Greece - Korina Miller [147]
Sleeping & Eating
Hotel Byzantion ( 27310 83309; www.byzantionhotel.gr; s/d/tr incl breakfast €45/60/70; ) In the centre of the modern village of Nea Mystras is this small, appealing option, an alternative to sleeping in Sparta. There’s a delightful garden and the bright rooms have balconies offering arresting valley or mountain views. It’s about 1km from the site.
There are two camping options: Camping Paleologio Mystras ( 27310 22724; fax 27310 25256; camp sites per adult/tent/car €7/4/4; year-round; ) 2km west of Sparta and approximately 4km from Mystras village, and Castle View ( 27310 83303; www.castleview.gr; camp sites per adult/tent/car €6/4/4, 2-person bungalow €30, Apr-Oct; ) about 1km before Nea Mystras village and set in olive trees; buses will stop outside either if you ask.
There are also several domatia around the village, along with a couple of cafes and tavernas.
Getting There & Away
Frequent buses go to Mystras from Sparta (€1.40, 30 minutes, 10 daily). A radio taxi from Sparta to Mystras’ lower entrance (Xenia Restaurant) costs around €9 to €10, or slightly more to the upper entrance. A cheaper option is to take a taxi ( 27310 25300) from Mystra but these can be elusive.
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LANGADA PASS ΟΡΕΙΝΗ ΔΙΑΒΑΣΗ ΛΑΓΚΑΔΑ
The 59km Sparta–Kalamata road is one of the most stunning routes in Greece, crossing the Taÿgetos Mountains by way of the Langada Pass.
The climb begins in earnest at the village of Trypi, 9km west of Sparta, where the road enters the dramatic Langada Gorge. To the north of this gorge is the site where the ancient Spartans left babies too weak or deformed to become good soldiers to die (boxed text).
From Trypi, the road follows the course of the Langada River before climbing sharply through a series of hairpin bends to emerge in a sheltered valley. This is a good spot to stop for a stroll among the plane trees along the river bank. The road then climbs steeply once more, to the high point of 1524m – crossing the boundary from Lakonia into Messinia on the way. You can stop overnight here. The descent to Kalamata is equally dramatic.
Travelling this route by bus involves changing buses at Artemisia, the closest Messinian settlement to the summit.
Sleeping & Eating
Pandoheio Canadas ( 27210 21436; s/d/tr €20/28/29) This small guest house, 22km from Sparta, is perched on the upper slopes of the Taÿgetos Mountains at an altitude of 1250m. The rooms are basic but offer great mountain views. The restaurant is a major attraction, turning out delicious homemade treats such as pork sausages.
Hotel Taÿgetos ( 27210 99236; fax 27210 98198; s/d/tr €30/40/50) The Taÿgetos has a superb location at the very top of the Langada Pass. It also boasts a good restaurant with specialities such as roasted goat, rooster with red wine and rabbit stifadho. It’s 24km from Sparta.
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MONEMVASIA & GEFYRA
ΜΟΝΕΜΒΑΣΙΑ & ΓΕΦΥΡΑ
Vast, imposing, spectacular Monemvasia (mo-nem-vah-see-ah or mo-nem-vah-see-ah) is the Greek equivalent to France’s Mont St-Michel. This perfect fortress is an iceberglike slab of rock moored off the coast, with sheer cliffs rising hundreds of feet from the sea, and a single highly defendable causeway.
These days Monemvasia incorporates both the rock, whose medieval village is enclosed within the walls of the rock’s kastro, plus the modern mainland village of Gefyra just across the causeway. In summer, both places brim with visitors. Fortunately, the extraordinary visual impact of the medieval village in particular – and the delights of exploring it – override the effects of mass tourism. The staunch communist poet Yiannis Ritsos was born here and only seven people are permanent residents.
From Gefyra, you can see little of the fortress. But cross the causeway and follow the road that curves around the side of the rock and you will come to the official entrance, a narrow tunnel in a massive fortifying wall. The tunnel is L-shaped, so the magical town