Máni

The Máni is the middle one of the three peninsulas which reach out from the south of the Peloponnese. It is traversed by the tail of the Taygetos range. This remote, hilly and barren region was able, throughout all Greece's periods of foreign rule, to preserve a degree of independence. For centuries the Máni was racked by feuds between different clans, who built the defensive towers still to be seen in many of the little towns and villages.

This unproductive land is now increasingly being abandoned by its inhabitants. Its great attraction lies in its beautiful mountain scenery, at heights of up to 1,215m/3,985ft, its picturesque villages and its numerous old chapels, many of them in a state of ruin but still of interest for their wall paintings. Much of the Máni can be reached only on foot or from the sea.