In the Mani you are never far from Greece’s glorious past. Whatever your interest, whether it is the earlier world of palaces and kings of the Iliad and the Mycenean world, the rise of Sparta and its clashes with Athens in the Peloponnesian War, or the background to the later Byzantine glories and the uprising against the Turks, you will not be disappointed.

The Mani peninsula has been populated since Neolithic times. Legend claims Cape Tenaron as one of the most important gateways to Hades (the underworld). According to myth, it was through Tenaron that Hercules descended to Hades in order to fulfill his 6th labour which was to capture Cerberus (the monstrous three-headed dog that guarded the entrance to Hades).

In classical times, the Mani was part of the nearby Spartan state.  When the city state of Sparta fell, many Spartans found refuge in the shelter of the Taygetos mountains. Indeed many locals today see themselves as direct descendants of the ancient Spartans.

Christianity did not gain a firm foothold until the 9th century. From the 9th century onwards, countless Byzantine churches and chapels were built, many with very beautiful frescos which can still be seen today and are worth a visit. There are so many ancient churches that the Mani is viewed by many archaeologists as an “open-air Byzantine museum”!

The Mani, dominated by the Taygetos Mountains and its southern foothills, was up until the 20th century almost entirely impassable. This made it an area of retreat for many Greek people fleeing foreign conquerors. During Mediaeval times, the same reasons also made this area an ideal base for pirates.

The Mani was a region almost completely free from state interference and a very unique culture evolved here.
Due to the ruggedness of both the local population and the landscape, none of the foreign powers that occupied Greece throughout the centuries managed to  conquer the Mani.

Thus, the Mani was the only Greek region that remained free during the 400-year Turkish occupation of Greece (1453-1821). Indeed, the Greek War of Independence in 1821 was organized and started here. This proud war-like history is evident in part by the unique Maniot tower-houses.