Charavghi, formerly known as Trikitsova, is a village reached from Sotirianaka. The village is dominated by Kapetanakis castle, the castle was built around the time of the Greek revoloution to keep watch on the road to Kalamata. The castle would make a fine residence as it is quite small as castles go. There is a tomb here that has had its lid slightly moved so that you can peer in at the occupant or whats left of him. The castle would also make a fine outdoor pursuit centre. Across the way are the ruins of a previous tower.
Chora Ghaitson, is the name on the map that represents the villages of Kendro, Vorio and Anatoliko ( see under other headings ) The name not on the map but which all the locals use is Gaitses.
Kambos, is the administrative heart of the municipality of Avia, claimed by some to be the Gerenia of Pausanias. The municipal building houses the mayor and his staff, council meetings are held here and the Mayor can even marry you here. Kambos stradles the main Kalamata road, it has delightful tavernas, grills, and kafenaion all centred around the main square. It boasts several shops including photography and antiques. The post office, doctors surgery and the chemist are here. There is even a language school.
There is a fine old church just off the main square
and a newer more elaborate church as you leave the village in the direction of Kendro. Heading in this direction just past the new church on the same side of the road is a former fortified farmhouse. An excellent buiding but in need of restoration. In the back street you will find the house of a former Mayor of Kambos, another fortified building complete with stone cannon.
Kalianeika, travelling up the road from Kitres to kalianeika just before you sweep into the village, if you look back and to the right you will see a solitary building staring eyelessly out to sea. This looks like a normal farmhouse until on closer inspection you can see quite clearly it was once a fortified building. Now sadly neglected, it has obviously suffered earthquake damage and definitely needs a lot of TLC. Kalianeika does not have a kafenaion but it does boast a splendid taverna and very reasonably priced as well. There is a fine old church in the centre but the village itself does not boast a platea. Wells or springs in Kalianeika tend to be covered or domed, there is a fine example opposite the church in the garden of a house. It has been well restored ( no pun intended ) and looks rather like a small granny flat.
Turning right past the church will take you onto a dirt track and out into olive groves. Here you will come across the Monastery Profitis Ilias Rousaki, part ruined, part restored it is in private hands and life comes back to it around the middle of July when it is opened for the festival. It must have been a sizeable building before it's demise. On your way to the monastery you will come across a collapsed domed well. It is now dry so maybe the underground spring which fed it got diverted.
The track before you turn down to the monastery will take you down to the sea, as long as you dont mind jumping the last 50 ft, after a while the track becomes unsuitable for vehicles.
As you leave Kalianeika to head towards the village of Kato Doloi you come across the quaintest of churches, Aghios Nikolaos, very beautiful but not designed for big weddings.
At the back of the church is a well known cave in Greece, the Lokourgos cave, it has been well explored in recent years, to get into the cave we believe you have to absail in.
Kato Doloi, is the twin sister of Ano Doloi, it lies on the crossroads on the road from Kitries. The village has three former tower houses. Now all are family or holiday homes. One tower house situated to the right of the crossroads has a very fine private chapel. The other in the main street on the right hand side has a plaque commemorating the visit of a French admiral around the time of the Greek revolution, complete with cannon balls. The other tower house is on the left hand side prior to the former. The main gates were topped by a plaque with William Shakespeare's motto and coat of arms. The house bristles with cannons and flora. The dominant family here were the Ketseas, a military family ( there is a portrait of one, a colonel in kalamata military museum).There was reputed to be one of the revolutionary secret schools here and the name Pappaflessas has been mentioned in connection with this. Just before the main square is the church of Aghios Vasileos. The main square once populated by at least five kafenaion is now served only by one. This is however, a lovely village square to sit in, wafted by the breeze and the homely smell of cooking. Dominating the square is is a large memorial to men of the village killed in the civil war. There is an excellent walk through the village down to Aghios Paraskevi, a former fortified monastery. You can also find some enchanting springs walking around Doloi, some quite small others big enough to stand in.
On the 10th of August 1847 a report was printed in "The Times" of London concerning an incident at Doloi where a rebel force under Katzako Mavromichalis, resisting arrest by Royalist troops. had been massacred by other local Maniates. (for further reading on this click here http://www.zorbas.de/maniguide/indmod.html ) Doloi is also the birth place of the writer and historian Miltiadis Garidis.
Below is Tyson the Kato Doloi kingpin, 75 fights, 75wins, everyone a knockout, tangle with him at your peril.
Doloi is also the home of the legendary Doloi Light Horse and often you will see these gallant khaki clad gentlemen of another era in and around Doloi and Stavropigio. The best way to introduce yourself is to buy them a drink.
Advertisers in Doloi,
Augusta and Dino
Doloi the taste of Messinia
Doloi oil APM Sallie Rose Colin Harrison
Kendro
Kitries, is now a beautiful, tranquil fishing port but it has served since ancient times as the port of Gerenia see history which it may have been an extension of. There was in ancient times a cavern and a sanctuary to a water nymph here. Col WM Leake traveling in the area in the 1800's claimed to have found this. It served Zarnata in medieval times and in ts moment of fame at the height of the Greek revolution served the castle complex of Petrobey Mavromichalis.
The castle complex was attacked by Ibrahim Pasha during the second invasion of the Mani and was still in a ruined state in 1839 when visited by Lord Carnarvon.The castle complex was further destroyed by an earthquake and finally finished off by developers about twenty years ago or was it ? there are some intriguing ruins that you come across as you walk down the steps past the church from the road.
Now it is famed for its fish restaurants and quite rightly so.To enter Kitries you take the road ahead at the crossroads from Kalamata and the road left from Kalianieka, turning down the road into the port you pass a delightful rambling house on your left. At the bottom on your right hand side you have a former house of Petrobey Mavromichalis, where according to locals the revolution was planned. Once a taverna but now closed, inside there are many pictures of Greek revolutionary heroes.
In front of you now are the little bars and tavernas that make Kitries the place it is famed for now, eating. Out in front of you stretches the little harbour and the view across the bay to Koroni. Ouzo, a little bread, salad, grilled fish, life can offer you nothing better. Facing the sea you can walk to your right, around the corner and you will find a delightful little bay where you can walk a good way into the sea on lovely soft sand and still be only up to your knees.
Advertisers in Kitries Taverna O Mimis Taverna Gaitanaros
Kritsios
Malta, taking a left turn on the Kardamyli road will bring into sight the Mavrikos tower, very little is known about this tower other than it belonged to an aristocratic family and if it was built to watch the road and was the gateway to Malta then it is still doing its job now, hundreds of years later.
The little village of Malta is a joy to walk around, quaint little back streets with no room for cars, a little platea outside the church and nestled out of sight is a quiet little kafenaion lost in time.
There is a traditional olive press in the village and from their shop you can buy olive oil and traditional Greek foods and wines. From here you can also see Zarnata castle and the road from Malta to Stavropigio is the best way to reach the tower. Now it is sign posted so its easy to find the path.
From the point where you can see Zarnata castle, if you look up you will see an old ruined tower house ( with new brick extension, very fetching ) This is a splendid building and deserves to be preserved. Built on rock and with springs in its overgrown garden it must have been a formidable presence in the village. There are rumours that it was purchased by an American vietnam veteran who disappeared.
Megali Mantinia, is around three kilomteres from the beach at Sandava. It was first mentioned in records in 1463 and was then known as Ano Mantinea. In the early 1700s its population consisted of 59 families, later a new village Mikri Mantinia came into being and the village was renamed Megali Mantinia. In the 19th century parts of the population moved to the coastal area around Paliochora, later renamed Avia. This once thriving village of Megali Mantinia was home to over 800 souls. It had banks, a police station and shops and tavernas. Today, luckily it still has tavernas and very good ones they are too, in fact you are spoilt for choice, and the population is growing again. Villagers here used to get to Kalamata on business by boat from Kitries.
The village looks over the Koskaraka gorge and in times of strife the villagers would hide in caves in the gorge. The gorge is an excellent place for walking.
There is an excellent ecological site on the outskirts of Meghali Mantinia run by Paul and Diane Billinge. Check out their web site www.ecopropertyservices.com
Sandava beach located below the village on the coast road is home to excellent beach bars.
Advertisers in Meghali Mantinia
Taverna Sandtovaz Taverna o Sotiris
Bar Good heart Taverna Kosteas Siesta's
Mikri Mantinia, is now nothing but romantic ruins after an earthquake in the forties. It is a pleasant place to walk around, the first building you come across is the new church or a restored church. You can park close to here and wander through the ruins.
A track around the side of the village will lead to a kalderimi which will take you up into the former heart of the village.
The buildings are very substantial with kamara's and arches and in one case a small bridge leading to a house.
Sadly it seems, Mikri Mantinia does not officially exist and when the earthquake occured the authorities took the opportunity to close down the village. The only inhabitants now are a rather large owl and the hundreds of wild cactus that grow in profusion. The house below has an old mani ceiling and the room dividers are all made in the same manner
There are some excellent views of the the bay from here. There is an old church in the village complete with icons, all with their eyes scratched out.
We visited the village one october evening and we left just as the light was beginning to fade.
Orova, is a small hamlet located some 2 km from the centre of Kambos, to reach it you travel along the main Kalamata road through Kambos and turn left in the centre of the main street (from Kalamata).
It is a very pleasant if quiet hamlet with very few inhabitants. A kalderimi ( ancient track ) takes you past the deserted settlement of Toubia, over an ancient bridge, past the monastery of Aghios Nikolaos and onto the village of Sotirianaka.
Paliochora Avias, is a tiny village based around cape Paliochora, it has many beach front tavernas, bars and apartments.
Pighadhia, is the village that is closest to the summit of Taygetos. Once upon a time it was a thriving community of 800 people and one can see why, the surrounding landscape is lush and fertile, an oasis on a mountain desert. The population declined after the second world war and subsequent civil war, people moving to the safety of villages lower down to avoid being called upon by andartes of both sides. The wife of Kapetan Zaharias (a Greek revolutionary), Pagona by name, had family roots here as does the family of Andonis Nikolopoulos another revolutionary.
Every year around the middle of July, the whole village comes to life again with thousands of visitors and former residents for a festival. There is a full time family here and some homes are being repaired.
The very situation of Pighadia with its beautiful scenery and close proximity to Taygetos make it an ideal place fo ra walking centrre with accommodation. The church here imposes its grandeur upon the village.
Platoma, is a hamlet of scattered houses off the amin road to Kalamata, the road through t Platoma takes you to Sandavas. The hamlet is home to Avia football club.
Poliana, is a settlement of houses between Achroghiali and Paliochora.
Sotirianika, is reached by turning left off the Kalamata road coming from Kalamta, after a short climb you come to the village, passing the now redundant school on your left. Here you can park in the village square and walk around. There are now no longer any kafenaion in the village but as usuall you can see where they were. There is a gentleman here who makes excellent mattresses for a very good price. The roads off the square will take you up to Charavghi village and on to Kapetanakis castle. or if you take the right hand turn before Charavghi to Pano Vergha. The other road will take you to Aghios Nikolaos monastery and the former settlement of Marvinitsa. This is a delightful spot for a picnic, very atmospheric and complete with running water from the spring. There is a new church built on the site and festivals still take place here. You can walk from here to Kambos via an old kalderimi ( ancient Track ) and across an ancient bridge.
Stavropigio, is dominated likes its neighbours, Malta and kambos by Zanarta castle rising above the villages and looking down across the landscape.
The history of Zanarta castle starts in ancient times see history as the possible site of Gerenia. It's next incarnation was probably Byzantine or as a stronghold of the Melingi tribe. Under the venetians the area served as an administrative centre and later the Turks established bath houses, Mosques and offices there. Eventually the inhabitants of Zanarta outgrew its walls and the villages developed outside the safety of the castle. The inhabitants only returning when under threat from outside forces the last time being in the 1940,s during the civil war. The other name by which the village is known ( Varousi, meaning suburb ) developed from this period. Two of the Mani beys, had their headquarters here, both lost their heads.
The church of the Kommissis dating from around 1747 dominates the top part of the village. Before you reach the church you can take a footpath to reach the other side of the village winding you way through the little lanes you will come to a large ruined tower house and behind a some smaller tower houses. The platea in Stavropigio has recently been refurbished and contains two memorials one to a soldier who fought in Macedonia and sadly no one can tell me what the other is for. Traditional dancing is taught here and they have recently refurbished a former shop to hold their lessons in. The tower house of Alexandros Koumoudros is located outside the village, a descendant of the fourth Bey he was prime minister at least ten times and in 1870 quelled the last of the feuds in the Mani calling in government troops.
Advertisers in Stavropigio Bar Nikos Taverna Grigoris
Toubia, is a deserted settlement located off the Kalderimi (ancient track) from Orova to Sotirianaka.
Vorio, is the highest village in the settlement known as Kendro or Chora Ghaitson. This group of villages is also known as Gaitses by the locals and just to make it interesting this name does not appear on the map. Vorio has a pleasant little square which is dominated by the church. There is also a taverna here which is excellent news as you can return here for a drink and something to eat after you have explored the area. Leaving Vorio past the taverna you can take a left down to the gorge or you can carry on walking (you can drive a good part of the way ) this route will take you to the ancient double bridge of Pighadia and on to Pighadia village itself. Both routes will take you past the monastery Profitis Ilias.
