We just got back from Greece after 18 days on the ground. Needless to say, it was spectacular. We hit Santorini, Naxos, Nafplio, Monemvasia, Athens. We had 3 nights in Monemvasia. My desire was to drive the Mani Peninsula on 1 of our days in the area from Monemvasia. It is considered a "Drive of a Lifetime" per National Geographic. Well, we discovered on Naxos and on the ride down from Nafplio that driving in rural Greece is not for the faint of heart!!! Those mountain roads require alot of concentration. When I actually mapped out the Mani from Monemvasio drive, it was close to an 8 hour day of intense driving. So we decided to drive down the Cape Maleas Peninsula instead. We drove to Neapoli, then over to the caves at Kastanea, then the "back" road to Monemvasio. The views were spectacular!! The roads were a thrill to say the least (switchbacks, dirt roads, 1 lane, no guardrails, inclines and declines etc). We even ran into a herd of 200 goats!! I can't imagine that the Mani drive could be more impressive. So my question is, for those who have done the Mani drive or both Mani and Cape Maleas, is the Mani drive more spectacular than Cape Maleas? Would love to hear your stories because I'm sure if you have driven there, you have stories!!!!
Posted by
Seattle
138 posts
Haven't been the Cape Maleas, but the Mani Peninsula drive is spectacular. I stayed in Kardamyli and did the loop in one long day following Rick's directions in his Greece guidebook. The Temple of Poseidon at the tip was a highlight. There's a floor mosaic a short hike from the temple that's completely open to the elements--and to any visitor. The semi-abandoned village of Vathia was another highlight, as were the views in every direction. One word of warning: When you get to this far into Greece, don't expect road signs to have Roman letters as well as Greek letters. Everything was in Greek, which made navigation a challenge.
Posted by
OP
Jersey Shore
339 posts
That sounds awesome!!! The road signs were a challenge for sure, I brought along a paper road map as a safety net!!!