This is Sparta...!

 During the archaic and the historical period in the Peloponnese, tough city states were growing, such as Sparta, Argos, Mycenae, Tiryns, Pylos, Corinth  and other smaller ones.

Although these cities were autonomous city-states with many conflicts with each other, they were fully aware of their common origin, which was confirmed by mythological elements, such as Pelops, the Peloponnesian ancestor.

Then there was the Greek Twelve Gods, the Olympian Gods, the common religion, which was not always favorable to the Greeks, especially when they were unjust or insulting.

This common corigin consciousness united them in the campaign against Troy, when Paris stole the beautiful Helen of Sparta, the wife of the king Menelaus, brother of Agamemnon  king of Mycenae.

On this trip, after passing through Corinth and Argolida, we will head to the area of Laconia and Sparta.

So we will see the Corinth Canal, the Epidaurus Theater, Mycenae, Argos and Nafplio in Argolis, Kynouria, an Arcadian region today, but in ancient times it was claimed, often with bloody wars, by the Argives and the Spartans and, driving continuously south, we reach Ancient Zarax and the Medieval Monemvasia.

When we make this trip in the summer we will visit the beautiful island of Elafonisos with the amazing beach of Simos, the unique sunken archaic city Pavlopetri, and Neapolis, a beautiful town built on the site of the ancient Boeae.

Then we will proceed to Sparta and we will see the Statue of Leonidas, the Archaeological site, the Archaeological Museum and the Museum of Oil and Olive.

We are very close to Mystras, the city of the Byzantine castle with the arrogant castle hanging on the hill and we have to see it, starting from the top and walking down to the foot of the hill crossing the main downhill road of the city.

 Then we will go to Gythio, a beautiful ancient coastal city, which was founded by Hercules according to mythology. We will admire the architecture and the color of the city, the port and the island of Kranai, where Paris and Eleni spent the first night together.

Leaving Gythio we will make a very interesting route through Eastern Mani, the so called Sunny Mani, to reach Cape Tainaro, the cave of Hades, the southernmost tip of mainland Greece and the second southernmost of Europe. We will pass Vathi, the coast of Agia Varvara, the village of Kotronas and other coastal maniot villages with big house towers, the necromancy of Tainaron, the lighthouse of Tainaron (Cavo matapan) and the beautiful bay of Porto Cayo.

Then we will visit the settlement of Vathia, the most photographed traditional settlement of the Peloponnese, and the beautiful settlement of Gerolimenas.

Throughout our journey we pass through cities that were part of the Koinon (Common) of free Laconians, most of which no longer exist. At this point (Kyparissos) there was the ancient Kainipolis, which was sunk by a deadly earthquake. 

We are now in the heart of Mani, Mesa Mani (Inner Mani) and we are going up to Areopolis, whose central location in Mani makes it its capital.

We will have the opportunity to see this small town, the beautiful settlement of Limeni in the gulf of Itylos and to do a boat tour of the Caves of Diros.

Our journey will last six days and during this time we will have the opportunity to tell more about the mythology, the history and the social organization of the areas through the centuries.