A view of Kardamili
I have also written a web page currently under construction about The Pelion region of Greece which you may also like to visit: The Pelion
If you have any comments, I would love to hear from you - please e-mail me at lorraine.jones1@which.net.
Lorraine
Updated Dec 2001
A view of Kardamili
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Map Recommended Tours/Visits Food Accommodation Weather Snorkelling
Vathia Tower Houses
From Porto Kagio, we back-tracked to Alika to take the road to Katronas up the east coast. Superb views of the rugged coastline and turquoise waters looking across towards the other peninsula in the heat haze. A short detour led us down to the waterfront again for a quick dip in the sea to revive, before crossing back over to Areopoli on the west coast. Again, the scenery was of unspoilt mountain views. From Areopoli, we retraced our drive along the coast towards Kardamili, stopping at the picturesque village of Agios Nikolaos. At one end of the bay was a traditional fishing harbour lined with small tavernas, and a long promanade leads along the coast to the beach at the other end of the bay.
Stunning scenery, totally unspoilt by tourism - highly recommended.
Langada Pass
Pine Forest View
The Gorge
Before reaching Sparta, we turned off to follow the signs to Mystras - a 13th century fortress and ruins, which looks precariously placed on a steep hillside. Entrance is 1200 drs. The most complete buildings are churches, some of which have been repaired, and a convent and church, including colourful frescoes and a museum. Allow plenty of time if you want to visit it all - we were there 2 hours and still did not reach the castle at the top. Views are superb too.
Mystras
Backtracing towards Sparta, we then took a fast main road to Githio. Another picturesque harbour town with waterfront tavernas. The main beach is 2 km to the south, and is reached by a series of narrow lanes from the main road. A very long and sandy beach. Just time for a quick dip before heading back to Areopoli and Kardamili.
Githio Waterfront
Methoni Fortress
The Fortress Gateway
We then drove along a new road to the picturesque resort of Finikounda for a quick dip and lie on the beach. Another newly built road then leads to Koroni, via Vasilitsi. The streets are very narrow, and this can be a problem. When we arrived at Koroni, it was overcast, so we didn't stay long enough for a visit to the castle, but did make the effort to buy an icecream and walk along the harbour front. You can also visit Koroni on a day trip via boat from Kardamili. From here we headed northwards up the coast road to rejoin the main road which leads back to Kalamata and Kardamili. In general, the scenery on this peninsula is not as spectacular as The Mani, and is more rolling hills than mountains.
There are a couple of supermarkets in Kardamili, although they are next door to each other. They both have a wide choice for self-catering purchases, fresh fruit and veg and souvenir local honey or alcohol. Fresh doughnuts are a must too (from the supermarket)! A bakery in the main street sells bread, milk and pastries.
A handful of bars provide an ideal location for evening relaxation, and also sell delicious icecreams and traditional pastries. Ouzo is approx 350 drs, baclava approx 500 drs.
Old Kardamili is also worth a visit, and is set back a short walk from the existing village. Ruins of old tower houses and a church can be seen. Worth a short detour from the beach!
We stayed in the friendly Esperides self-catering apartments, which have air conditioning and satellite TV. However, there is no shortage of 'domatia' in the region if you turn up on spec. June was particularly quiet everywhere, so beware if you want a busy atmosphere - go to a bigger resort! Here the main season starts late July.
Esperides apartments
Lots of small fish and a few colourful sea bream and sea-peacock wrasse. Small flat fish and hermit crabs were also seen in shallow sandy areas.
However, when I was there, the first week of my holiday was windy, which whipped up the waves, so snorkelling was out of the question until the winds died down. The second week, the water was as flat as a millpond, although it was usually calmer in the mornings, with some small rippling waves in the afternoons. Very clear water makes it an ideal snorkelling venue.
The Resort The Wildlife Days Out Food Beaches
Most of the accommodation in Paralia Astros is tailored towards the Greeks. There are a couple of hotels and a few independent domatia although most of the accommodation is apartments. The Greeks have found it cheaper to own an apartment rather than pay to stay in hotels, and there are several areas of apartment building in the town. Even though the town is increasing its holiday capacity, it remains a small town. The majority of the accommodation is only full during the Greek holiday season, which runs from July to mid-August. Hence outside of these dates the resort is very quiet.
It is also important to note that the only place to change Travellers Cheques is the Post Office, Monday to Friday 8-9 am, and sometimes late morning. The Post Office workers also delivers the post, so it is often closed most other times!
The only UK package company to use the resort at the time of writing, is Manos, who we travelled with to stay at the Filoxenia Apartments. Our apartments were very generously sized, with a separate bedroom and two balconies! The apartments were situated along the road which runs between the beaches.
We visited during the last two weeks of September. The first week was extremely hot and sunny every day, with it being impossible to sit in the sun at midday - high 20's, low 30's. (There were small clusters of some palm-leaf sunshades on the beach, which weren't being charged for out of season.) However, on the middle weekend the weather broke with a small overnight storm, causing a couple of cool overcast mornings, clearing at lunchtime to give sunny afternoons. The second week was much more bearable heat, possibly in the mid- to low- 20's.
If you're into birding, the area around Paralia Astros is teaming with bird life if you keep a look out for them. From our apartment balcony we saw a Little Owl, Whinchat, Stonechat, Sardinian Warbler and Flycatchers.
If the weather is overcast or cooler one day, it is well worth the walk round the other side of bay from the harbour. To walk completely round the other side at a gentle stroll takes a couple of hours. Firstly, you walk past a marshy area, then you paddle across a couple of small streams which flow into the sea. We saw an amazing variety of birds including kingfishers, 4 different types of Heron, Little Ringed Plover, Sandpipers, Egret, Hoopoe and overhead a small group of hobbies catching flies! Well worth the effort.
We hired a car in resort for 3 days (equivalent to £81) to visit a few of the local places of interest. However, there are so many ancient sites, castles and beautiful beaches in the region, you could easily make use of a car for a lot longer.
There are boat trips from the harbour to Monemvasia and the nearby islands of Spetses and Hydra, although these only run in high season.
On our first day we drove to the old city of Epidaurus, an ancient site well known for it's 12,300 seat amphitheatre. It was built in the 3rd and 4th Centuries BC (1,500 drs entrance fee) and the amphitheatre is still impressively complete, with numerous other ruins and a museum. The site was originally known for it's healing powers, and many sick people would make their pilgrimage to the 'sanctuary', which was surrounded by lush vegetation due to the natural spring waters. The site became wealthy from the pilgrims offerings and enabled lavish temples and public buildings to be built, developing into a religious centre/hospital/social centre.
Epidaurus Amphitheatre
Whilst we were there, groups of singers and individuals stood in the middle of the amphitheatre to sing. One coach guide demonstrated the acoustics by tearing up some paper and dropping a coin on the floor - all of which could be clearly heard from the back row from every angle - the clarity of the sound was amazing.
We then visited the small NE facing coastal village of Epidaurus for a picnic lunch on a small pebble beach, with clear water, where locals came for a quick dip in the sea.
We then returned to the main road to drive to Neohori, and cut across the mountains along a winding road, past a marble quarry. The hairpin road from the top of the mountains, down towards the SE facing coast gave incredible views. The road eventually straightens out onto the plain, with a long beach leading to Paralio Irion. Following the coast road towards Napflion, you pass the small resort of Drepano, which is on almost an island of land in the bay.
We then took the turning to Tolon a popular package-holiday resort. We could not believe our eyes as we came round the bend to see the beach covered with parasols and sun-loungers and masses of people. The resort was incredibly busy (compared to Paralia Astros) with a bustling main street, watersports, plenty of shops, tavernas, apartments and hotels. We stopped for about an hour to relax on the beach and have a swim. Returning home via Napflion and the coast road through the villages of Nea Kios and Mili.
Tolon Waterfront
Because of the mountains, we were unable to drive a circular route, but the views going each way were sufficiently different and amazing views are well worth the journey.
The road follows the coast towards Leonidio, with views of small villages and lovely beaches. We stopped for a refreshing drink in Paralia Tirou, which has a long narrow beach, where you can make a short diversion to drive along the picturesque waterfront.
The small town of Lionidio is where the mountain road starts winding up through lush and rocky gorge, following the dry riverbed. The road can be narrow, with severe drops at the edge, and the further you go, the more hairpins you encounter. The view just gets better and better the higher you go, but can be quite scary at times!
Elonis Monastery
As you come round one particular corner, you are faced with the awesome sight of Elonis Monastery, built into the cliff. You can visit, but our nerves had suffered enough. At the top of the gorge the land levels out onto a tree covered plain. We even saw some mad people cycling up!
After miles of uninhabited scenery we stopped in the village square at Kosmas for lunch and a view stop. From here the road continues down to the south coast, but we turned round and headed back the way we came.
We headed North from Paralia Astros up through the town of Argos, following the Old National Road to Mycenae. It was busy with coach parties, but did have the advantage of having a small Post Office kiosk and a fresh orange juice van in the car park. I purchased a guide book, so we could try to work out what we were looking at. The ancient ruins dating from approximately 1350 BC, are approched through the Lion Gate, set into a wall of enormous stone blocks. Because of the size of the blocks, local mythology was they had been moved by Cyclopes! Between 1874 and 1876, archeologist Schliemann discovered the circular graves in the complex. Some burials contained gold, leading to the assumption it was the resting place of Agamemnon, although this was later quashed - it is now thought they were royal tombs dating from four centuries earlier. From the top of the hill you get a wonderful view of the orange groves on the plain below, and you can see the remains of palace rooms and houses, although most is in ruins.
Mycenae
After our refreshing glass of juice, we headed north again to visit the fortress of Akrocorinth. The fortified remains are still imposing, high up on an enormous rock, overlooking both ancient and modern Corinth. The road signs are pretty good, and direct you up a winding road and the view just keeps getting better and better. Once at the top there is a small 'car park' and small taverna, with spectacular views of the agricultural fields below and the castle walls above you, which have to be seen to be believed. It is thought that it was orignally built 7th or 6th Century BC, but through the years, the city was conquered by many races, each adding their own changes to the buildings. You can still see most of the walls, an empty moat, gates, tower, mosques and a Turkish bath. Although it was a hot afternoon, we braved the climb up to the top, where there is almost a 360 degree view. Although there were many coaches and visitors at Mycenae, there were none at Akrocorinth, and the peace and quiet was a welcome break from the hoardes. Highly recommended - even if you don't like historical places, the view alone is worth the journey.
Akrocorinth
We had a quick icecream stop and looked at Ancient Corinth through the fence(it is open to the public, but we were running out of time) and after a heavy overdose of ancient buildings we joined the new main road (with tolls) to return to Paralia Astros.
Although the coach trip required a 6.50 am pickup, it was well worth the effort of getting up early. The first leg of the trip drove us up to the mountains through amazing scenery near the ski areas. We stopped at the source of a mountain stream, in the shade of plane trees, and it was freezing cold! We could well imagine why it was a good ski area! We then stopped at the Caves of the Lakes, which is inhabited by bats! The 500 m route takes you straight into the caverns and past some amazing stalactite and stalagmite formations, most famous of which are the 'curtains. There are several 'lakes, but in the winter the caves fill with water from the melting snow from the surrounding mountains.
Our next stop was at the monument on the Kalavrita massacre, where the whole population of the village was nearly destroyed by the Germans in WW2. We then drove down to the train station in Kalavrita. Kalavrita is the nearest town to the ski areas, and provides a small amount of accommodation and ski shops. The train has only two carriages, with a small section set aside for first class!
The one hour journey from Kalavrita to the coastal town of Diakofto passes through amazing scenery, which sometimes has some frightening drops where it joins a rack and pinion track, to go through the steepest areas of the gorge. You also get a view of the Mega Spileou Monastery.
At the end of the train journey our coach picked us up and drove us to Corinth along the coast, past picturesque villages and beaches. We stopped at the bridge at the Eastern entrance to the canal for lunch, where we watched the bridge submerge to let the boats through. After our lunch we then went up to another bridge to look down at the cut through, where a small yacht was going through and a train passed over another bridge. If you're driving along the road, it's easy to miss the canal bridge - the only distinctive thing about it is the souvenir shops either side. Although it was a long way down the water it felt quite safe to be standing in the middle.
Corinth Canal
From here, we joined the motorway, passing through the tolls, returning to Paralia Astros.
As our visit was out of the main season, a couple of tavernas had already closed, but there was still a good choice of about a dozen, spread along the waterfront, high street and the harbour-front. Although menus were available, due to the quietness of the resort, most tavernas were producing only a limited choice of 'specials' and grilled foods. This still gave a reasonable choice of Greek favourites such as souvlaki, giros pita, meatballs, spaghetti and stuffed tomatoes as well as Greek salad and various starters. One of our favourite tavernas also introduced our tastebuds to hot 'cheese bread' which is a circular lightly-fried bread stuffed with feta cheese - delicious and enough for two to share as a starter.
For a starter, main-course and small carafe of local wine for two people, the cost was usually between 5-7,000 drs.
Spread throughout the village are small food shops, selling a limited choice of groceries, although they seem to be very dependant on tins, packet and dried foods with some fresh fruit and vegetables. There is also a bakery in the high street which sells freshly baked bread every morning and evening, and a small selection of pastries and biscuits. A traditional greengrocers is also located in the high street, although they seemed only to open in the evenings. If you want more choice for your self-catering, the nearest large supermarket is in the nearby town of Astros. We also stopped at a large supermarket in Napflio when we had our hire car, to stock up on heavy items such as bottled water. I was quite overcome with the enormous choice of goods after becoming used to such a small choice at our local shop!
Desserts were not available in most tavernas, although you can buy baklava and kataifi in the supermarkets of from a place in the high street.
The town beach of shingle runs 10 km along the bay and has a long narrow inshore reef, home to may colourful fish, including goldfish, sea-peacock wrasse and large shoals of little fork-tailed brown fish. It is in the shallows, only just about underwater, ideal for first-time snorkelling. There is also a small pebbly beach behind the harbour wall, which is rocky and ideal for snorkelling, and we saw some locals go out from here with their spear-guns to catch fish and octopus.
The other beach, which is 3 km on the other side of the headland, runs up towards Vaverna village. This beach is sandy! Although better for sunbathing, there aren't so many fish for good snorkelling, and the sand gets everywhere.
Because the beaches face different directions, sometimes one is rough waves, and the other is flat calm, depending on the wind direction. So you always have a choice which beach to go to.
