Monemvasia is a small town in the South-Eastern corner of the Peloponnese. It actually consists of two separate settlements – a new town on the mainland and an old town on an island just offshore. The photo below shows the island on the left, with the new town on the right.
As you might expect, the old town is by far the more interesting part and is reached via a short causeway.
The ancient fortifications of the old town have remained completely intact to this day, which means that it is surrounded by high stone walls on three sides (and protected on the remaining side by a steep cliff face). Below is the town’s main entrance gate.
From here on it is pedestrian traffic only – unless you have a donkey.
Away from the main square, the town is a maze of narrow lanes where you stumble across the occasional pleasant cafe or taverna.
On top of the hill behind the town sit the remains of Monemvasia’s castle. It is quite a climb, as the photo below illustrates.
The church of Hagia Sophia is also situated on top of the rock.
The final photo is a (somewhat hazy) long-lens shot taken from a mainland beach south of the town.
It shows you its precise location and the massive town walls more clearly.
We stumbled upon Monemvasia on a two-week road trip around the Peloponnese—and immediately decided that we needed to stay for a couple of days. It was the end of the season and we felt that we had the place to ourselves.
