Kardamyli . . .
Kardamyli 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 Kardamyli. 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.