“
We decided to take a risk
and include his suggestion
in the route. And it was a
decision that paid off
a real adventure.” Our friend was right, to
get to the north we were able to include
some wonderful meandering country
roads through small quaint villages and
some keep-your-mind-on-the-job twisty
mountain passes.
“You must go to the Mani,” said Stephano, a
retired ship captain turned hotel owner and
Harbour Master in the small port town of
Katakolo, “It is my favourite place in all Greece.”
When we met Stephano our exploration
trip was coming to an end and we did not
have time to check out the region and hotel
he recommended. Stephano’s own hotel
was a pleasure to stay at with its friendly
staff, panoramic views of the port on one
side and coast on the other, with attractive
well-designed rooms, so we were confident
his recommendation would be worthwhile.
We decided to take a risk and include
his suggestion in the route. And it was a
decision that paid off.
The Mani is the central southern prong
of the Peloponnese, a peninsula and
geographic region in southern Greece.
The most southern section of the Mani is
referred to as the Deep Mani. This region
of Greece with its tower houses, bare rocky
inaccessible mountains, local people with a
reputation for being fierce and rough, and
the fortified medieval villages make it one
of the most mysterious areas of Greece.
Unlike the rest of Greece, the Mani was
never occupied by the Turks largely due to
the strong resistance from the locals, known
as Maniots. Living within the protection
of clans the Maniots had a reputation for
being aggressive, conservative people who
KIWI RIDER 25