Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The town's sights are archetypically Maniot in their anachronisms. The
Áyii Taxiárhes
Cathedral, for example, has primitive reliefs above its doors that look twelfth century
until you notice their date: 1798. Similarly, the tower-houses could readily be described
as medieval, though most of them were built in the early 1800s. On its own, in a little
platía, is the church of
Áyios Ioánnis
, the Mavromihalis' family church; the interior is
lined with frescoes. Facing, there's a tiny but fascinating
Byzantine museum
in the
Pikoulakis tower.
2
The Pýrgos Dhiroú caves
Daily: June-Sept 8.30am-5.30pm; Oct-May 8.30am-3pm • €12 • The caves are 5km beyond the village of Pýrgos Dhiroú, set beside the
sea and a separate beach • Taxis from Areópoli will take you to the caves, then wait and take you back
Some 8km south of Areópoli, the road forks of to the
Pýrgos Dhiroú caves
- the
Máni's major tourist attraction. Often referred to simply as “Spílea”, they are very
much a packaged attraction but worth a visit, especially on weekday afternoons when
the wait is shorter. A visit consists of a thirty-minute punt around the underground
waterways of the
Glyfádha (Vlyhádha) caves
, well lit and crammed with stalactites,
whose reflections are a remarkable sight in the 2-20m depth of water. You are then
permitted a brief tour on foot of the
Alepótrypa caves
- huge chambers (one of them
100m by 60m) in which excavation has unearthed evidence of prehistoric occupation.
You should buy a ticket as soon as possible on arrival at the caves: this gives you a
priority number for the tours. At a mid-season weekend you can wait for an hour or
more, so it's best to arrive as early as possible in the day with gear to make the most of
the adjacent beach. he nearby
museum
(Tues-Sun 8.30am-3pm but unreliable; €2),
on a bend of the road, contains interesting Neolithic finds from the caves; the few
labels are in Greek.
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
AREÓPOLI
By bus
Buses arrive and depart from the main square, Platía
Athánatos; the ticket office is two doors down from the
Europa Grill
. If you are heading north into Messinía, towards
Kalamáta, you will probably need to change in Ítylo.
Destinations
Ítylo (3 daily, no service Sun; 20min);
Kalamáta (4 daily changing at Ítylo; 1hr 30min-2hr
30min); Láyia (1 daily; 40min); Pýrgos Dhiroú (“Spílea”, 1
daily; 15min); Váthia (daily in season; 1hr 30min);
Yeroliménas (via Liméni, 3 daily in season; 45min); Yíthio (4
daily; 30min).
Services
On the main platía is a bank (Tues & Thurs
9am-1pm) with an ATM, and the post office. On the main
road behind the square is a large supermarket for supplies
(especially useful if heading on south).
ACCOMMODATION
Ì
Londas Tower
T
27330 51360,
W
londas.com.
Just
steps away from the cathedral, this beautifully restructured
tower-house with lots of artistic touches used to belong to
the Mavromihalis family. Breakfast, a sumptuous home-
made treat, i
is inc
luded. Minimum stay 2 nights, 4 nights in
Aug; no a/c.
€85
Pyrgos Kapetanakou
T
27330 51233.
Another of the
old towers, in a walled garden, has been restored as a
traditional guesthouse; the two- to five-bedded rooms are
austerely beautiful, decorated with loc
al w
eavings, and
some have balconies. Breakfast included.
€80
Trapela
T
27330 52690,
W
trapela.gr.
Done up in the
old Maniot style, but new, this small hotel is a typical
Areópoli mix of austere and cosy. A ga
rden
and their own
bar are nice pluses. Breakfast included.
€70
EATING AND DRINKING
There are a number of
café-restaurants
around the main square, but much better gourmet
tavernas
are nearer the
cathedral, behind which there's also a traditional
bakery
that produces a variety of tasty breads and sweets.
Ì
Barba Petros
T
27330 51205.
Unassuming spot off
the cobbled street towards Áyii Taxiárhes. Lots of perfectly
simmered vegetable dishes and stews to choose from;
mains about €10.
Daily lunch & dinner.
Ì
To Katoi
T
27330 51201.
Excellent taverna with rustic
barrel-vaulted stone dining rooms, as well as atmospheric
seating outside. The menu is deceptively standard, and
inexpensive - the priciest item is only €9 - but the quality is
extraordinary. Oven-roasted kid a speciality.
Summer, daily
lunch & dinner; off-season, dinner only and closed Mon.
