Southern Peloponnese Landscapes: Above- & Below-ground

Tour guides have shared repeatedly that Greece is mostly mountains 
(85% so we’ve been told). 
The dark green areas are mountainous.






















No idea which mountains these are but they are striking.






Hazy photo unfortunately due to lots of burn piles smoldering in the countryside on this day. 









Southwestern Laconia region of the Peloponnese on our way to…


















…Kastania Cave





16,000 square feet of Stalactites, Stalagmites, Curtains, Columns, and more in colors of red, orange, white, green, and purple.

















This is one tiny portion of the ceiling covered in thousands of stalactites. 

The entire cave was like this.





Kastania Cave has been forming for 3 million years and it is still alive. 


Access is by guided tour only with strictly no touching and only one area where non-flash photos are allowed. 

They have a CO2 recovery system so the visitor exhalations don’t negatively impact the cave eco system. 













There are only two crossings from “mainland” Greece to the Peloponnese.

One of them is this stunning bridge.





Also expensive - our bridge toll was nearly US $18.


The other crossing is over the Corinth Canal which we will be doing on April 23.










We have ventured rather far south on the Pelopennese peninsula to visit Monemvasia. 


This is the view of Monemvasia from our terrace.






Monemvasia loosely translates as ‘single entry’ since the only access to the fortified village on the far side of this rock is a narrow causeway. 








In this photo, borrowed from a hotel website you can see the causeway and the village’s position on the rock.



Up until the 16th century, when it was abandoned, there was an upper town also (green border).


The red dot is roughly where we are staying. 


It is a 1.5 mile walk to the farthest/highest point of the fortified village (sometimes called a castle, which it is not).





The hotel photo makes the village look large compared to the rock but it is quite small as you can see here. 


















Monemvasia is largely a destination rather than a village. 

Current full-time residents are no more than 30.

The main “street” is full of shops and restaurants.


A view from inside the village


















The rockfall fence protecting lower town is impressive.
























We did a hike to the upper town and got a great view of lower town.



















Upper town ruins and a restored Byzantine church. 

















Jeff and a lovely olive tree in front of the church.

















We could see where we are staying (yellow circle).

















Sunset light on Monemvasia

















Returning to Monemvasia from the cave we had this view of Elafonisos Island off the coast of Neapoli. 

















Stopped for a drink at the far end of our explorations in lower town.






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