Greek Independence Day
 

We will be in Greece--most likely in the southern Peloponnese (Monemvasia or somewhere on the Mani peninsula)--on March 25, Independence Day/Annunciation. I know that, normally, this would be a very quiet time in the area and that we could probably wait to firm up plans, make hotel reservations, etc. But, given the holiday, are we likely to find hotels booked farther in advance? Also, what can we expect on that day in towns in this area? We know that historical sites and museums will be closed, but the focus for our few days in the area is more likely to be scenery, anyway. Thanks.

We were in the Peloponnese last year on Greek Independence Day. In fact, we left Mystra that day and drove to Monemvasia. We were not aware of a tremendous amount of excitement, although you will see parades in many towns. When we arrived in Monemvasia some of the roads were closed off for their parade, but we managed to get to our hotel with little problem. I did have a hotel room reserved, but only reserved a month or so before. We stayed at the Hotel Pramataris (which I highly recommend -- lovely rooms, super breakfasts, very reasonable). I can tell you that the hotel was quite crowded that first night -- in fact, they moved us to a much better room for with a great view of "the rock" for our second and third nights.

If you stay in Areopolis in the Mani, I can also recommend Tsimova Rooms. This is a real Mani tower house and the owners are wonderful people. One caution about Tsimova Rooms: the very narrow stairs to our room were a challenge and not suitable for anyone with physical limitations.

We absolutely LOVED this area. If you would like any other suggestions, just let me know.

Thanks for replying, Reen. We're still just starting our planning, and every little bit of information is valuable to us.

From what you observed, was Areopolis the best spot to base ourselves in the Mani for a couple of nights? Are there other towns in the area we should look into?

Also, do you recall any specific locations that would be ideal for walking/hiking trips?

We really enjoyed Areopolis particularly staying at Tsimova Rooms. You could certainly stay further south, but Areopolis is probably the best town for basic services and some good restaurants. We spent a day driving the whole loop down around the Mani and had plenty of time to see the various villages and taek in the dramatic scenery.

Regarding hiking, we also stayed in Kardamyli which is north of Areopolis and loved the hiking there. The hiking to Agia Sophia and in the Viros gorge is excellent.

I don't know where else you are planning to go in the Peloponnese, but our absolute best hiking day was up in Akadia. We stayed in Dimitsana which is a gorgeous little town with an Open Air Water Power museum (much more interesting then it sounds). Hiking in and around the nearby Loussios Gorge was fantastic. We hiked to the Prodromou Monastery which clings precariously to the cliff way above the gorge. (You can visit and the monks will give you tea.) We ate our lunch at a picnic area next to the Church of the Metamorphasis on a precipice overlooking the gorge (our best lunch spot ever). We also hiked down to Ancient Gortys where we had the ruins totally to ourselves. As you can probably tell, I can't recommend this hike highly enough.

Reen: Thanks so much for your input. ms_go and I really appreciate it.

Thanks from me, too. We appreciate the input.

How did you book the Tsimova Rooms--phone, or through an agent, and how far in advance? That sounds like the type of place we'd enjoy. We've certainly done some reading on the hiking in the Lousios Gorge. Unfortunately we only have nine nights to split between Athens and the Peloponnese, so there are some tough decisions to be made.

Glad to be of help. We loved the Peloponnese and can't wait to get back there again some day. Actually, we had no reservation at Tsimova Rooms; we just showed up and got the room.

Other than a reservation in Monemvasia (which we made only because we were concerned about the Independence Day holiday), we had no reservations anywhere in the Peloponnese after leaving Nafplion (which is a terrific town, too).

We roamed the Peloponnese for 6 weeks and never had a problem finding good places to stay since it was so early in the season. You are going at an ideal time. We had gorgeous weather and saw very few other tourists.