Walk to the Cape Tainaron lighthouse

What it is

Cape Tainaron, also called Matapan, is the southernmost point of mainland Greece and the second southernmost of continental Europe. It separates the Gulf of Messenia, to the west, from the Gulf of Laconia, to the east, and lies on the route of birds migrating to Africa. A flat, stony path of about 2 km leads from the end of the road to the lighthouse, at the tip. It is a short, easy walk, but in a place the Greeks considered the gateway to the underworld.

Myth and history

In antiquity the city of Tainaron stood here, now in ruins, and an important temple of Poseidon Tainarios, which also functioned as an oracle of the dead. Near the sanctuary was a sacred chasm believed to be the entrance to Hades: through it, according to myth, Heracles went down to capture Cerberus. The Spartans built several temples on the cape. In Byzantine times the temple of Poseidon became a church.

Two naval battles named after the cape were fought off it: the Matapan of 1717, between Venice and its allies and the Ottoman fleet, and the Cape Matapan of March 1941, in which the Royal Navy defeated the Italian navy.

The route, step by step

1. Kokkinogia and the church of the Asomatoi. The road from Areopoli to Tainaron ends at the small hamlet of Kokkinogia, where there is a car park. Beside it is the Byzantine church of the Agioi Asomatoi, built, according to tradition, from stones of the temple of Poseidon. Following the signs to the left from the car park you reach the area of the ancient oracle; the exact site of the entrance to Hades has not been established.

2. The Roman mosaic. At the start of the path, near the car park, is the mosaic known as the Star of Aria, restored, in the open air among stones and scrub. The Roman mosaics of the area prove that the oracle remained active long after the classical era.

3. The path. The track was opened to build and supply the lighthouse and runs almost flat, with a few short ups and downs and a maximum height of about 56 m. It is stony and uneven in places. You pass small rocky coves.

4. The lighthouse. You reach the tip, with the lighthouse on a 16 m tower built by the French Lighthouse Society in 1882. From here there is only sea.

5. Return. The same way.

It is about 4.4 km there and back. Allow 45 to 50 minutes on the way out with stops for photos, and about 40 on the way back: an hour and a half in total at an easy pace.

Difficulty and signposting

Easy. The path is in good condition and signposted. The only thing it asks for is footwear with a sole: trainers or light boots, never flip-flops, because the stone is loose in places.

Water, shade and when to go

There is not a scrap of shade along the whole path and do not count on water: carry at least a litre per person, a hat and sun cream. In July and August go early or at the end of the afternoon; at midday it is tough. In spring the countryside is in flower and the walk is very pleasant. In strong wind, take care near the edge of the rocks at the tip.

With children or a dog

It is a good walk for children who already walk well: it is short, almost flat and ends at a lighthouse. Not with a pushchair: the ground is stone. With a dog, yes, but in summer the heat on the rock is the problem.

Getting there and what to combine

By car, along the road that runs down from Areopoli by the west coast and passes through Gerolimenas and Vathia. There is no bus. Fill the tank beforehand: the last petrol station on the west side is in Gerolimenas.

Tainaron fits into the inner Mani loop, with stops at Vathia and a swim at Porto Kagio, a hamlet on a small bay of the Gulf of Laconia, about three miles north of the cape. To sleep nearby, the Tainaron Blue Retreat is a few kilometres away, and the Kyrimai Hotel, in Gerolimenas, less than half an hour away.