does it make sense to stay in multiple places on Mani pennsula?

Since Aeropoli and Gerolimenas are two fairly close villages, I don't think it makes much of a difference. It all depends on what you want to see and do.

We stayed in an apartment between Aeropoli and Gerolimenas, coming from Gytheio and Kythera Island, but I don't remember stopping in Gerolimenas. From Aeropoli, you can drive via Gerolimenas to see the typical villages with stone towers, Vathia, Tsikalia, and continue to the Archaeological Site of Area Tainaro. You can also take a short hike to Cape Tainaron Lighthouse at the southern tip.
It also depends on the accommodation options that suit you.

Pylos is interesting because the man who led the reconstruction of the village after the Greek War of Independence is a French general buried not far from my house. The architecture and layout of the village are inspired by the "Bastides" of southwest France.
There's a statue of him in the central square of Pylos.

Sorry for the historical part, ego French :)

JoLui,
Thanks for your reply.
How many nights did you stay on the Mani peninsula altogether? Was it all in the apartment you stayed in between Aeropoli and Gerolimenas?

And I had read that one of the towns in Messenia had been designed by the French and it had a different layout than the typical Greek town. It was early in my research and honestly I did not retain which town it was so very fun to learn about it from you!

Beth
.

We stayed two nights between Aeropoli and Gerolimenas, then one night in Stoupa further north.
It's not easy to do and see everything in three days, especially when you have to take the small mountain roads where you're driving at 60 km/h at best.

We generally work out a basic schedule with prioritized visits/activities and optional extras, and decide once we're there if there's enough time for the optional extras, or even if we can replace the prioritized with the optional extras.

The famous general was responsible for the reconstruction of many things in the region, from bridges to roads.
The Archaeological Museum of Pylos is housed in the former French barracks. The village of Methoni (Modon) is also his work.

He has his own Wikipedia page (in English) with the history of the region at that time, if you have nothing else to read. :)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Victor_Audoy

When you are going can make a difference on what to expect especially for services.

I go to Greece either spring or fall and find it much quieter in most areas including islands.

I've been going to the Peloponnese the last three trips as I find it has just as much to offer as any island and more.

Nothing wrong with islands as I've been to many but some have become way to popular and over touristed especially during high season.

With 15 nights you could do three locations as a base to explore each area.

You seem to be mostly interested in the south of the peninsula which is a good choice.

However there are numerous other areas worth exploring but maybe another time.

I spent 6 nights in Gythio which is a lovely waterfront town not overly devoted to tourism and a great base to explore the Mani including the tower villages like Vathi, day trips to Mystras and even Monemvasia.

I spent 5 days in the little known Petilidi and was a great base to explore the Messinia area including one of the best and least known archeological sites in Greece known as Messini. Spectacular setting in a rural area and much still standing. Very neat, well organized and extensive. Also went into the interior mountain areas for day trips.

Pylos was just OK for me but found Koroni much to my liking. Nice waterfront and lovely hillside village.

You asked about the town the French designed after Greece won it's independence from the Ottoman Empire. It's Methoni but in the southern part of the Peloponnese and south of Pylos and yes it has a more European "look" with straight streets and laid out in a grid-like pattern. It was OK but I stopped there to explore the old Castle/Fortress which is impressive.

The Peloponnese is a great alternative if you've had your share of islands. The best guide is the Cadogan Guide and even though last published in 2008 it's still the most comprehensive and encompassing of any other guide book. Only available as a used book from abebooks or even ebay. It's worth whatever the cost is but I got my a few years ago at a low price than what's stated now.

Anyway enjoy the Peloponnese and do your research!

Thanks for both your replies.

JoLui-it sounds like you felt you could have stayed longer on the Mani Peninsula than you did. You spent 3 nights. I was thinking 5. Do you think that is too long? We will be coming from Pylos where plan is to go to Messene on the way so won't arrive until later. And leave first thing in the morning to go to Mystras. So four full days.

And I enjoyed the history! I think it was reading Tommy's posts that I first learned about the French and layout of the town. It was Methoni I had in the back of mind. I did not know about Pylos.

Tommy--I have followed your posts on the Peloponnese. So thank you. We are going in May-May 8 through May 25. I haven't been to that many islands so it is hardly that I have tired of them. But somewhere along the line--it may have been a Rick Steves video--I got interested in the Peloponnese. We went to Nafplio in 2018 and really enjoyed that part of our visit (where we did also visit 2 islands)

I remember you reporting how much you drove. I am trying to move more but drive less. We did that in Crete and it worked well.

Why do you prefer Koroni to Pylos? I will have to look at Koroni again. One of the things I like about Pylos is that I found a two bedroom 2 bath apartment near the center. We are traveling with our son and his wife and that is the best configuration. But I don't particularly like the "new" places that are very modern. So can be challenging to find enough space and amenities without being "upscale" .

Don't get me wrong I still love Greek islands and there are some I would love to get to but for me it's much easier getting to the Peloponnese and less expensive plus their are so many more options.

Most of the "close" islands to the mainland aren't overly long ferry rides but the further away from the mainland the longer the ferry ride.

Domestic flights from Athens to islands I am still interested in going to are very expensive and I while I am not cheap I am economical and a low-budget traveler.

Koroni just felt more "Greek" than Pylos especially the village which cascades downhill to the waterfront.

Nothing wrong with Pylos and if it interests you by all means do what's best for you.

Everyone has their own reasons and likes for Greece and I hope you find what works best for you.

Beth, If we had to do it all over again, I think we would spend at least one more day in Mani. Although I like to go to new places on every trip, Mani is one of the places in Greece I could return to.

Three full days is fine; I can't say if you should add a day or not; you have other areas to visit during this trip. It's all a question of finding the right balance. And as Tommy said, everyone has their preferences and their own way of traveling.

By the way, if you go to the Archaeological site of Messene (much nicer than Olympia and without the crowds), a few kilometers before the site, there is a tavern in the village of Arsinoi, it's in the central square. We spent much longer than planned there.
I don't even think they let us pay for our lunch! (which was very good).

"To tiganaki tis" Xristitsas" https://maps.app.goo.gl/4E8aQJfJvhYL564K6

Tommy-Thanks for the input. I can see why you would say Koroni felt more Greek since Pylos was redesigned by the French. We certainly will visit there as the cascading village sounds more than charming. I did look last night for accommodations but those for four seem to more like "beach" houses. I want an in-town location.

JoLui--Thank you especially for the lunch recommendation near Messene. We plan to visit there and to skip Olympia. We visited Nemea when we stayed in Nafplio in 2018. We really enjoyed it but feel like Olympia would be a bit repetitious and probably too popular for our tastes.

Speaking of places that make you want to return, there are two places we regretted going to in the Peloponnese:

1: Olympia (especially after visiting Messene with a professional)

2: and especially Monemvasia, where we regretted staying one night.

Being surrounded by "Bastides" where I live, it's true that Pylos reminds me of something vaguely familiar, but I must say that it has been greatly "improved" in the Greek style. :)

Beth: did you try Airbnb? They tend to offer more traditional housing. I've been using Airbnb the last three trips and they have worked out great. More bang for the buck as the say in the US.

I haven't been to Olympia so can't compare with Messini but from many fellow posters here and on Trip Adviser they say Messini is far more "authentic" and not over run with tourists and commercialism. But whether that's true or not I can't say.

Messini is a gem and if you have a choice go to Messini.

I did a day trip to Monemvasia only because I was fairly close to it when I stayed in Gythio even though its crowded regardless of the time of the year. I figured I might as well check it out since I'm "almost" there.

The town itself is very pretty but there were more tourists than locals especially as you enter the main gate where there are numerous tourist shops. Most are not the cheap types but nevertheless geared toward tourism.

In addition if you decide to go park down below in the parking lot. I believe there are buses that take you to the top.

I decided to drive to the top as I heard there was free parking along the left side of the road. I got there late morning and all the spots were taken and lots of tourists were walking uphill to the top. I drove to the top, turned around and came back down and fortunately one of the cars parked on the side of the road pulled out and I got a spot close to the top. Just got lucky I guess.

Monemvasia was just OK for me but lots of people like it.

JoLui- where did you find a guide for Messene? I was thinking today that would be a good idea.

Tommy-I will look in air bnb.

And we will go to Monemvasia because my husband wants to go. I realize it is not a real place but rather a reconstructed one. I will enjoy it on its own terms.

Beth, check the English-speaking guides available in this region on the official licensed guides website.

https://www.tourist-guides.gr/

The one we had was excellent (she's participating in the ongoing archaeological research of Ancient Messene), but she's French-Greek and not an English-speaking guide.

Try the keywords "Ancient Messene" or "Olympia" or "Peloponnese".

Perhaps other forum members have other guides to recommend for this region.

Monemvasia is certainly a historically interesting place, but not for us. Tommy said there were more tourists than locals. In reality, I don't think there are any permanent residents, it's like an open-air museum. We prefer places with a minimum of local life, even if there are also tourists. We didn't stay in the historic city but in an apartment (cheap, but not great) in Gefira on the mainland.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/JdwzTFpQPdVbXX9u6

I confirm Tommy's experience regarding parking. If you want to avoid the 25-minute walk to the medieval city, you should leave early to find a parking space along the road.

Jo-Lui-thanks for the link. I actually haven’t looked. I just read that you had used a guide so thought I would ask. But my French is confined to pleasantries so yours certainly won’t work!

And the hints on parking in Monemvasia. I agree on preferring places with local life. But I was already thinking of it as a living museum.

Tommy--I actually found a place I like in Koroni on air bnb. It is more expensive than the one in Pylos but still in acceptable range (it is actually bigger but don't need that many bedrooms).

I do like the look of Koroni so am reconsidering where to stay. My one concern is the location of Koroni and how much driving for day trips.

I know you stayed in Petalidi not Koroni but was curious what day trips you took. Did you go to the Pylos area once or twice?

Hey BethFL

I did a trip report on another travel forum about one of my trips to the Peloponnese which also includes photos.

This trip included Nafplio (short stay), Gythio (longer stay) and Petalidi (also longer stay)

I did day trips from each location some areas included where you are considering where to go.

You may want to read it and get some idea of where I went for day trips from each location.

It may help answer some of your questions about where you may decide to stay.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g189483-i1277-k14200587-Peloponnese_Trip_Report_Sept_25_Oct_12-Peloponnese.html