Monemvasia
A Medieval Fairy-Tale Castle Town in Greece
Monemvasia is a medieval castle town entirely carved out from the backside of a sea rock and literally means “single entrance”. It’s connected to the mainland by a short causeway and was occupied by the Byzantines, Franks, Venetians, and Ottomans. It remains Europe’s only castle that has never ceased being inhabited.
It is also very dreamy, fairy-tale like in an authentic and medievally romantic way.
Our sailboat with the back side of Monemvasia - Photo by @michaelgirman
We’d never heard of Monemvasia until a skipper in Hydra advised us to sail down the Peleponnese to Monemvasia before crossing the Myrtoan Sea to Milos. We arrived at night, having sailed from Spetses for over six hours. The next morning, we set off the explore the town.
The town is divided into two parts: Upper Town and Lower Town - simple enough. My advice is to climb to Upper Town before noon and enjoy Lower Town in the afternoon. We walked through the cobblestone alleys and climbed to the top to see the church and citadel. It’s an easy climb provided you’re wearing sensible shoes.
The 12th century Agia Sophia church is all that remains of Upper Town. It stands 300 meters above sea level and the views from the top are stunning.
We had a leisurely lunch at Chrisovoulo. The food and wine, especially the local wine Malvasia, are excellent. The restaurant is inside Moni Emvasis Luxury Suites hotel, very close to the entrance.
After lunch, we strolled through Lower Town and walked along the sea wall. The combination of food, wine and sun dulled us, so we each found a shady spot for a nap.
By late afternoon, we were having cocktails and watching the sunset from an outdoor patio. Matoula is the oldest tavern in the castle and has sweeping views of the sea.
A beautiful place to stay in is the Traditional Guesthouses of Ardami - a complex of rooms, suites and apartments with an outdoor patio to while the time away.
We took some videos with narration to show you the beauty of this place. Warning, it’s amateurish at best but we enjoyed doing it. We hope you enjoy it too.
Special thanks to my fellow travelers who always make each trip an adventure: Gabriele, Jurgen, Bob, Frankie & Michael. With added gratitude to Michael & Frankie for the photos & videos.