Holiday in Mani

About Mani

The Mani is the wildest and most mysterious region of the Peloponnese — a barren, rocky peninsula where time seems to have stood still. The famous stone tower houses (Pyrgoi) bear witness to centuries of bloody family feuds (vendettas), where rival clans literally shot at each other. The uncompromising landscape of thorny scrub, steep cliffs, and the endless blue of the sea creates an atmosphere that is raw and more archaic than anywhere else in Greece. The Mani is divided into the outer Mani (Exo Mani) in the north and the inner Mani (Mesa Mani) in the south. The Exo Mani around Kardamyli — the chosen home of British travel writer Patrick Leigh Fermor — offers spectacular hiking trails along the coast, olive groves, and the Taygetos Mountains (2,407 meters) as a dramatic backdrop. The Mesa Mani at Cape Tenaro, the southernmost point of the Greek mainland, is more barren and even less visited: Abandoned tower house villages like Vathia and Kitta appear as ghostly stone sites. The Diros Caves on the west coast are a natural wonder: An underground boat ride takes you through illuminated stalactite caves with stalactites and stalagmites reflecting in the still water — one of the most impressive cave experiences in Europe. Gytheio, the gateway to the Mani, is a charming harbor town with colorful houses and excellent fish taverns. The churches of the Mani, many from the Byzantine era with valuable frescoes, are cultural gems. The Mani is not a place for mass tourism, but for travelers seeking the primal, unvarnished Greece — a land of stone, wind, and stories.