Mani

Mani is the central of the three peninsulas that reach south from the Peloponnese, a long spine of bare limestone mountains dropping between the Messenian Gulf to the west and the Laconian Gulf to the east. It is one of the wildest and most distinctive corners of Greece: stony, sun-bleached and sparsely populated, with a landscape of dry-stone terraces, cactus, cypress and the grey tower houses that are its signature.

Those towers tell the region's history. The Maniots were famed for their fierce independence and long resisted outside rule, and their villages were built as clusters of fortified stone towers, tall and narrow with few windows, from which rival clans once feuded. The greatest concentration is in the Inner Mani (the Laconian side), where Vathia, a near-abandoned hilltop village of dramatic towers, has become the emblem of the whole region.

The unofficial capital is Areopoli, an atmospheric stone town near the west coast with handsome towers, a good choice of rooms and tavernas, and the little port of Limeni just below. Nearby are the striking Diros Caves, explored partly by boat along an underground river, and the road south leads through empty, beautiful country to Cape Tainaron, the southernmost point of mainland Greece and, in myth, an entrance to the underworld. The greener, more forested Outer Mani to the north, around Kardamyli and Stoupa, offers walking trails, gorges and better beaches.

Mani is a place to slow down and drive. Roads twist along cliffs and through half-empty villages, coves are often reached on foot, and the pleasures are simple: swimming in clear water, eating well in a village square, and watching the light on the mountains. It suits travellers who want landscape, history and quiet over resorts and nightlife. Base yourself in Areopoli, Kardamyli or Stoupa and give it several unhurried days.