The Area

This is the oldest settlement of the area, located just 20 km from our hotel.

It is said that around 1600, the Kontogianni brothers rescued the image of the Virgin Mary from a fire, brought it here and built the Monastery with the same name, located near Dimitsana.

Sidiroporta Monastery was named after the heavy iron door (in Greek, sidiro means iron, and porta means door) brought from Constantinople by its founder and then Bishop of Methoni, Parthenius, in order to secure the Monastery by writing on “αγροικιέται αιωνίως”, which translates to “will be heard forever”.

Mystras is located in Mount Taygetus, near ancient Sparta. It was the capital of the Byzantine fortified town of the Despotate of Mystras during the 14th and 15th centuries. The area remained inhabited throughout the Ottoman period. In the 1830s, it was abandoned, and the new town of Sparta was built, about 8 km east.

At the top of a small hill, overlooking the Messinian Gulf and the historic Monastery of Mele, which is dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, and is known as the Monastery of Mardaki. It was built in 1504 by Theodore Chandrinos, a lord from Alagonia, who became a monk who went by the name Theodosius. However, several findings prove that it must have been founded earlier, perhaps on the ruins of an ancient temple.

Nedousa offers a beautiful three-dimensional setting, not only for climbing but also for walks in the surrounding area, such as the Monastery of Mardaki, the neighboring villages and walking on the cobbled streets of Velanidia. Plus, it is located only 40 minutes away from the climbing park of Lagada.

The buildings of the historic Monastery of Agios Ioannis the Theologian (John the Evangelist) are located just 800 meters away from the hotel, below the natural fortress of Mele on the north side of Mount Lycourios, where you can find the ruins of the Medieval Mele School and the Dimaekia Schools. Great professors and hierarchs taught at those schools, and influential personalities such as Benakis, and Meletopoulos, among others, studied there.

In Volimnos, you can find the ruins of the sanctuary of Artemis of Limnatida. This is where the long Messinian wars began, which ended with the occupation of Messinians by the Spartans. The curator of antiquities, the hellenist, Louis Ross, visited the archaeological site at Volimnos in 1838 and recorded his testimonies in a special report.

The Stone Bridge with six Arches at “Agios Polycarpos” or “Lagou Chani” or “Potamia” has uniform and evenly spaced arches. It was built in 1901 with the distinctive grey stone from the region. It’s unique in Peloponnese. Just one kilometer south, you will find the Two-Arche Stone Bridge of Vyros and then, at about two hundred meters, the One-Arch Stone Bridge of Matzinia. These bridges connected the villagers via the mule road to Kalamata.

Agios Georgios and Mount Lycourios overlook the village. There was the natural fortress of the Dethalians in antiquity, and until today the area is called Kastro. At the top of the mountain, there is a fair every year on the day of the Saint.

The Castle of Kalamata is located on a hill northwest of the city, where river Nedon flows at its foothills. In antiquity, Faris, a mythological hero, built the Acropolis of the ancient town of Farai on the hill.

During the Francocracy, it was reconstructed by the Villehardouins, and they added new fortifications. In the 15th century, it belonged to the Ottomans, and from 1685 to 1715, Venetians preserved the existing fortifications and added new ones.

In the 19th century, it declined, and in 1821 it was conquered by the Greeks during the Greek Revolution.

The nationally known Holy Church of the Holy Apostles in the city of Kalamata is one of the most famous monuments related to the Greek Revolution of 1821. The building is located in the Square “23rd of March”, which was named after the date of Kalamata’s liberation from its Turkish conquerors.

In Kalamata, you can visit the Archaeological Museum of Messinia, the Historical and Folklore Museum of Kalamata, the Military Museum of Kalamata and the Collection of Greek Costumes of V. Karelia.

It is he most central point of the city. The square, with its countless shops and cafes, is an attraction and a meeting point for both locals and visitors.

Cycling lanes, pedestrian paths and ample green spaces will offer a pleasant stroll along this 400-meter-long square.

This 2,5 km sandy beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in the city. You can reach it on foot from the city center, to enjoy a day at the beach.

Along Navrinou Avenue, with its large promenade, bike lane and palm trees, Kalamata’s beach has been awarded the Blue Flag. It is paved with fine pebbles and gradually deepens. The fact that it is located in the center of the enclosed Messinian Gulf guarantees warm and calm waters.

It was an ancient city of Messinia in the southwestern part of Peloponnese. It was founded between 370 and 369 BC by Epaminondas, a Theban General, after his victory over the Spartans at the battle of Leuktra. It is a magnificent and fascinating archaeological site in a spectacular location. By observing the ruins of Ancient Messina, one gets an excellent picture of life in ancient times. The walls of the city are massive and made of stone. It had two monumental gates, the Arcadian and the Laconian. Archaeological discoveries include an ancient theatre, the market and the gymnasium, sanctuaries, temples, statues, springs and dwellings, many of which are mentioned in the narrations of Pausanias.