Monemvasia, the Stone Town That Hides in the Sea

From a distance it looks like nothing more than a grey rock detached from the coast of Laconia. Then you draw closer, cross the narrow strip of land that ties it to the mainland, and Monemvasia gives up its secret: an entire medieval town wedged into the face of the rock, invisible from the open sea. The very name, evoking the idea of a "single entrance", says it all: here you come in through one gate alone, beyond which the cars vanish and only footsteps on stone remain.

The stone town

The lower town is a labyrinth of narrow alleys, arches, worn stairways and honey-coloured stone houses that the centuries have sculpted without ever spoiling. Prickly pears and geraniums sprout between the walls, and everywhere you feel the presence of the sea, beating against the Venetian and Byzantine ramparts. Climbing toward the upper town, today largely abandoned, you walk among ruins and cisterns up to the church of Agia Sofia, perched over a precipice of wind and blue. Up there, more often than not, there is no one.

Slowness and Malvasia

Monemvasia is not entirely unknown, but it stays clear of the great crowds that besiege Santorini or Mykonos. Those who come here are after slowness: a taverna where you can order fish and Malvasia, the sweet wine that took its name from this rock and travelled across Europe. It is worth sleeping within the walls and living the town at dawn or after sunset, once the few day-trippers have left and the alleys return to silence.

When to go

To visit without crowds, avoid July and August and the weekends of spring. Late spring and autumn offer golden light, mild temperatures and near-deserted lanes. It is reached by car from the southern Peloponnese, and it makes an excellent base for exploring the interior of Laconia, still barely touched by tourism.

Related guides: Lesser-known Greek islands: where the sea stays authentic · Tired of Santorini? The Greek islands with the same blue domes and half the tourists.

Getting there

Monemvasia lies at the far south-east of the Peloponnese: the nearest airport is Kalamata (about two and a half hours), while the best-served remains Athens. By car it is around four hours from Athens, passing through Corinth, Tripoli and Sparta. There are also KTEL buses from Athens and from Sparta. The fortified town is pedestrian-only and is reached on foot across the narrow neck of land that joins it to the mainland.