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The Mani
The Mani in the south of the Peloponnese is the most southerly part of the Greek mainland and famous for its rugged landscape, feuds, and tower houses.
Of the three peninsulas that jut southward on the Peloponnese, the central 'finger' is the Mani. Its tip at Cape Matapan (Akra Tenaro) is the southernmost point of the Greek mainland, and the legendary entrance to Hades (Hell). Even without such associations, you know that when you enter the Mani you are entering a very special part of Greece.
The landscape becomes much more barren and rugged in the south of the region, known as the Lower Mani, where you will start to see the distinctive stone tower houses that hint at the violence that existed here in the past.
Family Feuds
The remoteness of the Mani meant that it was always a place of escape or refuge, and the families who settled here in the 15th century became very clan-like, fighting bitterly for the best areas of land. The Nyklian family were dominant and at first they alone had the right to build onto their properties the characteristic tall, square, stone towers, which were used for both defence and attack. The taller the tower, the easier it was to fire down on enemies through the narrow slits of windows.
Eventually other families began to build towers, each trying to build as high as possible. If one family offended another, or killed someone, then a feud began, heralded by the ringing of church bells and a retreat by the respective families into their towers. Such feuds often lasted for years and down generations, as the sense of honour was great. There was no difficulty in keeping the tower houses supplied as women were protected and could continue to bring food and drink into the towers for the men.
Tower Houses in The Mani
The only hiatus in the feuding came at harvest time when a truce was called. A feud could only be ended by total annihilation or capitulation by one party. The last recorded feud of this kind took place in 1870 in Kita, and was stopped only by the intervention of the Greek army.
Kita is one place where the tower houses survive, and there are also several clustered dramatically in the village of Vatheia, in the far south of the Mani, but you will see others as you travel around, sometimes just a single tower in an isolated village.
Read this account of Exploring the Mani by Bike.
Kardamyli
There is much more to the Mani, though, than feuds and a barren landscape. Several delightful fishing villages welcome visitors in summer, such as Stoupa and Kardamyli. Just outside Kardamyli is the grave of the British travel writer and novelist Bruce Chatwin (1940-1989) who loved the area. He was inspired by one of his heroes, another British travel writer, Patrick Leigh Fermor. Fermor lived in Kardamyli for many years and his house still stands. His travel book, Mani, is essential reading if you plan to travel in the region
Our Pick of the Guides to Greece
Around the Mani
The northern region, known as the Outer Mani, is dominated by the mountain range of Taygetos, a defiant spine of rock climbing to a height of 7,885 ft (2,404 m). The lower slopes offer wonderful walking opportunities, as well as a scenic backdrop of pine forests, but seek the advice of local guides if you plan to do anything more adventurous.
Diros Caves
The main town of the Inner Mani, the southern part of the peninsula, is Areopoli. This town provides all the facilities you might want, including a few hotels, but it is not the best place to be based for any length of time. On the coast a few miles south of Areopolis is one of the region's main attractions, the Spilia Dirou, or Diros Caves
You can combine a 30-minute boat ride into the underground cave network with a short exploration on foot of the Alepotripa Caves. Both have dramatic stalactites and stalagmites. Those in the Diros Caves are enhanced by the echoey, damp atmosphere and striking reflections in the water.
Gythio
The main town on the east coast of the Mani is Gythio, which is also the capital of the whole area but very different in style from the rest of the Mani. It's a busy and prosperous little port, with several good restaurants around its attractive harbour. With the remains of a Roman theatre, beaches on its outskirts, and a good choice of accommodation, it's a good place to be based and to relax while you make forays into the rest of the Mani.
Other Peloponnese Pages
Peloponnese: Travel Information about the Peloponnese in Greece
The Peloponnese in Greece has such sights as Olympia, Mycenae, the Mani, Nafplion, Corinth and Epidavros.
Top Archaeological Sites in the Peloponnese
The top archaeological sites in the Peloponnese in Greece include Epidavros, Olympia, Mycenae, Mystras, Tiryns, and Argos.
Tiryns
The Greece Travel Secrets guide to the ancient archaeological site of Tiryns, near Mycenae, in the Peloponnese of Greece, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Temple of Bassae
The Temple of Bassae in Messenia in the Peloponnese of Greece is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most important archaeological sites in Greece.
The Nemean Games
The Nemean Games, like the Olympic Games, take place every four years but, unlike the Olympics, anyone can apply to take part and run in the original stadium.
Sparta
Sparta (or Sparti) in the Peloponnese of Greece was one of the most important city-states of ancient Greece and has significant archaeological remains.
Patras
Patras, or Patra, in the Peloponnese is Greece's third-largest city, home to Greece's largest Carnival, with many Roman and Greek remains, museums and churches.
Nafplion
Nafplion in the Peloponnese was the Greek capital before Athens and today is a charming waterfront town with good restaurants, museums, shopping, beaches, old fortresses and a delightful atmosphere.
Mystras
The ruined Byzantine city of Mystras sits on the top and the slopes of a hill that juts out from the plain and is one of the most remarkable places in Greece.
Mycenae
Mycenae in the Greek Peloponnese was a royal palace and is famous for the royal tombs, Lion Gate, and was excavated by archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann.
Monemvasia
Monemvasia in the Peloponnese is the Greek Rock of Gibraltar and is a huge offshore rock which conceals a tiny town connected to the mainland by a single road.
Kalamata
Kalamata in the Peloponnese is the area's second-biggest city and is world-famous for the quality of its olives and for the nearby site of Ancient Messene.
Epidavros
The ancient theatre at Epidavros is one of Greece's greatest attractions, ranking alongside the Acropolis and the Palace at Knossos in Crete, and it is easily the finest theatre in Greece.
Corinth
Corinth has four aspects to it, which are the Corinth canal, the modern town of Corinth, nearby Ancient Corinth, and above that Akrokorinthos or Upper Corinth.
Argos
Argos is one of the top archaeological sites in the Peloponnese, one of the oldest cities in Europe, and with museums and a theatre bigger than Epidavros.
Ancient Olympia
Travel guide to Ancient Olympia in the Peloponnese of mainland Greece, home to the original Olympic Games.
Bradt Guide to the Peloponnese
The Bradt Guide to the Peloponnese is the best book on the Greek region which includes attractions like Mycenae, Epidavros, Olympia, Monemvasia and Nafplion.
Monemvasia Book Review
Greece Travel Secrets reviews the photography book Monemvasia with extracts from works by Yiannis Ritsos and Nikos Kazantzakis.
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