Rachi Gythio

Ideal location for vacations all year around. It combines the adjacency of mountain and sea and is very close to the city of Gythion (3,5km). It allocates unique quietness and one from the best views of Lakonia: Lakonikos Gulf - Parnonas mountain - Taygetos mountain - Mani.

Landscape for trekking, with paths leading to sea, to river Smino, and the villages of Taygetos Mountain. It constitutes centre of tour in Lakonia with car: it is on the cross-road that leads to the Mystra and the Taygetos, the Monemvasia and the Parnona, the amasing Mani and its caves.

Gythion or also Githio or Gytheio - Lakonias is situated at the eastern border of the Peloponnese "middle finger". The town is referred to as the capital of Mani, the famous area spreading from there on southward. Gythion is built at the foot of Larysion mountain and facing the bay of Laconia. Its harbour serves as main port for Sparti and all Laconia.

Gythion was built at the slopes of the mountain Larysio (also Koumaro), which falls steeply to the bay of Lakonia. As mythic founders Herakles and the God Apollon are delivered. The first referral to the city goes back to 400 b.C. The small island, Kranai, opposite to the city, Homer mentions, saying, that beautiful Helena and Paris are to have spent the first common night there after the kidnap in Sparti and before their embarkation for Troia.

Already in the antiquity Gythion was an important commercial port for the Phoenicians. Later the Spartians used the port for their special purposes - as their naval port.

Mani

Today the Mani's coastal villages are full of cafes and souvenir shops. The peninsula attracts visitors for its Byzantine churches, Frankish castles, secluded sandy beaches and stunning scenery. Some popular beaches during the summer are Kalogria beach and the beaches by Stoupa harbor, while Kardamyli and Agios Nikolaos have nice pebble and sand beaches too. Furthermore, the famous towers of Mani are significant tourist attractions, and some offer accommodations for visitors. The Diros stalactite and stalagmite caves, near Oitylon, are also a popular tourist destination; they are partly underwater and visitors tour them in gondola-like boats.

Gythio, Areopoli, Kardamyli and Stoupa are filled with tourists during the summer months but the region quiets down during the winter months. Many inhabitants are still working as olive farmers, and thus many of the winter months are devoted to the olive harvest. Some of the villages in the mountains are less touristic and have very few inhabitants.

Diros Cave

The cave of Diros comprises individual caves; Glyfada, Alepotrypa and Katafygi have their own particular value. Over two-million-year-old fossilized animals were discovered at the cave of Glyfada or Vlychada. It is a splendid lake cave, one of the most beautiful in the world. It was explored in 1949 by I.Petrochilos. It has a total area of over 33,400,000 m2. Corridors, 5 km in total length, have been ranged over. The cave of Glyfada is almost at sea level. The temperature varies from 16o C to 20o C.

The cave of Alepotrypa is located 200 m east of the cave of Vlychada. It was discovered in 1958 and was explored by the Petrochilos couple. They brought to light very important findings attesting that people lived in the cave 6,000 years ago! Most of these findings are exhibited at the Neolithic museum of Diros, at the entrance of the cave. The cave of Katafygi has corridors, 700 m in length, and a total area of 2,700 m2. The geologic formations of all three caves are ravishing.

Monemvasia

Monemvassia, known by the Franks as Malvasia , is a well-known medieval fortress with an adjacent town, located on a small peninsula off the east coast of the Peloponnese in the Greek prefecture of Laconia. Its remains include the defensive structures and the small adjacent town and Byzantine churches , and its name derives from two Greek words, mone and emvassia, meaning "single entrance". Many of the streets are narrow and fit only for pedestrians ; the bay of Palaia Monemvassia is to be found in the north. Monemvassia's nickname is the Gibraltar of the East or The Rock.

The rock is 300 m tall and 1.8 km long. The village is situated on the southeastern side of the rock, which overlooks the Palaia Monemvasia bay. A small hamlet with about 10 houses lies to the northwest. A field of grass covers the northwest and top, accessed by a rocky, zig-zagging pathway. The fortress lies on the north side of the colorful rock, which ranges from grey to peach melon and pink.

Mystras

Mystras has been commanding Peloponnese for over two centuries. It was built during the period of the Frankish domination, in 1249 by Villehardouin II, on the top of the eponymous hill. But captured Villehardouin was forced to concede it to Michael Palaeologus in return for his release.

Mystras gradually expanded and this is why it has two rows of walls. In the 14th century, it became the capital of Peloponnese and the seat of the Despotate of Morea. Manuel Cantacuzenus, son of Ioannis Katakouzinos, was the first despot of Mystras.

Despite constant threats, Mystras thrived and became a centre of culture. George Gemistos Plethon founded a school of philosophy at Mystras. In 1449 this castle city hosted the coronation of Constantinos Palaeologus who later participated in battles which led to the fall of the Byzantine Empire.

Today, you can see the fortifications of this castle city, its gates such as Sideroporta (“Iron Gate”), the palaces of the Cantacuzenus and Palaeologus families and some churches (church of Pantanassa, Panaghia Odigitria, Aghioi Theodoroi and Aghia Sophia).

Sources: www.argotravel.gr, www.lakonia.org, www.dimosoitilou.gr, www.wikipedia.org, www.mani.org