Greece
Gythion (Sparta), Greece
Gythio: Ancient Port of Sparta, Gateway to the Mani and the Cave of the Sea
Gythio is the largest town of the Mani, a peninsula of the southern Peloponnese whose villages keep their old stone tower houses, and it is the seat of the East Mani municipality. Most of the ancient city now lies under the water of the gulf, though its Roman theater still stands at the edge of town.
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What Cruise Travelers Should Know About Gythio
Gythio's harbor is shallow, and for years cruise ships anchored in the bay and brought passengers ashore by tender; an extension opened in 2017 lets larger ships tie up. Your cruise line confirms whether your ship tenders or berths, and either way you come ashore in the harbor, with the town center around it.
- The town, also spelled Gytheio, climbs a hillside above the harbor on the eastern side of the Mani peninsula.
- The islet of Kranai, also called Marathonisi, is joined to the south end of town by a causeway.
- Sparta is 40 km to the north and Mystras a few kilometers beyond it, so both mean a coach or taxi rather than a walk.
Gythio on Your Own
In Gythio itself you can see the waterfront, the islet at the end of the causeway and the Roman theater on the north side of town. Sparta, Mystras and the Diros caves are all a drive away, so on your own they mean a taxi.
- The waterfront: Tavernas and cafés face the harbor, and the streets behind climb the hill past neoclassical houses.
- Kranai: Walk out along the causeway to the islet, where a marble lighthouse from 1873 and the Tzannetakis Tower stand among pines.
- The Roman theater: On the north side of town, at the foot of the old acropolis, the theater keeps its first eight rows of seats in good condition.
- A ride out: Regional buses run from Gythio to Sparta, but not often, so a taxi is the practical way to Sparta and Mystras, or west to Areopoli and the Diros caves.
- Getting back on time: All-aboard is usually about 30 minutes before sailing, and your ship posts the exact time. A ship will not wait for passengers touring on their own, and if your ship is tendering, allow extra time for the boat back.
Getting Around Gythio and the Peloponnese
Gythio's harbor, waterfront and the causeway to Kranai can be covered on foot. For anything beyond the town, plan on a taxi or a tour, because buses are infrequent.
- Sparta: The town is 40 km away on the national road, and regional buses link Gythio and Sparta on a limited timetable.
- Mystras: The site lies about 7 km west of Sparta on the slopes of Mount Taygetos.
- The Mani: Areopoli is about 20 km southwest of Gythio, and the Diros caves are on Diros Bay, a few kilometers south of it.
- Castle of Passavas: The ruined castle stands about 5 km southwest of town, above the road into the deeper Mani.
What to Eat in Gythio
Gythio eats like the rest of the Mani, with olive oil, wild greens, pulses and pork at the center of the table. Oranges and other citrus, olive oil and olives are among the goods shipped from Gythio's port.
- Syglino: Salted pork preserved in its own fat, a Mani speciality.
- Sfela: A white, semi-hard local cheese.
- Lalangia: Strips of fried dough.
- Diples: Honey rolls, a sweet served across the Mani.
- Horta and pulses: Wild greens, lupins, broad beans and lentils turn up throughout Maniot cooking.
Tipping in Greece
Tipping in restaurants was not traditionally a Greek custom, though leaving a small tip on the table is now common in tourist areas. Tipping taxi drivers is uncommon.
- Restaurants: Where people tip, they usually leave a small amount on the table.
- Currency: Greece uses the euro.
Sparta, the Ghost City of Mystras, and the Gates of Hades
The big sights near Gythio are inland or at the far end of the Mani, so they mean a day out rather than a stroll. Sparta and Mystras lie inland to the north, and the Diros caves and Cape Matapan are in the Mani to the west and south.
- Mystras: Through the 14th century and into the 15th, Mystras was the capital of the Byzantine Despotate of the Morea. It was abandoned in the 1830s and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1989. Some of its churches still show frescoes from that time.
- Visiting Mystras: The ruins climb a steep slope on stone stairs, some in poor condition, and seeing everything means a climb of about 250 m, so wear sturdy shoes.
- Sparta: Modern Sparta was laid out in 1834 near the ancient city. The Archaeological Museum of Sparta, one of the oldest archaeology museums in Greece, holds finds from the ancient acropolis and the rest of Laconia.
- The Diros caves: On the west coast of the Mani, these sea caves are explored by small boat, past formations of stalactites and stalagmites. People used the caves as places of worship in prehistoric times.
- Cape Matapan: At the tip of the Mani, it is the southernmost point of mainland Greece, and ancient legend placed the entrance to the underworld in a cave near the cape.
Sparta's Port, Helen's Island, and the Byzantine Shadow
Gythio was ancient Sparta's harbor and naval base, then a Roman town, and after its destruction in the 4th century it stayed a small village through Byzantine and Ottoman times. The beys of the Mani rebuilt it in the 18th century, and it grew into the main town of the Mani.
- Myth: In the Iliad, Paris tells Helen of the first night they spent together on the island of Kranai, which tradition places off Gythio.
- 455 BC: In the war between Sparta and Athens, the Athenian admiral Tolmides burned the town with 50 ships and 4,000 soldiers.
- Roman times: Gythio was the most important member of a league of free Laconian towns, exported purple dye and marble, and gained the theater that still stands in town.
- 4th century AD: The town was destroyed, possibly by the earthquake of 375, and most of the ancient city now lies under the gulf.
- 18th century: Tzanetos Grigorakis, bey of the Mani, and his three sons founded the modern town as the capital of the eastern Mani.
- March 23, 1821: Leaders of the eastern Mani raised the flag of the Greek revolution at Gythio.
- 1829: Tzannetakis Grigorakis built the tower on Kranai as a fort to protect the town from pirates; the lighthouse followed in 1873 and the causeway in 1898.
- 1989: After restoration, the tower opened as the Historical and Cultural Museum of the Mani.
- To learn more ashore: The Historical and Cultural Museum of the Mani is in the Tzannetakis Tower on the islet of Kranai, across the causeway from the town.
Gythio with Children and Families
With children, a Gythio day can stay in town: the causeway, the islet and the beaches are all close by. Families with older children may want to add the boat ride through the Diros caves or a climb at Mystras.
- Younger children: Walk the causeway to Kranai to see the lighthouse and the tower, then spend time on the beach at Mavrovouni, a long sandy beach just south of town.
- School age: The boat trip through the Diros caves, past stalactites and stalagmites, suits children who can sit still in a small boat. At the Roman theater in town they can sit on the stone seats.
- Teenagers: Mystras suits teenagers who like a climb: seeing everything means a climb of about 250 m on stone stairs and paths, past palaces and churches to the castle at the top.
Accessibility in Gythio
Gythio is built up the slope of a hill, with its center around the harbor at the foot. If your ship tenders, ask your cruise line before the call whether the tender can take a wheelchair or a walker.
- The causeway to Kranai starts at the south end of the waterfront.
- The Roman theater is on the north side of town, at the foot of the hill.
- Mystras is steep, and its many stone stairs, some in poor condition, make it very hard going with limited mobility.
- The Diros caves are visited by small boat, which means getting into and out of the boat.
Beaches Near Gythio
Gythio has beaches on both sides of town. Mavrovouni to the south is the long sandy one, and Selinitsa is on the north side.
- Mavrovouni: A long sandy beach south of town, where the wind often picks up enough for wind sports.
- Selinitsa: The beach on the north side of town.
- Valtaki: Remains of ancient walls can be seen on the sand of this beach and in the shallow water, where the wreck of the ship Dimitrios lies stranded.
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