Inner Mani loop

What it is

The inner Mani loop is the road circuit that runs down from Areopoli along the west coast to the southern tip of the peninsula and returns along the east coast. It is about 87 km and needs half a day with stops: Gerolimenas, Vathia, the detour to Cape Tainaron, a swim at Porto Kagio and the return through Kokkala. It is the way to see at once what makes Mani different: dry mountain falling to the sea, villages of tower houses and almost nobody on the road.

The route, stretch by stretch

1. Areopoli – Gerolimenas. You leave Areopoli heading south. If it is early, the first stop could be the Diros caves, which open at 9:00 from April to October. The road follows the west coast, with the Gulf of Messenia on your right, to Gerolimenas, the old port with its stone warehouses. Here is the last petrol station on the west side.

2. Gerolimenas – Vathia. The stretch climbs and drops between tower hamlets. Vathia appears on its hill: stop at the roadside viewpoint and then stroll the lanes.

3. Vathia – Cape Tainaron. Continue south to the end of the road at Kokkinogia, beside the church of the Agioi Asomatoi. From here the path of about 2 km leaves for the lighthouse at Cape Tainaron, the southernmost point of mainland Greece: add an hour and a half if you do it.

4. Porto Kagio. Go back to the junction and descend to Porto Kagio, a hamlet on a small bay of the Gulf of Laconia, about three miles north of the cape. Its name comes from the Venetian Porto Quaglio, “port of the quails”. The Ottomans built a castle here around 1568 to watch the Kythira channel; at the end of the 18th century it was the base of Lambros Katsonis's corsair fleet, and in 1941 British soldiers evacuated from here to Egypt. Today it lives from tourism, with four small hotels. It is the stop for a swim and lunch.

5. East coast and return. Go up the east coast, with the Gulf of Laconia on your right, through Lagia and Kokkala, and cross back towards Areopoli.

What the road is like

Narrow tarmac, with no hard shoulder and tight bends, almost always with the sea on one side. There are goats on the carriageway and the odd bus that forces you to pull aside. Drive slowly, sound the horn on blind bends and do not stop in the middle of the road for photos: look for a wider spot. A car or motorbike will do; with a large motorhome, the narrowest sections drag on.

Allow about two hours at the wheel without stops; the rest of the half day is for Vathia, Tainaron and the swim.

Petrol, water and food

Fill up in Areopoli or at Gerolimenas before going down: south of Gerolimenas and on the east coast there are hardly any stations. See the Areopoli petrol stations page and the Gerolimenas petrol station one. Carry water in the car and something to eat: at the far south few places are open, and fewer out of season.

Which direction and when

Do the loop in this direction, going down the west coast in the morning: you reach Porto Kagio at lunchtime and return along the east coast in afternoon light. The best seasons are May, June, September and October. In July and August the heat bears down at the stops on foot: the Tainaron path has no shade. From November to March many hotels and restaurants in the south close.

With children or on a motorbike

With children, split the day: the Diros caves in the morning, a swim and the Tainaron lighthouse, which is a short, almost flat walk. The continuous bends cause travel sickness: stop often. On a motorbike, the chained bends and loose animals demand constant attention.

Where to sleep

The Kyrimai Hotel, in the old port of Gerolimenas, puts the circuit at hand; the Tainaron Blue Retreat is a few kilometres from the cape, and the Limeni Village, beside Areopoli, is a good base for an early start.