Boutique hotels
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Kinsterna Hotel & Spa
- Style
- Pebbles and porticos
- Setting
- Minutes from Monemvasia
East Peloponnese Overview
Greece
- Countryside
- Cobbled castles, ancient architecture
- Country life
- Submerged cities, secret shores
Named after an ancient hero who won a chariot race and then a kingdom, the finger-shaped Peloponnese is a timeless corner of mainland Greece…
This remote southern region and its ancient churches will keep Byzantine fans busy for days: crumbling ruins, monasteries and churches line the quiet roads where traffic comes mostly in the form of passing cows. Flora flourishes in a landscape of vineyards, olive trees and orange groves, and there are mountains to the east and west. Mediaeval walled towns include the castle-rock, Monemvasia, an isolated fortress across the Aegean. Above ground, the peninsula boasts golden beaches with transparent turquoise waters, but underground, it’s just as exciting – buried cities and caves to navigate by boat. Don’t miss Sparta, home of Helen of Troy, and Mystras, a deserted fortified town, stopping off from long drives at one of the roadside tavernas serving souvlaki and saganaki.
Essentially East Peloponnese
Greece’s very own Mont Saint-Michel goes locally by the name Monemvasia: this isolated island connects to the mainland by a kilometre-long causeway. From far away, all you can see is a rock, hence the nickname, ‘the Rock’, but up close, the castle town has lots of boutiques, bars and restaurants lining its steep slopes.
Local Knowledge
- Taxis
- The bigger towns have taxis to flag, but it’s best to ask your hotel for advice. In Monemvasia, try Dimitris on +30 6974 128278 or Tasos on +30 6980 567871.
- Tipping culture
- Service is generally included, but round up the bill if you’re happy.
- Siesta and fiesta
- Shops tend to work around the number of visitors. Locals head out for dinner at around 8pm; clubs stay busy till 3am.
- Packing tips
- Gladiator sandals to re-enact scenes from Troy; a keen interest in Byzantium; a map for navigating the long, quiet roads in this spread-out region.
- Recommended reads
- A collection of local poet Giannis Ritsos’ works; Helen of Troy by Margaret George to read up on Sparta, home of Helen and her twin brothers.
- Cuisine
- Red, white and rosé wine is produced locally, using malvasia grapes from Monemvasia – it was such a favourite of Venetian merchants in the Middle Ages, the traders became known as ‘malvasie’. Spanikopita is Greece’s famous spinach pie, and it’s popular here, too, as is saganaki (pan-fried) cheese, often eaten in these parts with mussels in a tomato sauce.
- Regional specialities
- Syglino is smoked pork, preserved with pork fat and orange peel. Octopus is regularly fried with ouzo. For afters, try amygdalota, soft almond biscuits from Monemvasia.
- Currency
- Euro (€).
- Time zone
- GMT+2.
- Dialling codes
- Greece: +30; Monemvasia: 27320; Sparta: 27310.
- Do go/don't go
- It’s warm and sunny from April until early October, but crowd sizes peak in August, when the narrow mountain passes get congested.
Don't go home without...
…walking to the top of the Rock. In the hotter months, go late afternoon when the sun’s cooled off. At any time of year, sunset will be spectacular.
