Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Éxo (Outer) Máni: Areópoli to Kalamáta
The 40km of road into Messinía, between Areópoli and Kalamáta, are as dramatic and
beautiful as any in Greece, almost a corniche route between the
Taïyetos
ridge and the
Gulf of Messinía
. The first few settlements en route are classic Máni villages, their towers
packed against the hillside. As you move north, with the road dropping to near sea
level, there are several small resorts, which are appealing and popular. For walkers, there
is a reasonably well-preserved
kalderími
(footpath) running parallel to (or short-
cutting) much of the paved route, with superb
gorge hikes
just east of Kardhamýli, a
good base for local exploration and touring.
2
Liméni
At
LIMÉNI
, Areópoli's tiny traditional port, which lies 3km to the north and
dramatically down, the less austere Éxo Máni begins. Liméni is a handful of houses on
a curve of sparkling sea, dominated by the restored
tower-house
of Petrobey
Mavromihalis, which is a newly-opened luxury
hotel
, though it resembles nothing so
much as an English country parish church.
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
LIMÉNI
Ì
Pirgos Mavromichali
T
27330 51042,
W
pirgosmavromichali.gr.
This newly opened luxury
hotel is in the refurbished historic tower-house of the
legendary clan. It's a frankly magical setting: white stone
archways, secret stairways, glistening turquoise waters
below, all enhanced at night by imaginative lighting.
Bedrooms and suites are coolly sophisticated and
perfe
ctly
appointed, and the terrace breakfast is included.
€100
Ì
Takis To Limeni
T
27330 51327.
A fabulously well-
considered fish taverna next door to
Pirgos Mavromichali
.
Perfect for a a blowout meal (fresh fish runs to €65/kg) but
you can also opt for more affordable taverna dishes - Greek
salads go for €7.
Daily lunch & dinner; in winter,
weekends only.
Ítylo and around
The village of
ÍTYLO
(Oítylo), 8km farther along the main road after the Liméni
turn-off, has been experiencing a resurgence in fortunes, with many crumbling old
houses now restored. In earlier times, Ítylo was the capital of the Máni, and from the
sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries it was the region's most notorious base for piracy
and slave trading. The Maniots traded efficiently in slaves, selling Turks to Venetians,
Venetians to Turks, and, at times of feud, the women of each other's clans to both.
Irritated by the piracy and hoping to control the important pass to the north, the Turks
built the sprawling
castle of Kelefá
in 1670. This is just a kilometre's walk from Ítylo
across a gorge, and its walls and bastions, built for a garrison of five hundred, are
substantially intact. Also worth exploring is the
monastery of Dhekoúlou
, down
towards the coast; its setting is beautiful and there are some fine eighteenth-century
frescoes in the chapel.
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING ÍTYLO
There are a few
rooms
to rent in Ítylo but it's best to head down to
Néo Ítylo
, just round the bay from Ítylo's port
Karavostási.
Ítylo
T
27330 59222,
W
hotelitilo.gr.
Néo Ítylo is a tiny
hamlet, but as well as rooms for rent it boasts this
comfortable stone hotel on the beach. There's a/c, a
restaurant and a playground
for k
ids. Breakfast included;
special offers for longer stays.
€85
Stoúpa
Some 20km north of Ítylo,
STOÚPA
is extremely plesant and very popular with British
package holiday-makers and holiday-home owners. It has possibly the best sands along
this coast, with two glorious
beaches
(Stoúpa and the smaller, deeper Kalogriá)
separated by a headland, each sloping into the sea and superb for children. Submarine
