Discover Traditional Settlements In Mani

Mani is an area of ​​the Peloponnese, in which a large number of traditional buildings (towers, tower houses, farm houses) have been preserved in good condition. The stone buildings form exciting residential ensembles with the special Mani architectural style. In the eastern part of Mani there are more than ten traditional villages with abandoned towers and ruined tower houses. Almost all settlements have one or even two churches dating from the 14th or even the 12th century.

Starting from Gythio to the eastern or prosilian Mani and going up to Taygetos, the traveler meets the first group of traditional settlements: Platanos, Konakia, Karvelas, Myrsini, Sidirokastro, Mesochori and Polyaravas. Polyaravas, just 26 kilometers from Gythio, is built at an altitude of 840 meters and has an excellent climate. hotels in mani The original name of the village was polytzaravos - a place with many tzara (phrygana).

Karyoupoli is built in a naturally fortified position. A fort with arched gates and loopholes has been built on the hill. The fort of Karyoupoli controlled the entrance to Mani. Ageranos is 14 km from Gythio. In Ageranos the visitor can see the walled complex of Antonobei Grigorakis. The Grigorakis family nominated three Beys who ruled for 26 years before the revolution, while on the eve of the revolution Petrobeis Mavromichalis took power. In the village there are also the stone houses (tower houses) of the Algerinakos and Xirantakos families as well as the Tsikouri complex.

Flora and Fauna In Mysterious Mani

Mani has a very unique landscape. The mediterranean mountain sides of the area are a pleasure to the eye. In spring the flowers are simply remarkable while the autumn rains often enlighten the scenery. Mani is in the top of destinations in Peloponnese for holidays for all seasons and there are good reasons for this.mani greece hotels 

Wildlife in Mani is also rich. Still, there are things to attend to. One should be careful with the usual stinging and biting things. Wasps, hornets and territorial horse flies can be quite a problem. Bees usually do not attack unless threatened - around hives they can be rather aggressive. Lizards are often to be noticed- they range from small darting ones to pretty huge bright green ones about the size of an iguana. They can be a rather annoying surprise when unexpectedly encountered but are rarely if ever aggressive.

The snakes in Mani can be found in large numbers and varieties. Vipers and adders however are the only venomous snakes and easily spotted thanks to the special zigzag pattern on their backs. Locals can easily and instantly kill anything that resembles a snake, using the nearest blunt object - a tactic that unfortunately highly increases their chances of being bitten. Being careful about where one places their feet and hands can be a real solution in avoiding close contact with any kind of serpent and thus remaining safe and away from unwanted stinging or biting. Besides that, the vast majority are non-poisonous, including many lizards and worms which aren't even real snakes. 

Image Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/da/Mani_4_small.jpg