Welcome in Gythio, a stately town standing centuries over the clear sea of the Laconian Bay. Cosmopolitan atmosphere, island breezes and a variety of choices in the place called in Greek language the “Earth of Gods”. God Apollo brawled here with Hercules for the magic tripod of Delphi and finally reconciled, giving the place its current name.

Gythio use to be the port of ancient Sparti and soon developed into the foremost export center of Laconia. To the north of the modern town and up the hill, the ruins of the acropolis witness the existence of the ancient city. At the foot of the hill, the ancient theater lies, where even today, cultural events take place. The ruins of Roman buildings refer to the heyday of Gythio in Roman times when it belonged to the “League of Free”. The New Town of Gythio rises amphitheatrically at the eastern foot of the ancient "Larysion Mountain", now called by locals "Akoumaros" or "Koumaros", just above the main port, considered the safest of SE Peloponnese, from where citrus (especially oranges), oil, olives and other derivatives thereof are exported.

Sightseeings

Kranai Island • with the beautiful Tower of Tzanetakis Grigorakis, which nowadays functions as the Historical Ethnological Museum of Mani, and the lighthouse of the island that was built in 1837 and its height reaches 23 meters. The legend has it, Paris to seize Beautiful Helen, let her flee to this little island and that’s how the Trojan War begun.

The girls' school • built in 1886 and the Town Hall built in 1891 by the architect Ziller in the center of the city.

The small church of All Saints • at the top of Mount Akoumaros, with a panoramic view of the entire Laconic Gulf.

The Centre of Information and Interpretation of East Mani, • which is housed at the old Girls’ School in the heart of Gythio, is a modern city museum focusing on Mani Region, its history and its people.

The Ancient Theater of Gythio • at the northern end of the city, as well as the acropolis west of the theater in "Paleopolis".

The Glyfada (or Vlyhada) Cave of Dirou • is the most beautiful lake cave in the world. An indescribable beauty, hidden under the ground of Mani region.

The Museum of Olives and Greek Oil • in Sparta, takes you on a journey through the culture, history, and technology of olives and olive oil production in Greece, from the prehistoric times to the beginning of the 20th century.

The shipwreck of Agios Dimitrios • the imposing and much-photographed shipwreck on the sandy beach in Valtaki.

Mani region which relates to the traditional element and remains unspoiled through time. Starting from the seaside Limeni and Areopolis with the cobblestones to the traditional village of Vathia and Cape Tainaro.

Vathia, • in the heart of Mani Peninsula, Vathia strongly resists the passage of time. It is one of the most impressive traditional villages and certainly the most photographed in all of Laconian Mani.

Cape Tainaro or Cape Matapas • is the southernmost tip of mainland Greece and the Balkan Peninsula. It is a very beautiful place for hiking starting from the isolated cave and the necromanteion of Poseidon to the lighthouse looking out over the sea.

Mystras • wwas a Byzantine state in the Peloponnese region. Nowadays, it is in ruins and is a valuable source for the knowledge of the history, art and culture of the last two centuries of Byzantium.

The Byzantine castle-state of Monevasia • the stone ship of Ritsos stands firmly at the southeast end of the Laconian land, taking visitors on a dreamlike journey through time and history.

Elafonissos island, • the beautiful island with its blue-green crystal waters and endless golden beaches.