ΜΟΝΕΜΒΑΣΊΑ / Μονεμβασία
Monemvasia (moh-nehm-VAH-see-ah), a gigantic rock that juts improbably up from the blue-green deep just a few hundred yards offshore, is a time-warp to the medieval Peloponnese. Its little Lower Town hamlet hides on the seaward side of the giant rock, tethered to the mainland only by a skinny spit of land. This remarkably romantic walled town—with the remains of an even bigger Upper Town scattered along the peak high above—is a living museum of Byzantine, Ottoman, and Venetian history dating back to the 13th century. Summiting Monemvasia is a key experience on any Peloponnesian visit.
Monemvasia means “single entry”—and the only way to get here is to cross the narrow causeway. At the mainland end of the causeway is the nondescript town of Gefyra (YEH-fee-rah), a smattering of hotels, restaurants, shops, and other modern amenities that offer a 21st-century escape from the Rock.
Heading to or from Monemvasia, consider a stop at Mystras, near Sparta. Although the town of Sparta has little of touristic interest, the site of Mystras has well-preserved Byzantine churches (dating from the 13th to 14th century) that evoke the grandeur of the Byzantine Empire before it fizzled.
It takes only a few hours to see Monemvasia—a stroll through the Lower Town, a hike to the Upper Town, and you’ve done it all. Though doable as a day trip from Kardamyli or Nafplio (3.5-4 hours by car each way), I don’t recommend it. Spending the night in Monemvasia—especially on the Rock—allows you to linger on the floodlit cobbles and makes the long trip down here more worthwhile.
Monemvasia is moored to the mainland at the village of Gefyra, where most of its services are located (though neither Monemvasia nor Gefyra has a TI). The road into Gefyra from Sparta becomes the main street, where you’ll find—clustered where the road bends left toward the Rock—the post office, a few ATMs, and an excellent bakery (with a supermarket just up the street). The Malvasia Travel Agency, which sells bus tickets and serves as the town’s bus stop, is on the main street, where it meets the causeway.
After passing through Gefyra, the main road leads to the causeway across to the Rock (Vraxos). The hamlet of Monemvasia itself, which locals call To Kastro (“The Castle”), is around behind the Rock. To Kastro is divided into the Lower Town (with houses, hotels, and restaurants) and the ruins of the Upper Town high above.
A road runs around the base of the Rock from the causeway to Monemvasia’s Lower Town. To get from Gefyra on the mainland to the Lower Town, you have three options: walk (across the causeway, then around the Rock, about 20 minutes); drive (park along the road near the entry to the Lower Town); or take a shuttle bus (runs regularly between the Gefyra end of the causeway and the Lower Town, €1/ride).
Name Variation: In English the town’s name can also be spelled Monemvassia, Monembasia, or Monembacia.
Addresses: Locals don’t bother with street numbers, or even names—both Monemvasia and Gefyra are small enough that everyone knows where everything is. If you can’t find something, just ask around.
There’s only one thing to see in Monemvasia: the Rock, which is divided between the Lower Town and the Upper Town. Because it’s also a real village, Monemvasia is free to enter and open all the time.
(See “Monemvasia: Lower Town” map, here.)
Begin outside the 17th-century main gate, designed by the Ottomans who were occupying the town at the time (and who knew a thing or two about designing—and breaching—gates like this one). The only public WCs are to the right, in front of the gate.
Look up to the cliff and down to the sea, appreciating how successfully the crenellated wall protected this mighty little nugget of Byzantine power. There are only four entrances: two on this side, one on the opposite side, and one from the sea. Combine that with the ridiculously easy-to-defend little causeway (once a drawbridge) and the perfect bird’s-eye view from the top of the Rock (ideal for spotting would-be invaders from miles and miles away), and Monemvasia was a tough nut to crack.
Enter the gate. (The stairway inside leads up to a terrace with a monument noting the fact that the 20th-century poet Yiannis Ritsos—beloved by Greeks but unknown abroad—spent much of his life here.) Inside the gate, notice that it jogs, preventing you from even getting a peek at the town until you emerge on the other side—another defensive measure. And then...
Bam! You’re at the start of Monemvasia’s narrow, cobbled main street. Bear uphill (left) at the fork, through a gauntlet of tourist shops, hotel offices (renting rooms in buildings scattered all over town), and cafés with inviting terraces stretching toward the sea. Elsewhere in town, doors and windows are small, but here—on what’s always been the main commercial drag—the wide, arched windows come with big built-in counters for displaying wares. Enjoy this atmospheric lane, scouting cafés and restaurants for later (see “Eating in Monemvasia”).
Mighty Monemvasia, a Gibraltar-like rock with a Crusader-style stone town at its base, has ruins scattered all across its Masada-like plateau summit.
Monemvasia’s Upper Town was founded in the sixth century A.D. by refugees fleeing Slavic raids into the Peloponnese. Gradually the settlement spread down the hill and, thanks to its uniquely well-defended position, became a powerful town. In the declining days of the Byzantine Empire (1262-1460), when nearby Mystras was its ecclesiastical base, Monemvasia was its main city and one of the great commercial centers of the Byzantine world, with a population of more than 40,000. It was known for its Malvasia wine, a lightly fortified red that was prized at the royal courts of Europe. Over the next several centuries, highly strategic Monemvasia changed hands again and again—mostly back and forth between the Venetians and the Ottomans. While most of the buildings that survive today date from the second period of Venetian rule (1690-1715), foundations and architectural elements from each chapter survive.
By the 18th century, Monemvasia slipped into decline...until it was rediscovered by tourists in the 1970s. Today Monemvasia is a leading destination both for international visitors and for wealthy Athenians, who are converting its old houses into weekend retreats.
The lane leads to the town’s main square, Plateia Dsami—literally “Mosque Square,” a very rare-in-Greece tip of the hat to Ottoman rule. The namesake mosque still stands (the blocky building with the small red dome, on the right). In the middle of the square, notice two symbols of the town: a cannon (Monemvasia was nothing if not well-defended) and a well. Monemvasia is honeycombed with cisterns for catching rainwater...the one thing that a city clinging to a rock floating in the sea needs to survive. Virtually every house—in both the Upper and Lower Towns—had its own cellar cistern.
Walk to the edge of this square and survey the rooftops of the Lower Town. Notice a unique feature of Monemvasia houses: sharply angled rooflines, which allowed built-in tile gutters to carefully channel water into those cellar cisterns. Houses are built of stone quarried from right here on the Rock—a very efficient way to get building materials. Whereas the stone walls of many houses are exposed today, historically most houses were covered with plaster (some still are), which once gave the skyline Santorini-like soft edges.
Now turn around and face the Rock and the Upper Town. Notice the stoutly walled, zigzagging path that climbs the cliff face...yes, waaaay up there. Halfway up and a little to the right, notice the small cave burrowed into the cliff—a humble chapel reached by a precarious footpath. You can see from here that most of the Upper Town is in ruins...but it sure is fun to explore (described later).
Before leaving the square, do a little sightseeing. The old mosque—which has also served as a church, prison, and coffee shop—today hosts a modest archaeological museum (€2, Tue-Sun 9:30-16:00, closed Mon, tel. 27320-61403). The one-room display, though sparse, is well-presented and well-described in English: pottery fragments, the stone chancel screen (iconostasis) from a long-gone Byzantine church, and an explanation of how many ancient architectural elements were scavenged to build early Christian churches.
Across from the mosque/museum is the whitewashed, 11th-century Church of Christos Elkomenos (“Christ in Pain”). While this was originally a Byzantine church, the Venetians substantially expanded it: Notice the elaborately carved lintel above the entrance, a sure sign of Venetian influence. The peacock relief above the lintel was added after independence (1820s), as was the bell tower. If it’s open (generally daily 9:00-14:00 & 16:00-20:00), step into the tidy white interior for a serene visit to an Orthodox church. If you’re so moved, drop a coin in the box, light a candle, and say a prayer. Hiding behind the marble iconostasis is a small reminder of the church’s humble Byzantine origins: old amphitheater-like stone risers where bishops once stood.
Although it’s a little town today, Monemvasia was important enough historically to be a bishopric. Back outside, to the right as you face the church, notice the entrance to the bishop’s former residence—with the Venetian coat of arms (the winged lion of St. Mark) above the door. You’ll also see that the church is attached by an archway to a small chapel.
Before huffing up to the Upper Town, poke around the Lower Town’s twisty lanes. Through the archway to the right of the church, steps lead down through a maze of steeply cobbled streets to the sea wall. A gate at the center of the wall leads out to a rocky platform with ladders into the sea for swimmers.
As you explore, keep a few things in mind: It all looks medieval and quaint today, but the streets of Monemvasia are a textbook of architectural influences: Byzantine, Venetian, and Ottoman. Wandering the streets of the Lower Town, you might notice pointed archways or large lintels (stones over windows), which are distinctively Venetian; or occasional tulip-shaped windows (curling on top with a little peak in the middle), which are unmistakably Turkish. Notice the many arched passageways spanning narrow lanes—the only way a crowded, walled town could grow. Quite a few houses are still in ruins, but with Monemvasia’s touristic currency on the rise, many of these are now being excavated and rebuilt. Because the town is protected by the Greek government, restoration requires navigating a lot of red tape and giving painstaking attention to historical accuracy.
There are more than two dozen other churches in the Lower Town, and each significant site is numbered and explained by posted information (and guidebooks sold locally)...but there’s no need to get bogged down by those details. Just have fun with the perfect medieval streetscapes awaiting discovery around each turn.
When you’re ready to climb the Rock, be sure you’re prepared: Wear good shoes and bring sun protection (there’s very little shade up there) and water (there are no shops up top, but you can buy water at gift shops along the Lower Town’s main drag). Then make your way to the top of town and huff up the steep path to the...
(See “Monemvasia: Lower Town” map, here.)
The ruins of the Upper Town are spread across a broad, rolling plateau at the summit of the Rock. Unlike the well-preserved Lower Town, virtually none of the Upper Town has survived intact. The last resident left the plateau nearly a century ago—probably after finally getting sick and tired of trudging up and down the path—and the plateau is now a wasteland of ruined old buildings, engulfed by a sea of shrubs and wildflowers that seem to sprout from the rocks. As you explore up here, watch your step—sudden cliffs and open cisterns could bring your vacation to a sudden and tragic end.
Nearing the top of the trail, curl through yet another defensive gateway, then emerge at the edge of the plateau. While most of the buildings here are ruined, there are a few things to seek out. Major items are well-marked with directional signs, but you could miss the big picture by playing archaeologist. The best way to enjoy the top of the Rock is to let your inner child take over for a king- or queen-of-the-castle scramble across the ramparts and ruins.
First, head more or less straight up along the path toward the 12th-century Byzantine Church of Agia Sophia. Thanks to recent erosion, the church hangs precariously (and scenically) close to the edge of a sheer cliff. Like so many buildings here, the church has elements from various eras of history: a Byzantine core, with Ottoman elements (most now gone), and a triple-arched loggia grafted onto the front in the 16th century by the Venetians. The interior (usually closed to visitors, thanks to vandalism) was whitewashed when it was converted into a mosque under Turkish rule, but fragments of original frescoes survive. The whole thing was restored in the 1950s.
From here you can climb higher up the hill for good views back down onto the church. If you want to lengthen your hike, you can climb all the way to the acropolis, the fortification near the peak of the Rock (visible from here). Or, for an easier walk, head downhill to the crenellated watchtower area out toward the sea; this spot has the best views back up to the church.
As you explore the site, remember that this was regarded as the mightiest fortress in Byzantine Greece. Not surprisingly, it was never captured in battle—only by a protracted, starve-’em-out siege. Monemvasia’s Achilles’ heel was its dependence on the mainland for food. And though some basic supplies were cultivated atop the Rock, it wasn’t enough to sustain the entire town for very long.
Back at the entrance gateway, consider heading right along the wall (as you face the Lower Town and water) for good views back down onto the Lower Town. If you continue farther along this path, you’ll reach an old Turkish house, and then the granddaddy of all the town’s cisterns: a cavernous vaulted hall.
Our tour of the Rock is finished. When you’re done enjoying the views and the evocative ruins, head back down the way you came up...and treat yourself to a drink on a seafront terrace.
Monemvasia accommodations come with a big price hike in July and August. Rooms are tight during these summer months and on weekends year-round (as it’s a popular getaway for Greeks and visitors alike). Outside those times, you can usually get a deal. But because of this wild fluctuation, you might see some variation from the rates I’ve listed.
Sleeping in Monemvasia’s old Lower Town is romantic and appealing, if remote-feeling. Various hotels rent rooms scattered through old buildings. All of them have decor that mixes new and old, with some old-fashioned Monemvasia flourishes (such as low platform beds, tight bathrooms, head-banging archways, and stone shower enclosures without curtains). Keep in mind that Monemvasia is a honeycomb of cobblestone alleys and stairs. Luggage with wheels won’t work here. If you stay on the Rock, be prepared to carry your luggage to your hotel (drivers might want to cram essentials into a day pack).
$$$ “New” Malvasia Hotel—the shiny extension of the original Malvasia Hotel (described later)—has 20 well-appointed but still traditional rooms in several small buildings at the far end of the Lower Town. Enjoy the views of the bay from the gorgeous terrace just outside the entrance (Db-€75-110 depending on view and balcony—the cheapest rooms are a great value, free Wi-Fi in lobby, tel. 27320-63007, www.malvasia-hotel.gr, info@malvasia-hotel.gr).
$$ Monopati Apartments, well-run by Swiss-French Isabelle, is a delightful little compound of two apartments in a sleepy perch near the top of the Lower Town. Both have kitchenettes and tasteful decor sprinkled with fun, thoughtful touches. Choose between a two-bedroom apartment (July-Aug: Db-€85, Tb-€100; Sept-Oct and March-June: Db-€70, Tb-€85) and a little stand-alone, two-bedroom cottage for up to five people (July-Aug: €130 for 2 people, €150 for 3 or more; Sept-Oct and March-June: €110 for 2 people, €130 for 3 or more; for both: breakfast-€6; 4-night minimum July-Aug, otherwise 2-night minimum; closed Nov-Feb, free guest computer and Wi-Fi in lobby, tel. 27320-61772, mobile 69748-32818, www.byzantine-escapade.com, info@byzantine-escapade.com).
$$ Byzantino Hotel rents 25 tastefully old-fashioned rooms in the Lower Town (Db-€60-80 with no view, €80-90 with sea view, €100-135 with sea view and balcony, breakfast-€5, free Wi-Fi in lobby and their nearby café, rooms rented from central office, tel. 27320-61351, www.hotelbyzantino.com, info@hotelbyzantino.com). Avoid the pricey rooms in their Lazareto Hotel, outside the Lower Town, just across the causeway from the mainland.
$$ Malvasia Hotel—related to but separate from “New” Malvasia Hotel (described earlier)—is a collection of 50 rustic but atmospheric rooms in 4 different buildings. About half of them have been beautifully renovated with no loss of charm (unrenovated Db-€50-75, renovated Db-€85-90, prices also depend on size and view, 4-person apartment with kitchen but no breakfast-€90, tel. 27320-61323, malvasia@otenet.gr).
Sleeping in the mainland town of Gefyra lacks the romance of spending the night in the heart of time-warp Monemvasia, and prices here aren’t all that much lower than on the Rock. The following listings work fine, however, when all the reasonably priced rooms in Monemvasia are booked up, or for drivers who don’t mind trading atmosphere for the convenience of parking a few steps from their room.
$ Hotel Panorama is well-run by friendly Angelos and Rena Panos. It’s at the top of Gefyra, an uphill 10-minute hike from the main street, which means it’s quiet and comes with great views. The 27 rooms are comfortable, and all have balconies (Sb-€45, Db-€55, sea-view Db-€65, Tb-€65, sea-view Tb-€75, family room-€100, all rooms €15-20 more in Aug, no elevator, free guest computer and Wi-Fi, tel. 27320-61198, www.panoramahotel-monemvasia.gr, info@panoramahotel-monemvasia.gr).
$ The Flower of Monemvasia is a pleasant family-run hotel with 21 rooms right along the main road, a short walk from the causeway (Sb-€40, Db-€50, Tb-€68, about €16 more per room in Aug and over holiday weekends, soft rates, cheaper in winter, also has pricier suites, no elevator, free Wi-Fi, tel. 27320-61395, www.flower-hotel.gr, info@flower-hotel.gr). Ask about their good restaurant To Liotrivi, in a restored olive-oil mill a 15-minute drive outside town (also rents rooms).
$ Hotel Pramataris offers 22 good-value rooms on the main street as you enter town, across the street from The Flower of Monemvasia. Most rooms have views of the Rock (Db-€60 May-Aug, €40 Sept-April, breakfast-€5, no elevator, free guest computer and Wi-Fi, tel. 27320-61833, www.pramatarishotel.gr, hotelpr@hol.gr).
$ Anastatios Sofos rents eight cheap, bare-bones rooms (albeit with air-conditioning) along the main road; four of them have balconies with partial views of the Rock (Db-€40 July-Aug, otherwise €35; no breakfast, tel. 27320-61202, speaks just enough English).
Both of these eateries are along the main pedestrian artery of Monemvasia’s Lower Town, just before the main square.
Matoula (Ματούλα), with its delightful vine-shaded terrace looking out to sea, is the most appealing of the restaurants on the Rock. Try the local specialty, barbounia (red mullet), or ask owner Venetia about the daily specials (€4 starters, €7-20 main dishes, seafood splurges, daily 12:00-late, tel. 27320-61660).
To Kanoni (“The Cannon”), next door to Matoula, is another good choice, with a cozy interior and a scenic upper veranda (€4-7 starters, €8-16 main dishes, pricier seafood dishes, daily 8:00-late, tel. 27320-61387, say hi to Eva).
A collection of interchangeable eateries cluster like barnacles at the Gefyra end of the causeway. In good weather, it’s pointless to eat anywhere here without a view of the Rock. I like to walk along the water (to the right as you face the Rock) and survey the options. I’ve eaten well at Scorpios, about halfway around the bay, with rustic white tables under a blue canopy, castaway ambience, and my favorite views of the Rock (€3-6 starters, €5-11 main dishes, daily 12:00-24:00, tel. 27320-62090).
Picnics: The bakery on Gefyra’s main street (near the post office) is wonderful, and the supermarket just up the side street from there will help you round out your moveable feast for the top of the Rock. While you can buy basic drinks and snacks in Monemvasia’s Lower Town, there’s no grocery store there—do your shopping in Gefyra.
Monemvasia is not particularly well-connected by bus. Four to five buses leave for Sparta each day (likely at 5:15, 7:15, 14:15, and 17:30; Mon and Thu-Fri also at 8:30; 2 hours); these continue on to Tripoli (4 hours total) and then Athens (6 hours total). You’ll need to change in Sparta to reach just about anywhere else, such as Areopoli on the Mani Peninsula (3.5 hours from Sparta). Change in Tripoli for Nafplio (1.5 hours from Tripoli). There’s no real bus station in Monemvasia, so buses stop across the street from the Malvasia Travel Agency, just before the causeway; you can buy tickets on the bus or at the travel agency (recommended a day in advance in busy times, tel. 27320-61752). Be sure to double-check connections.
Monemvasia’s a bit out of the way, but the trek is worth it. Allow at least 3.5 hours from Kardamyli (more if you’re stopping en route for photos; consider a pit stop in Gythio, about 1.75 hours from Monemvasia) and roughly 4 hours from Nafplio. If you pass through Sparta en route, you can easily fit in a visit to the nearby Byzantine churches of Mystras.
You can speed on the highway for most of the route between Nafplio and Monemvasia, but you’d be missing one of the most stunning scenic drives in Greece: The coastal road between Nafplio and cute little Leonidio is very pretty, and the twisty cliffside uphill from (or downhill to) Leonidio is jaw-dropping. The mountain town of Kosmas is perfect for a quick break. Between Monemvasia and Kosmas, look for signs to Skala and Vrontamas. The route doesn’t take that much longer than the highway, but it requires a little planning (as roads aren’t well marked) and isn’t for the squeamish. Even with a GPS on board, it’s a good idea to ask your hotelier for route tips.
Located roughly between Kardamyli, Monemvasia, and Nafplio, the town of Sparta (which is nothing much) is near the site of Mystras, which is worth a stop. Its impressive Byzantine churches are fine examples of the empire’s last Golden Age.
Sparta—where mothers famously told their sons to “come home with your shield...or on it”—is a classic example of how little a militaristic society leaves as a legacy for the future.
The ancient city that everybody wants to see, the Sparta that dominated Greek affairs in the sixth and fifth centuries B.C. isn’t one visitors can experience: The various excavation sites around town go down no farther than the level of Roman Sparta, which was built on the foundations of the classical city from the first century B.C.
One reason why so little remains is that the town was abandoned in the 13th century, and its buildings were dismantled for reuse in the construction of nearby Mystras. Sparta was re-established in 1834 on the initiative of King Otto and his Bavarian court, whose classical education had given them a strong appreciation of Sparta’s place in history. Otto ordered his planners to create a city of wide boulevards and parks; today Sparta looks more like 19th-century Bavaria than the home of Spartan hero King Leonidas.
Because Sparta is built on a grid system, it is somewhat easier to navigate than many Greek cities. Coming from Monemvasia or Gythio, you’ll enter on Palaeologou and head through town toward an oversized statue of King Leonidas.
The acropolis of ancient Sparta is signposted from the statue of Leonidas. It’s a pleasant 10-minute walk, but the ruins that lie scattered among the olive trees are Roman-era or later. The main feature of the excavations is an impressive Roman theater; however, much of its stone seating was removed and used in the defensive wall built around the city’s acropolis in the fourth century A.D.
Mystras, four miles west of Sparta, is one of the most important Byzantine sites in Greece. It was here, in the foothills of the Taygetos Mountains, that the Byzantine Empire enjoyed a final dazzling period of creative energy (1262-1460) before it was swallowed up by the Ottomans.
The last rulers of the Byzantine Empire were the Palaiologos “despots”—but they were not tyrants; the name comes from a subdivision of the Byzantine church called a “despotate.” Under the Palaiologos family, Mystras became the empire’s cultural and intellectual capital. It was home to many great artists and to the philosopher Plethon, who was responsible for the revival of Plato’s teachings. Plethon and other scholars based here had a major impact on the Italian Renaissance, especially after he visited Florence in 1438. But Mystras’ Golden Age came to end when the city surrendered to the Turks in 1460.
The main attractions at Mystras are its churches—regarded as some of the finest surviving examples of late Byzantine architecture in Greece. The extravagantly decorated frescoes were painted by the empire’s greatest artists (although their names sadly went unrecorded). Be aware that ongoing restoration projects may force the closure of some of these churches and palaces.
Cost and Hours: €5, daily April-Aug 8:00-20:00 except Sun until 15:00, Sept 8:00-18:30 except Sun until 15:00, Oct 8:00-17:30 except Sun until 15:00, Nov-March 8:00-15:00, tel. 27310-23315, http://odysseus.culture.gr—search for “Mystras.” It’s only a half-mile from the modern village of the same name; find parking outside the main gate or at the end of the road by the Nafplio Gate. WCs are downhill to the right of the main gate.
Visiting the Site: The best churches are in the lower part of the archaeological site. Start with the Metropolitan (cathedral), built in 1264 and dedicated to Agios Dimitrios (St. Demetrius). Look for a relief of a double-headed Byzantine eagle set in the floor at the center of the church. It commemorates the coronation of Constantine Palaiologos as the last Byzantine emperor. The aisle is flanked by columns “harvested” from Roman Sparta.
Beyond the Metropolitan, a path slopes gently uphill to the right. This takes you to the churches of Agios Theodoros and Aphentiko (a.k.a. Hodegetria), nestled below a grove of tall cypress trees. It’s worth the detour just to admire the magnificent, multiple red-tiled domes of the Aphentiko.
Opposite the Metropolitan, a steep path leads up toward the imposing Church of Pantanassa. It’s home to several elderly, black-veiled nuns who live in a row of small rooms (on the left as you enter the church’s walled compound). They tend the flower gardens and produce linen embroidered with Byzantine motifs (sold in the small shop at the end of the row). The Pantanassa is also home to Mystras’ best collection of frescoes.
From the Pantanassa, retrace your steps to the main path and continue uphill through the Monemvasia Gate. This well-fortified gate provides the only access between the lower town and the upper town, where the nobility lived.
The main attraction in the upper town is the Palace of the Despots. The original, featuring two wings, was built in stages that reflect Mystras’ steady rise. The first stage is the closest building on the right, which was built by the Crusaders. Check out the pointed Gothic arches of the top floor windows—a favorite motif found at other Crusader castles around the Peloponnese. The rest of this wing was added by later rulers and includes a private chapel as well as the despots’ residence.
In the final decades of their rule, the Palaiologos despots built the second wing. Its massive central hall, which covers the entire second floor, served as their throne room. After the fall of Constantinople in 1453, it became the throne room of the last outpost of the Byzantine Empire.