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Covering the central peninsula in the south of the Peloponnese, the Mani is a wild, rugged region. From the steep foothills of the snow-tipped Taÿgetos Mountains to the pristine coastal coves, and from the tiny villages nestling amid olive groves, connected by threads of walking trails, to the arid landscapes in the south of peninsula, speckled with abandoned stone towers, the Mani has some of the most dramatic and varied scenery in the Peloponnese, much of it still wonderfully under-explored.
The Mani is generally divided into the Messinian Mani (or outer Mani) and the Lakonian Mani (or inner Mani). The Messinian Mani starts southeast of Kalamata and runs south between the coast and the Taÿgetos Mountains, while the Lakonian Mani covers the rest of the peninsula south of Itilo.
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout The Mani.
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These extraordinary flooded caves, inhabited since Neolithic times, lie 11km south of Areopoli and are signposted near the village of Pyrgos Dirou. The entrance is on the beach. Guides basically only speak Greek, so if your group doesn't you'll be treated to a half-hour's silent, eerie glide by boat through the cave's many passages, giving you time to admire the stalagmites and stalactites, many of the latter as fine as gossamer threads. You tackle the remaining 300m on foot.
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From the car park at the end of the road in Kokinogia, at the south of the Mani peninsula, it's a beautiful 2km walk along an uneven rocky path to one of Europe’s southernmost points, Cape Tenaro, where a restored lighthouse stands. The cape has been an important location for millennia and was first mentioned in Homer's 'Iliad'.
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Larger-than-life Patrick Leigh Fermor (1915–2011), a Hellenophile and marvellously engaging writer, lived just outside Kardamyli for much of his later life with his wife, Joan. A scholar and soldier (involved in the Cretan resistance during WWII), he is known among other things for his marvellous travel book on the Mani. His stunning home is open to visitors by appointment three times a week, though this drops to once a week from June to August, when it becomes holiday accommodation.
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This spectacular peninsula juts out of the Mani coast like an upside-down saucepan and, indeed, its Greek name means 'frying pan'. The high point of Tigani offers majestic views and is dominated by the ruins of a medieval fortress. Historians disagree as to whether this was the location of the famous Frankish crusader castle of Grand Maigne.
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Housed in a restored tower, this museum displays exquisite Byzantine pieces from Mani churches. These include a 12th-century marble templon (chancel screen) from the Church of Agios Ioannis in Mina, near Pyrgos Dirou. Upstairs is a clutch of well-preserved icons spanning five centuries. Take the westbound road from the southwest corner of the main square.
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Old Town Kardamyli consists of a fortified settlement with a handsome 18th-century church, plus restored tower, oil press and three-storey building. There are good information panels with explanations in English on traditional Maniot life. Follow the signs on the western edge of Kardamyli opposite the two supermarkets.
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On the southern side of Plateia 17 Martiou is this 18th-century church. Its picturesque five-storey bell tower marks it as the most important of Areopoli's many churches. The square is named after the day in 1821 when Mani leaders began the revolution against the Ottoman occupation at this very church.
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Pretty sandy beach north of the main beach in Stoupa. The water is beautiful and clear; sunbeds clog up the shore in summer.
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The Church of Agios Ioannis, built by the Mavromichalis family on a tiny square west of the main square, contains a series of well-preserved frescoes relating the life of Jesus. Opening hours are irregular, but it's conveniently located right next to the museum.