According to mythology, tranquil, pine-shaded Marathonisi, connected to Gythio by a thin causeway, is ancient Cranae, where Paris (prince of Troy) and Helen (wife of Menelaus of Sparta) consummated the affair that sparked the Trojan War. A small 18th-century tower sits in the centre of the island; it houses the Mani Museum. We've yet to see it open, but we live in hope.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
24.83 MILES
Spread over a steep mountainside and surrounded by verdant olive and orange trees, this former Byzantine capital and fortified city is the single most…
27.15 MILES
Almost wholly surrounded by ocean, Monemvasia's fortified medieval village is divided into the lower town, bisected by a main cobbled street lined with…
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Museum of the Olive & Greek Olive Oil
23.31 MILES
This beautifully designed museum initiates you into the mysteries of the olive from its initial appearance in the Mediterranean in 60,000 BC to the…
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13.35 MILES
These extraordinary flooded caves, inhabited since Neolithic times, lie 11km south of Areopoli and are signposted near the village of Pyrgos Dirou. The…
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25.86 MILES
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…
23.97 MILES
Though few buildings are standing that date back to the height of Sparta's greatness, it's an atmospheric stroll around this hillside, where the acropolis…
23.81 MILES
The King Leonidas statue stands belligerently in front of a football stadium. When the Persians attacked at Thermopylae and told the Spartans and their…
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20.37 MILES
Larger-than-life Patrick Leigh Fermor (1915–2011), a Hellenophile and marvellously engaging writer, lived just outside Kardamyli for much of his later…
Nearby attractions
0.51 MILES
This beautiful little studio-museum-shop is run by personable local artist Giorgos Hassanakos. The small upstairs gallery pays homage to traditional…
0.64 MILES
It may be compact, but this museum does a wonderful job of bringing to life the past residents of Gythio and the surrounding Mani. Themed rooms exhibit…
12.39 MILES
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…
12.4 MILES
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…
5. Pikoulakis Tower House Museum
12.41 MILES
Housed in a restored tower, this museum displays exquisite Byzantine pieces from Mani churches. These include a 12th-century marble templon (chancel…
13.35 MILES
These extraordinary flooded caves, inhabited since Neolithic times, lie 11km south of Areopoli and are signposted near the village of Pyrgos Dirou. The…
18.52 MILES
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…
18.71 MILES
Pretty sandy beach north of the main beach in Stoupa. The water is beautiful and clear; sunbeds clog up the shore in summer.