KARDAMILI

  The south Mediterranean's best-kept secret. . .

Kardamili is a spectacularly beautiful coastal village, situated in the northern part of the Mani region on mainland Greece. Caught halfway between the deep blue of the Aegean and the rocky bones of the Taygetos Mountains, the whole region is one of stark contrasts and incredible beauty. It is, itself, trapped between the medieval world and the modern era. Your first adventure comes when you leave Kalamata, and the road takes you inland up into the mountains.

You must first travel over deep gorges, through small mountain villages and olive groves. Should you travel by day, some of the finest views in the Mediterranean will greet you, overlooking from mountain's edge down to the sea, past the shadows of old terraces and ancient towers. After about 30 minutes, you will have your first view of the rugged Mani coast from high on the mountain ridge. Below, where the road bends back to the coast, lies the village of Kardamili. Kardamili is situated at the very edge of the foothills of the Taygetos Mountains, where they reach out into the Messinian Bay. There is a beautiful pebble beach with clear waters for swimming and snorkelling.

A walker's paradise, many paths reaching from the water's edge up into the foothills grant amazing panoramas of the region, and the ancient bones of old terraces and ancient towers are there to be explored. It forms an excellent base from which to explore many areas in the local region, such as the Caves of Diros, Monemvassia, Olympia, and even the Taygetos Mountains themselves. Kardamili is 36 km south of Kalamata, and approximately 4 hrs and 30 mins drive from Athens.

  How to get here . . .

There are a number of ways for you and your guests to get to Kardamili: you can catch a flight, board a ferry, take a bus or a train, drive down to the Mani, or even sail to Kardamili harbour... It all just depends on how much time you have on your hands, how you enjoy travelling, and whether you like to rent a car or prefer to use your own.

If you're planning to fly to Kalamata or Athens (or coming in from the islands by boat to the port of Githeion), taxis and private cabs are reliable and safe, buses and air-conditioned long-distance coaches are extremely relaxing, and car hire rates are competitive.

If you're instead considering driving down as many visitors do from northern/western Europe, you can bypass the Western Balkans by taking one of the numerous ferries that on a daily basis connect Italy to Greece: crossings are extremely comfortable, ships are brand new, ticket prices are very reasonable, and then getting from the port of Patras to Kardamili is as easy as ABC.

Whatever way you choose to travel, arriving directly into Kardamili's main square is as simple as 123, and Greece is a country rich with colourful, detailed and exciting landscapes, so your journey down into the Mani will be inspiring and pleasant.