Nafplio

Bourtzi Fortress

On our previous trip to Greece several years ago, we spent a few nights in Nafplio, which was a great base to explore the area and see ancient Mycenae and the theater at Epidavros. You can read more about Nafplio here from our prior trip.

We enjoyed visiting Nafplio so much, we stopped by again on our way back to Athens.  This time I had the benefit of my drone, which enabled me to get some wonderful photos of the various fortresses.

Akronafplia Fortress

Today was another great weather day with sunshine and pleasant temperatures.  When we left the US, it looked as though it was going to rain most of the week.  Fortunately, that wasn't the case and we've had only a little rain and lovely weather each day to explore. We had our final Greek meal before finishing the journey to Athens to rest for our early flight home.  Once again, Nafplio didn't disappoint.

Palamidi Fortress

Mani Peninsula Grand Prix

Driving throughout the Mani peninsula has been quite the adventure.  If we weren't driving a main road barely one lane wide between two buildings, we were driving switchbacks going from sea to mountains and back down to sea.

We also learned that Greek drivers treat double-yellow lines only as suggestions.  If you're not keeping up, you will get passed regardless of the 

lane markings.

Occasionally slow and sometimes nerve-wracking, driving the Mani was always fun, beautiful, and adventurous.  While I'm sure I won't be able to join the Grand Prix circuit, I certainly got lots of practice.

Methoni

We spent our Friday driving to the southwest corner of the Peloponnese to the city of Methoni.  Methoni is mentioned by ancient historians as far back as 5th century B.C and the Peloponnesian Wars.  We came to see Methoni Castle, which occupies an entire small promontory.  This location afforded an excellent position to serve as both a port and defensive fortifications against invaders.

Much like all of this region, the architecture and buildings reflected the empire in control at various times -- Byzantine, Ottoman, or Venetian.  While this area was under Byzantine control in its early history, much of the castle was constructed during the Venetian period between 1200 and 1500.

A lot of the interior castle buildings are in ruins, but the perimeter wall and moats remain intact.  We were able to walk all through the castle grounds and along the walls giving us great views of the sea.  Much of the interior is filled with grass and plant life, more resembling a meadow than what was once a thriving mini-city.  The Bourtzi Fortress is an octagonal tower that juts out from the point of the promontory affording 360 degree views.  It served as a crucial lookout, and at one time, even a prison.

After our visit to Methoni, we started our return drive to Stoupa and ventured off the beaten path for a short hike to Stenosia Waterfall.  We managed not to get lost and found the small parking area completely empty.  We don't always get to have a hiking trail and waterfall all to ourselves, so this was a special treat. Although we could have spent a lot longer with the peace and solitude of the rushing water, our watches told us it was time to drive home.

Driving the Mani Peninsula

Today was a gorgeous weather day with full sun and temperatures in the low 60s.  We hopped in the car and drove south to explore the lower Mani Peninsula all the way to Cape Tenaro, the most southern point of mainland Greece (and second most southern in Europe).  We stopped all along the way to admire the scenery and explore the region.

Limeni

Our first stop was to the small village of Limeni.  The two-tone color of the water featured a deep blue hue with a band of turquoise, yet it was crystal clear up close and you could easily see to the bottom.  Next to the water was a sign "warning" you about sea turtles.  Of course, I wanted to jump in with the hopes of swimming next to one, but that will have to wait for another time and warmer waters.

Caves of Diros

The Caves of Diros are a wonder of stalagmites and stalactites, much like what we've see in Luray Caverns in Virginia and other similar caverns around the world.  However, instead of walking and exploring these caves, we traveled by boat as the caves are right on the coast and filled with water.  The water was very clear and extremely still making for some incredible mirror imagery as we floated through.  These caves and caverns are immense and over 15,000 meters have been mapped so far.  I was able to shoot some video with my phone which shows the magic of the caves and the clear mirror imagery; however, technical difficulties are preventing me from adding to this blog.  These pictures are good too.

Vathia

The first mentions of Vathia in the annals of history date back to the 1570s.  This village sits high above the sea and is a great example of the Tower House architectural style in Greece.  The stone tower houses would have had one or two rooms on each floor with narrow windows.  Today, Vathia is essentially a ghost town with these buildings abandoned many years before.  It is a fascinating juxtaposition of old

stone structures that are hundreds of years old with evidence of having modern amenities such as toilets in the bathrooms.  Obviously, the village wasn't abandoned until the 20th century.

Today, it appears that people are trying to bring Vathia back to life.  We could see two or three of the buildings have been reclaimed and restored, with one even serving as a guest house that can be rented.  It still has a long ways to go, but if it can be pulled off, it will likely become one of the most charming villages in Greece.

Tenaro Lighthouse

Our final stop was literally at the end of the road.  We drove to Cape Tenaro and then hiked another 45 minutes over rocky terrain to reach the Tenaro Lighthouse.  Built by the French in 1882, the lighthouse has had several renovations and was converted to electric in the 1980s replacing fuel oil.  We had the entire trail to ourselves save the two local horses and a donkey who were grazing nearby.  The views were striking as we soaked in the expanse of the Mediterranean Sea.  A fabulous ending to our day as we drove back to the house along the coast watching the setting sun.

Monemvasia

After Gytheio and the ship wreck, our main destination for the day was to Monemvasia, which is surrounded by the Myrtoan Sea  - in between the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas.  Monemvasia was founded in the 6th century, making it one of the oldest continually-inhabited fortified towns in Europe.

Lower Town

Monemvasia is sometimes compared to Gibraltar since it appears as a gigantic rock jutting out of the sea.  There is a narrow causeway that links it to mainland Peloponnese.  From the mainland, you wouldn't know it's inhabited as the "Lower Town" hides on the seaward side, hidden from view unless you are out on the water. High above the Lower Town is an even larger "Upper Town" which is no longer inhabited and not much remains intact.

Hagia Sofia 

The town has numerous Byzantine-era churches, the most famous of which -- the Hagia Sofia Orthodox Church -- still stands in the Upper Town looking down at the sea.  We hiked up the zig zagging trail to the Upper Town and soaked in the views.  Monemvasia has influences of Byzantine, Ottoman, and Venetian history as the various empires controlled the region throughout its history.  Hagia Sofia epitomizes this influence.  

Hagia Sofia

First constructed in the 12th century with later additions, it has been both a Christian church and Islamic mosque during its history depending upon which empire was in power.

We hiked all through the Upper Town to the former citadel at the highest point and soaked in the 360-degree views.  After hiking back down to the Lower Town we walked out the east gate to check out the lighthouse and admire the views from Monemvasia at its farthest point out to sea.

Monemvasia Lighthouse

Gytheio

Gytheio is the largest town in the Mani Peninsula with a picturesque harbor area and colorful houses along the water. There is a small spit of land that juts out from the city with a lighthouse and little museum. We made this our lunch stop for the day, walking along the harbor and taking in the views. For lunch, we had the first of what will likely be many gyros. They are inexpensive compared to home and the best part is that in Greece they put the french fries in the Gyro with the meat and tzatziki.  YUM!

Shipwrecked

We started our exploration of this region of the Peloponnese with a visit to the city of Gytheio.  Not far from Gytheio is "Dmitrios" Shipwreck located along Valtaki Beach.  The former cargo ship was abandoned since it ran aground on December 23, 1981.  It has wasted away at this location ever since and has now become a mini-tourist site.  It is so close to the shore that you can 

                                                                                     actually walk out to it.  

Stories about the ship vary, from it was used to smuggle cigarettes to its owners running out of money and the crew abandoning the ship.  After 40+ years in this location, I don't think it's moving anytime soon.

Greece 2 - The Sequel

Stoupa

We had the good fortune to travel to Greece with Mona's parents back in 2018.  We dubbed that trip the Ancient History Tour as we hit so many historical sites such as Athens, Delphi, Olympia, and Corinth.  This year, we've made a return trip where we will be spending our time along the coast of the southern Peloponnese.  We're staying in the beach town of Stoupa for the week, renting a beautiful place in the hills above the town.  We can see the beach from the balcony and can hear the waves crashing.

We arrived in Athens last night after changing planes in London.  After picking up the rental car, we had a fun adventure finding our hotel for the night.  It was a small local hotel in a residential neighborhood.  It was dark and not well marked, so even though the GPS said we had arrived, we couldn't quite find it.  We parked and walked around the neighborhood for a while until finally arriving on foot.  They actually had three separate buildings, and although we found one of them quickly, it wasn't the one with hotel reception.  We found it a block over from where we parked just in time with 10 minutes to spare before the reception desk closed for the evening.

Corinth Canal

After getting a great night's sleep (10 hours!), we left Athens and drove 3-1/2 hours to Stoupa.  Along the way we made a brief stop at the canal at Corinth which we saw during our first trip. You can read about it here.  Still amazed at the ingenuity it took to create and the fact that it is so narrow.

After meeting our host at our AirBnB, we set off to explore the town and have dinner.  We're here during the off season, so not as much is open and it is a lot quieter.  That also means fewer crowds and mingling more with the locals.  We found a nice taverna along the beach and had a great Greek meal of souvlaki along with the local beer and wine.  Watching the sunset and listening to the waves.  Life is great!