Are you looking for a daily trip connected to the ancient Greece and some nice parts of the Peloponnese region? At this article you will find a nice suggestion to the Southern part of the Peloponnese region with the archeological site of Mystra and the nice beaches of Areopoli.
So, Mistras, a former municipality in Laconia, is a one of the centers of the Greek Ancient World located next to the town of Sparta and at the feet of mount Taygetos. It was the Byzantine Despotate of the Morea in the 14th and 15th centuries.
The Archeological Site of Mistras
Directions HERE
The Castle at Mistras is strategically located at the mount of Taygetos and is considered as a great natural fort of Greece and is directly connected to the first Fall of Constantinople. The castle was built in 1249 on top of the Byzantine fortress town by the Frankish prince Guillaume II in order to control the Evrotas valley. Today within the castle there are four abandoned settlements with great Byzantine churches houses and palaces.
In 1962 all the castles of the area, Mystra, Mani and Monemvasia were abandoned and surrendered to the Byzantines. The castle of Mystras was fortified with walls and the place called Chora was created while the Kato Chora, another settlement outside of the walls was created that also was protected by walls. The byzantine era for Mistras ends in 1460 when it was surrendered over to the Turks.
Between 1460 and 1540 Mistras became an important centre of silk production and trade centre in the Mediterranean Sea.
Once you leave from Mystra the next destination is Diros for the natural beauty of the caves.
Caves of Diros
Directions HERE
At the area there are of Diros there two caves, the cave of Bluxadas and the Alepotrupas one. Locals knew about the first cave since 1900. They could not imagine though that there might be any other caves there until 1949 when researchers found all the underground treasure. Until today there have been traced more than 14,7 kms of paths most of them under the sea level with the deepest part of the cave being 80m underground.
The inside of the caves is full of stalactites and stalagmites, the temperature is a way lower than the outside temperature. At the caves of Diros there are boats that can take you a 40 min tour inside the different paths of the caves for you to admire the natural treasure!
All the area between Diros and Kalamata is an area full of beaches and small villages where you can spend the rest of the day before returning back to Nafplio
Beaches in the area
Diros Beach – Directions HERE
Dexameni Beach- Directions HERE
Itilo Beach- Directions HERE
Pantazi Beach- Directions HERE
Stoupa Beach- Directions HERE
Kalogrias Beach- Directions HERE
Foneas Beach- Directions HERE
Restaurants in the Area
ManiBella – Directions HERE
I Oka – Directions HERE
To Mavromichaliko – Directions HERE
Kourmas Limeni – Directions HERE
Avli Tis Theanos – Directions HERE
Almyriki Tavern – Directions HERE
