Areopolis is eleven kilometres north of us and it is the town most guests end up in first, usually for bread and then for dinner. It is built in the grey stone of the Mani, with towers standing over the lanes, and it stays busy in the evenings in a way that smaller villages here do not.
What there is to do
The old quarter is small enough to walk in half an hour and worth walking slowly. There are tavernas around the squares serving the food of the region, a bakery turning out bread from a wood-fired oven, and stalls with fruit and vegetables grown in gardens nearby.
It is also the practical centre for this part of the coast. The bus service, the bank and the shops are all here, so it is the place to sort anything you need before heading further south.
A little history
The Mani was one of the few parts of Greece that the Ottoman armies never fully held, and Areopolis carries that history openly. The Greek War of Independence was declared here in 1821 by the Mavromichalis family, and the town takes its name from Ares, the god of war.
Getting there
The drive up from Selana takes about fifteen minutes on the coast road, climbing away from the bay with the water on your left most of the way.
