Sue's Guide to the Mani
Car Hire
We always hire a car from Mani Cars in Stoupa. It is a local business that is honest and fair with very good cars. Tell them that you have been recommended by Sue Merry.
Stoupa
Mani Cars
mani.cars@yahoo.gr
+30 27210 77977
Restaurants
There are too many good restaurants to list them all. Here are a few special places that tourists do not often discover. They are mostly very Greek and used by locals.
Approximately 10 minutes from our house by car you will find a special, local, simple grill house, where you can sit in or take away. It is called "Nostimes". It is hidden away from the main harbour road. Take the road up the hill away from the slipway at the harbour. Pass the corner supermarket on your left and take the first left turn where there is a sign for Skafidakia Apartments. After a short distance you will see Nostimes on the right. Mention that you are staying in Sue and Roger's house in Isna.
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Agios Nikolaos
Approximately 10 minutes from our house by car you will find a special, local, simple grill house, where you can sit in or take away. It is called "Nostimes". It is hidden away from the main harbour road. Take the road up the hill away from the slipway at the harbour. Pass the corner supermarket on your left and take the first left turn where there is a sign for Skafidakia Apartments. After a short distance you will see Nostimes on the right. Mention that you are staying in Sue and Roger's house in Isna.
A mountain village with a lovely restaurant under a massive plane tree. When you leave Isna House and arrive at the main road turn left. Follow the road up and up for 5 minutes or so. After passing the village of Pigi you will eventually come to a left turn that is signposted Milea . Follow this road and pass through the beautiful village of Milea. Incidentally you can also walk to this village from our house. Carry on until you come to Kariovouni. The restaurant is unmissable as there is a large open area with tables, an enormous tree and an open water spring.
Kariovouni
A mountain village with a lovely restaurant under a massive plane tree. When you leave Isna House and arrive at the main road turn left. Follow the road up and up for 5 minutes or so. After passing the village of Pigi you will eventually come to a left turn that is signposted Milea . Follow this road and pass through the beautiful village of Milea. Incidentally you can also walk to this village from our house. Carry on until you come to Kariovouni. The restaurant is unmissable as there is a large open area with tables, an enormous tree and an open water spring.
A beautiful village with an exceptional taverna. Turn left onto the main road at the bottom of our mountain. Carry on for a few minutes until you see a sign for Pigi. Take the right turn and park where you can in the lane. Walk through the village to the church. You will see the restaurant. There are amazing sunset views here and the food is great.
Pigi
A beautiful village with an exceptional taverna. Turn left onto the main road at the bottom of our mountain. Carry on for a few minutes until you see a sign for Pigi. Take the right turn and park where you can in the lane. Walk through the village to the church. You will see the restaurant. There are amazing sunset views here and the food is great.
This is our local beach and has a nice beach taverna. It is an 8 minute drive from our house. It is signposted from the main road. Turn right onto the main road and take the first left turn. Also try Voulimenaos restaurant in the next bay to Pantazi. Great sunset views and friendly owners. Say you are staying in Isna with Sue and Roger. They catered for our house-warming party and hosted Roger's 70th birthday celebrations.
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Pantazi beach
This is our local beach and has a nice beach taverna. It is an 8 minute drive from our house. It is signposted from the main road. Turn right onto the main road and take the first left turn. Also try Voulimenaos restaurant in the next bay to Pantazi. Great sunset views and friendly owners. Say you are staying in Isna with Sue and Roger. They catered for our house-warming party and hosted Roger's 70th birthday celebrations.
A lovely short trip to a beautiful local village. There are also many good walks around Trachila. The swimming in the harbour is divine and there is a really excellent and very cheap restaurant the overlooks the harbour called "Petros". It is near the far end of the harbour road, overlooking the swimming spot and just before the road becomes a track.
Take the road to Pantazi Beach. when you arrive at Pantazi turn left towards Agios Dimitrios. The road now follows the coast all the way to Trachilia where it ends. Sometimes Petros Taverna is closed unexpectedly, but it is really worth the trip out there as it is a lovely drive and a beautiful spot.
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Trachila
A lovely short trip to a beautiful local village. There are also many good walks around Trachila. The swimming in the harbour is divine and there is a really excellent and very cheap restaurant the overlooks the harbour called "Petros". It is near the far end of the harbour road, overlooking the swimming spot and just before the road becomes a track.
Take the road to Pantazi Beach. when you arrive at Pantazi turn left towards Agios Dimitrios. The road now follows the coast all the way to Trachilia where it ends. Sometimes Petros Taverna is closed unexpectedly, but it is really worth the trip out there as it is a lovely drive and a beautiful spot.
Beaches
Here are a few of the hi-light beaches. There are many others for you to discover yourselves.
8 Minute drive from the house. Tends to be less busy than elsewhere. Easy parking, good swimming, beach taverna, a few sunbeds (but certainly not over-crowded with them like Kalogria). If you feel so inclined bring a few interesting stones back for our garden!
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Pantazi beach
8 Minute drive from the house. Tends to be less busy than elsewhere. Easy parking, good swimming, beach taverna, a few sunbeds (but certainly not over-crowded with them like Kalogria). If you feel so inclined bring a few interesting stones back for our garden!
Beautiful but probably a bit busy. Easy access to restaurants and shops and sunbeds. Hire canoes etc. Parking by the church (signposted). Very good swimming.
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Stoupa
Beautiful but probably a bit busy. Easy access to restaurants and shops and sunbeds. Hire canoes etc. Parking by the church (signposted). Very good swimming.
Certainly the best beach in the area and must be one of the best beaches in Greece. Absolutely wonderful for swimming, safe for children. The sea has a huge amount of fresh water coming up from the sea bed. The water is snow-melt from the high mountains of the Tagaytos. In recent years the beach has been taken over by commercial interests and spoiled by too many sunbeds etc. If you don't mind this kind of thing then it is definitely a beach to try out. It is signposted from the main road. The turn is on the left soon after Katerina's supermarket and just before the other large supermarket on your right when you travel there from Isna.
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Kalogria
Certainly the best beach in the area and must be one of the best beaches in Greece. Absolutely wonderful for swimming, safe for children. The sea has a huge amount of fresh water coming up from the sea bed. The water is snow-melt from the high mountains of the Tagaytos. In recent years the beach has been taken over by commercial interests and spoiled by too many sunbeds etc. If you don't mind this kind of thing then it is definitely a beach to try out. It is signposted from the main road. The turn is on the left soon after Katerina's supermarket and just before the other large supermarket on your right when you travel there from Isna.
Beautiful pebbly beach (no sand). Usually quiet and very peaceful with tiny beach café and really good swimming and snorkelling. However, recently it has been discovered on social media. Eekk. It now gets much busier at certain times, especially the weekends. Coming from Isna go right at the bottom of the hill. Carry on along the main road past the turns for Stoupa etc. and head to towards Kardamyli. Foneas is a left turn off the main road right on a very sharp left bend. You take a rough track down to a shady parking place in an olive grove. There is a huge rock in the sea that you can swim around and you can also see this from the road.
Pantai Foneas
Επαρχιακή Οδός Καλαμάτας - ΑρεόποληςBeautiful pebbly beach (no sand). Usually quiet and very peaceful with tiny beach café and really good swimming and snorkelling. However, recently it has been discovered on social media. Eekk. It now gets much busier at certain times, especially the weekends. Coming from Isna go right at the bottom of the hill. Carry on along the main road past the turns for Stoupa etc. and head to towards Kardamyli. Foneas is a left turn off the main road right on a very sharp left bend. You take a rough track down to a shady parking place in an olive grove. There is a huge rock in the sea that you can swim around and you can also see this from the road.
Historical Sites
Here are a few suggestions for day trips. There are also many Byzantine churches/chapels in the area. You find them most unexpectedly sometimes. Be sure to visit the Village of Kastanea if this is your thing! (Signposted from the main road).
Very impressive site that seems relatively undiscovered. There is a guide book in the house. Probably pretty hot in midsummer though. We visited in the autumn. In any case plan to get there as early as possible. https://www.gtp.gr/TDirectoryDetails.asp?ID=14806
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Messene
Very impressive site that seems relatively undiscovered. There is a guide book in the house. Probably pretty hot in midsummer though. We visited in the autumn. In any case plan to get there as early as possible. https://www.gtp.gr/TDirectoryDetails.asp?ID=14806
Can be done as a day-trip but you might think of staying one night, maybe in Sparta. Spectacular drive if you take the road from Kalamata. Signposted Sparta No Tolls from the Kalamata by-pass road.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mystras
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Mystras
Can be done as a day-trip but you might think of staying one night, maybe in Sparta. Spectacular drive if you take the road from Kalamata. Signposted Sparta No Tolls from the Kalamata by-pass road.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mystras
Inner Mani.
The most obvious way to explore this dramatic area, once known as Kakavoulia (‘evil counsel’) is to follow the road that runs down one coast and then loops round to come back up the other side, starting and finishing at Areopolis. The total driving time to do this is just under 2 hours with no stops, so doing it in one day is perfectly possible if an early start is taken. The landscape is very different from the outer Mani – much more barren and windswept.
Driving on each of the coasts is also very different. On the west side the road enjoys a relatively straight course on a wide plateau whereas the mountains come dramatically down to sea level on the east coast, causing the road to bend and twist. This is not their only difference. The west coast is all about tower villages and churches; the east offers a greater number of swimming opportunities in a series of small, fairly secluded pebbly coves, many of which have beach side tavernas. Whatever your chosen itinerary, it is a “must do” experience – the combination of the harsh landscape and rugged coastline, the austere tower houses and their violent history and the religious fervour intrinsic to every one of the numerous churches, gives the area a unique, mystical quality, appropriate for an area right on the fringes of Europe.
For a really full day out, or to stay overnight to enjoy a couple of days in the area, there is the possibility of combining this “loop” with a visit to Cape Tainaron. It is about 4 hours driving to do a day-trip to Cape Tainaron only. Highly recommended. Take your swimming gear and when you get there you can swim into the entrance to mouth of hades!!
http://www.insidemani.gr/deep-mani/inner-mani/
64 penduduk tempatan mengesyorkan
Areopoli
Inner Mani.
The most obvious way to explore this dramatic area, once known as Kakavoulia (‘evil counsel’) is to follow the road that runs down one coast and then loops round to come back up the other side, starting and finishing at Areopolis. The total driving time to do this is just under 2 hours with no stops, so doing it in one day is perfectly possible if an early start is taken. The landscape is very different from the outer Mani – much more barren and windswept.
Driving on each of the coasts is also very different. On the west side the road enjoys a relatively straight course on a wide plateau whereas the mountains come dramatically down to sea level on the east coast, causing the road to bend and twist. This is not their only difference. The west coast is all about tower villages and churches; the east offers a greater number of swimming opportunities in a series of small, fairly secluded pebbly coves, many of which have beach side tavernas. Whatever your chosen itinerary, it is a “must do” experience – the combination of the harsh landscape and rugged coastline, the austere tower houses and their violent history and the religious fervour intrinsic to every one of the numerous churches, gives the area a unique, mystical quality, appropriate for an area right on the fringes of Europe.
For a really full day out, or to stay overnight to enjoy a couple of days in the area, there is the possibility of combining this “loop” with a visit to Cape Tainaron. It is about 4 hours driving to do a day-trip to Cape Tainaron only. Highly recommended. Take your swimming gear and when you get there you can swim into the entrance to mouth of hades!!
http://www.insidemani.gr/deep-mani/inner-mani/