landmark
Mani Peninsula
A wild, remote region of the southern Peloponnese with tower houses, Byzantine churches, and the mythical entrance to Hades at Cape Tainaron.
21 km · about 25 min drive
EuropeGreecePeloponnese
Kardamýli
Peloponnese, Greece · Europe
About Kardamýli
Kardamýli works well as a base: 30 minutes from Paralía Vérgas, 31km from Diros Caves.
Kardamýli is in Peloponnese, Greece, with about 300 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Paralía Vérgas, about 15 km away.
Kardamyli (Greek: Καρδαμύλη, variously transliterated as Kardamyle, Cardamyle, Kardhamili, and Kardamili) is a village in Greece on the Mani Peninsula in the southern Peloponnese. It is the seat of the municipality of West Mani in the regional unit of Messenia. It was commonly labelled "Skardamoula" on older maps.
InRead more
the Iliad (Book 9), Homer cites Kardamyli as one of the seven cities offered by Agamemnon to Achilles as a condition to rejoin the fight during the Trojan War. The village preserves its ancient name.
The area has several beaches: Ritsa, Belogianni, Salio, Tikla, Megalo Amoni, Mikro Amoni, Masklimitsa. The older town includes a medieval castle and outworks. The imposing Church of Saint Spyridon in the fortified compound of the Mourtzinoi-Troupakis clan was constructed in the 18th century and re-uses some material of ancient and Byzantine origin. Many of the buildings of Old Kardamyli (Pano Kardamyli, or "Upper Kardamyli") were built by the Venetians and feature a mix of traditional Greek and Venetian design. Like that of many Maniot towns, Kardamyli's skyline is dominated by distinctive tower houses. Many were constructed by scions of the Nikliani clans, the mediaeval aristocracy of the Mani.
Kardamyli is a trailhead for many mountain paths, some of which lead to the peak of Mount Taygetus, known locally as Profitis Ilias, "Prophet Elias". Nearby is the Viros Gorge, with a total length of 20 kilometres (12 mi). The gorge is dry in summer but regularly floods in winter due to snowmelt and heavy rains. Kalamata, Oitylo, Areopoli and the Diros caves are nearby.
The village of Kalamitsi just outside Kardamyli was the principal home of English writer Patrick Leigh Fermor and his wife Joan in his later years. He was made an honorary citizen of the village for his participation in the Greek Resistance during World War II.
The ashes of the writer Bruce Chatwin were scattered near a Byzantine chapel above the village in 1989.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Kardamýli?
Within an hour or so of Kardamýli: Mani Peninsula (21 km), Langada Pass (23 km), Mystras (24 km), Limeni (26 km).
Are there any good drives near Kardamýli?
The nearest famous roads are Langada Pass.
Where is Kardamýli?
Kardamýli is in Peloponnese, Greece, about 15 km from Paralía Vérgas.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 300
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- Greece
- Region
- Peloponnese
- Timezone
- Europe/Athens
- Coordinates
- 36.8878, 22.2332
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in Greece
Tourist police (English-speaking): 171.
Full driving guide for GreeceTags
Worth the detour from Kardamýli
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
mountain pass
Langada Pass
Legendary mountain road between Sparta and Kalamata, carving through the Langada Gorge over the Taygetus range: hairpins, sheer drops and some of the finest driving scenery in the Peloponnese.
23 km · about 25 min drive
ancient ruins
Mystras
A spectacular fortified Byzantine ghost city on a steep hillside near Sparta, with churches containing precious medieval frescoes.
24 km · about 30 min drive
photogenic
Limeni
The old harbour of Areopoli: a handful of stone houses and tavernas set directly on water so clear the fishing boats appear to float in air. Sea turtles cruise the shallows; the Mavromichalis clan tower still guards the bay.
26 km · about 30 min drive
natural wonder
Diros Caves
Glide by boat through a flooded subterranean river of stalactites deep in the wild Mani.
31 km · about 35 min drive
waterfall
Polylimnio Waterfalls
A hidden gorge in Messenia holding a chain of some 15 waterfalls and jade swimming lakes with names like Kadi and Mavrolimna, linked by ladders and footpaths. Park above Kalochori-Haravgi village and descend into the ravine.
35 km · about 40 min drive
ancient ruins
Ancient Messene
One of Greece's most complete and least-crowded ancient cities: a vast 4th-century-BC site with an intact stadium, theatre, agora and the massive Arcadian Gate, spread below the village of Mavromati.
42 km · about 50 min drive
castle
Methoni Castle
A sprawling Venetian sea-fortress juts into the water on a causeway at the Peloponnese's tip.
48 km · about 55 min drive
Driving roads near Kardamýli
- 23 kmLangada PassLegendary mountain road between Sparta and Kalamata, carving through the Langada Gorge over the Taygetus range: hairpins, sheer drops and some of the finest driving scenery in the Peloponnese.
Driving in Greece
- Drives on
- the right
- Petrol
- ~€1.88/litre
- Motorway tolls
- ~€7.00/100km
When to drive here
April to October
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