives home in disguise as a beggar. His palace has been taken over by suitors who have spent years there, living off his estate while competing to marry Penelope. At first, no one recognises him. The only exception is his old dog Argos, who sees him after years of neglect and dies soon after. His son Telemachus is the first human to realise who he is, and the two are quietly reunited. Penelope, however, does not reveal herself — she watches closely, but holds back certainty.

She sets a test for the suitors: whoever can string Odysseus's bow and shoot an arrow through twelve axe heads in a line will win her hand. One by one they fail. The beggar then steps forward and completes the task with ease. He turns the bow on the suitors and kills them in the hall.

The final recognition comes with Penelope. She tests him by ordering their bed to be moved. Odysseus immediately objects, it cannot be moved, because one of its posts is a living olive tree, rooted into the ground and built into the house itself when he made it. That detail confirms his identity. After twenty years, there is no doubt left.


Plan Your Own Odyssey

Our Mediterranean villas sit across several of these stops, including: Sicily, the Amalfi Coast, the Peloponnese and Corfu.

None of them need to be visited together. Each works as a standalone holiday, and most guests will only ever explore one stretch of this story at a time. But for anyone who wants to go further, the geography holds up well, short flights and ferry crossings link these regions far more easily than Odysseus ever managed, and a trip combining two or three of them, Sicily and the Aeolian Islands, say, or the Amalfi Coast and the Peloponnese, is easy enough to do over a couple of weeks.

And, if you're looking for some time at sea, explore our On the Water Experiences.

However you choose to follow the Odyssey, our Villa Specialists are on hand to create the perfect villa holiday for you.