Location:
The villa / castle Kelefa in overlooks the historical village of Kelefa. Vacation amidst the fragrant herbs of the Inner Mani in the panorama of the Taygethos Mountains.
The spacious property also includes the adjoining family chapel Aghia Annas, which because of its charming ambience is often used by guests for wedding ceremonies and baptisms. Kelefa is located above the bay of Itilon to which the new asphalt road leads past the old Turkish fortress directly down to the blue sea. Picturesquely framed by mountains and olives, the small neighboring village of Limeni with its fish taverns is about 3km away. The bay below your vacation domicile has a long gravel/sand beach. Itilos promenade with its nice cafes and bars is a meeting point for young and old. On the coastal road there is a bus service to Areopolis, about 3km away.
Equipment:
The birthplace of the family has been lovingly restored and rebuilt in the traditional style in 10 years of painstaking work. In the summer months, the 1.70m thick natural stone walls also provide pleasant temperatures. The villa / castle offers 5 bedrooms with double beds, as well as single beds. The maximum sleeping capacity is 10 persons.
On the ground floor there is a large common room with a fully equipped kitchen. The 2 separate bedrooms available here also lead out onto the terrace. The traditional property is surrounded by a wall. Parking is available on the spacious property. On the second floor there are 1 large living room and 1 bedroom covering the whole floor area of the building. On the same level 1 bathroom and another bedroom in the tower area. The top bedroom in the tower building is accessible via the winding stone staircase. "The ideal starting point to enjoy in idyllic surroundings, the old flair of times gone by".
Sports and entertainment:
Two hiking entrances are located in Kelefa. WTG- Tip: Aghia Spiliotissa hike. (approx. 2.5 hrs. one way) The entrance is opposite the main church on the square. Bars, taverns & cafe`s in the long drawn out bay of Itilon(about 2,5km) and Areopolis (about 4km), boat trips from Karavostasi about 2km away.
Environment
Laconia, Peloponnese - the Inner Mani
Laconia lies between the prefecture of Messenia to the west and Arcadia to the east, its coasts are bordered to the south by the ...
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Laconic Gulf to the west, the Messenian Gulf to the west and the Myrtoan Sea to the east.
The capital of the prefecture is the city of Sparta, which is also very important in Greek history and was built exactly where ancient Sparta was located. It is the southernmost prefecture of mainland Greece and the southernmost point of mainland Europe. Thanks to the scenic features such as the interplay of mountains and sea, as well as Laconia's valuable history, which is maintained by prehistoric findings as well as cultural testimonies whose origins date back to ancient times, this area is rightly considered the ideal vacation destination. Ancient temples and theaters, monasteries, fortresses, caves, biotopes, mountain hikes and breathtakingly beautiful beaches are just some of the many attractions that Laconia has to offer and that captivate even skeptical visitors.
Four provinces are subject to administration in Laconia: Lacedaemonium with its capital Sparta, Gythio with its capital of the same name, Epidavros Limiras with its capital Molai, and Itylo (Itilion) with its capital Areopolis.
Day trip - from / to Kardamili by rental car
Daily kilometers: approx. 270,
We drive approx. 1, hrs. in southern direction through the Taygethos mountains coming from Kalamata, passing Kardamili and Stoupa to Agios Nikolaos.
If the last 13 kilometers of road were mainly on straight road parallel to the sea, we follow a few kilometers of ascending switchbacks and come to the chamante Thalames where on the Platia the old stone mill Morea of olive pioneer Heinz Need with award-winning oils invites you to rest. Herbs, honey and pickled fruits are offered on the village square. A lovingly arranged Mani Museum hides many a treasure and curiosity from bygone times. Mr. Nikos entertains his visitors in German with anecdotes about his homeland.
The onward journey takes us above Alika through an area with mighty old prickly oaks. Before the vegetation becomes stonier and more barren in the direction of Itilion. About halfway up the long bay of Itilon begins the former wild Mani, the Inner or Lower Mani. If you return to the horizontal on your way down into the bay and look inland, you will see the canyon on your left, where an attractive hiking trail leads to the old Spiliotissa nunnery (below Kelefa) through a dry riverbed.
Kelefa itself is worth a side trip. The Agios Vassilies church with its impressive murals on the platia, as well as old tower houses, mighty stone walls presenting phalluses and of course the ruins of the once ascended Turkish Kastros.
If in the front part of the bay of Itilon we drove up the steep concrete road coming out in front of the Kastro, we now drive out the road on Kelefa and turn right at its end towards Areopolis. The center of the lower Mani has a beautiful old town and in the lower part many small chapels decorated with frescoes.
In Dirou (Diros), 15 minutes away, the underground water labyrinth of the same name of the great caves is worth a visit. On small channels it goes by boat through the cave system with impressive colors, stalagmites and stalactites. For this detour down to the sea, including the cave visit of Dirou are about 2 hours to plan.
Continuing south along the well-maintained road, the landscape becomes stonier. Only a few fig trees and collections of prickly pears remain. It is recommended to explore the old fortified villages, perhaps at Stavri or Kitta, on your own. The promenade of Gerolimenas invites with its taverns and cafes to stay. A short hike up the rim to the old church takes about 45 minutes and is worth this interruption just for the view.
One of our favorite sandy bays is just past the village at Alika and the old water tower ruins. After a short and refreshing swim, we follow the descent down to Mezapos to photograph the green lagoon and the wind-swept cliffs.
A walk around the ruined village of Vathia is then our next photo stop and gives a good insight into the traditional Mani construction from ancient times.
We pre-ordered fresh fish from Popen Gregorious in Marmaris. A wonderful place with certainly the most beautiful sandy bay of the Inner Mani. Gregorious is as always in a good mood and makes jokes all the time and tells little stories "about life" around. He is one of the 4 sons of the old couple living in Laghia, who run the O`Bes picture cafe. (A wonderfully authentic place with many souvenir paintings and photos around the warlike days of the Mani.
We are faced with the decision on a detour via Porto Kaggio and the Hades, Lighthouse- Poseidon- Temple hike and the desire to enjoy the sunset in the obligatory Takis Tavern in Lemeni, Itilo.
For the latter we have then decided
Our next itinerary could start in legendary Sparta, pass through the medieval ruined city of Mystras, the fortified city of Monemvasia, into "the land of the gods" Gythio, to the small beautiful island of Elafonisos, through the fertile river valley of Evrotas, into the picturesque villages of the Taygetos and Parnon mountains, to the fjord of Gerakas and finally to the romantic amphitheater of Kyparissi and still is far from over.
The tower (Pirgo) the emblem of the laconic Mani.
The characteristic residential towers, mostly restored in recent years under the auspices of the Greek Tourism Organization, are the hallmark of the Mani peninsula and give Laconia its unmistakable beauty through their authentic architecture.
The towers in Moudanistika, Nomia, Mina and Stavri are particularly striking. The Philippakos tower in Alika, the Voudiklaris and Lazarogonas towers in Kita, the towers in Vathia, which were converted into inns (Exarchakos, Drakoulakos, Giannoukakos and Mitsakos towers) as well as the Mavromichalis tower, the Kapetanakos tower and the Pikoulakis tower in Areopoli, which can be visited today as a museum, are also among the most beautiful in this region.
Byzantine churches
The beautiful churches give the history of the Mani peninsula a Byzantine and post-Byzantine character due to the characteristic architecture of the cross-domed churches and arouse the curiosity of visitors due to their construction on steep slopes.
In Areopolis there are the churches of Agios Ioannis Prodomos, Agios Athanasios in Athanatoi Square, Agios Polykarpos, the church of the Taxiarchs and the Byzantine monastery of Agioi Pantes in Xifakiarika. Furthermore, in Kyparisso the ruins of the Paleo-Christian basilica of Agios Petros (5th century A.D.), in Boularioi the church of Agios Stratigos as well as Agios Panteleimonas, whose wall paintings date back to 991/2 A.D., in Mezapos the church of Episkopi, in the village of Erimos Agia Varvara, the church of the Taxiarchs in Charouda as well as the church of Agios Ioannis in Keria can be admired.
Text excerpts: from inlaconia.gr
Link recommendation: www.inlaconia.gr
Prices
Prices 2024 (€) | 01/04-11/07 01/09-31/10 | 12/07-31/08 |
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Price for the whole castle | 220.- | 270.- |
Notice:
Minimum stay: 7 nights
W T G Offers:
- 10% early booking discount for bookings until 01.04 (not combinable with bonus nights)
- 14 =12 + 7=6 bonus nights with arrival 01.05 - 30.05 and 01.10 - 31.10 (not combinable with early booking discount)
Extras:
- Baby crib is provided on request.
- Welcome basket on arrival.