Sometimes those Greek tourist promotion folks focus too much on sun-kissed beaches, sailboats, sand and surf.
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Plenty of sun and sea in Greece
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Greece does have more than its fair share of sea, sun, sand and surf but what is equally impressive and should call out to all visitors,are its mountains.
There are many unsung mountain ranges throughout Greece but now that we are part time ex pats, just south of
Kalamata, in the
Peloponnese we can attest to the striking beauty of the towering ranges that make up this expansive peninsula.
Of course, the Taygetos, that frame our area are our favorite! (The Green on the map is mountainous areas).
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| Taygetos Mountain views |
And since I told you about stones last week, I thought it time to pay homage to the source of those stones: the mountains that surround us. This is also an intended nudge to those of you planning trips to Greece to include some mountains in your explorations. Hint: in The Mani you can find beaches and mountains within minutes of each other.
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| Messinian meets Mountains - view from above our house |
Quite frankly, the mountains were as much a selling point for this area as was the sea when we decided to purchase our
Stone House on the Hill. One of our favorite pastimes is exploring the many tiny villages tucked away in those Taygetos Mountains that surround us.
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| In this area signs are in Greek and English |
You understand – an appreciate – the small sized cars that most people drive here when you set out on the narrow ribbons of asphalt that twist and turn up the hillsides and through the gorges.
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| The road between villages - The Mani |
While the road that links the villages is narrow – very narrow in some places – the route is an easy one as you encounter few cars and only a herd of goats or sheep and cow or two along the way.
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| Slow traffic ahead |
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| Whoa Bessie! |
No matter how often we make the drive, we never get tired of the ‘treats’ just waiting around each bend in the road – whether it be a sweeping view of the ocean that makes us catch our breath or a hidden treasure like this Mani tower and crumbling fortress that teases our imaginations with its history.
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| A Mani Tower |
If driving doesn’t appeal to you, these mountainsides are also laced with hiking trails, many of them following the routes of goat and donkey trails that many in the villages will tell you were once the only links between them and the sea.
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| Some hikes can be done on the roads leading along gorges |
Entrances to hiking paths are marked with signs in English and color coded markings along the way alert hikers to direction and difficulty of the route. There are no use fees or parking fees here.
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| There's a magic in the Mani Mountains |
We can’t recommend The Mani Mountains enough. Keep them in your travel plans if you are heading to Greece. After all
Lonely Planet just named the
Peloponnese as one of Europe's top, must-see destinations for 2016.
Again thanks so much for the time you spent with us today! And a special thanks to those of you who’ve enjoyed the blog so much that you’ve shared it with your friends and families – it is always fun to hear from someone that says, ‘a friend recommended your blog’.
Hello to our new followers and those who’ve signed up to receive the blog in their inboxes. Come back next week when we’ll slow the pace a bit and savor Greece, the Greek way. And for those of you wanting to see how we use souvenirs to decorate, I am about to invite you in for a tour!
Safe travels to you and yours~
Linking up this week with:
Mosaic Monday –
Through My Lens
Our World Tuesday
Wordless Wednesday
Travel Photo Thursday –
Photo Friday
Weekend Travel Inspiration
