All year

• Prices in Euro per unit per night (taxes included).
• Breakfast is not included in the prices.
• The above prices are may be subject to change. Prices will be confirmed when you make a reservation enquiry.

En-suite bathroom (bath or shower)
Telephone
Television
Facilities to make tea and coffee
Hairdryer

Terraces
Café-bar

Built upon the top of a steep rock in the sea, connected to the mainland via a long causeway, the ruined fortress of Monemvasia and the fortified ‘city’ – now a small car-free community – that lies beneath it, are a monument to the Greek turbulent history of the past thousand years. Guesthouse Ardamis sits close to the city wall, just above the sea. The main street – a cobble-stoned path – of the Kastro, where you will find coffee bars (including the Ardamis Café), restaurants a few tiny shops, is only a couple of minutes’ walk away (uneven steps).

It is an approximately four-hour drive from Athens to Monemvasia (via Korinthos, Tripoli and Sparta). In Sparta follow signs for Gythio and after 24 km (about 18 km before Gythio) you turn left towards Krokees and Skala. You follow the main road from Skala towards Monemvasia (50 km). From the new part of Monemvasia, you cross the causeway to the peninsula and you park your car (as close as you can get to) the entrance gate to the Kastro. From there you have to continue on foot (a couple of minutes; steps): you will see signs for the guesthouse. If you have a lot of luggage, try and make an overnight bag, so you won’t have to haul heavy suitcases over the uneven cobbled lanes and steps.

If you can only visit a few places in Greece, castle city of Monemvasia should definitely be one of them. It is pure magic.

From the mainland, all you see is a large rock, rising steeply from the sea. You can’t make out the remains of the 6th century castle built on top, nor the Byzantine/Venetian fortified city (the kastro, now a small community) that lies beneath it, facing the open sea. Some compare Monemvasia to Gibraltar, but that doesn’t do it justice. Imagine something like a France’s Mont St Michel, but on a much smaller scale and less touristy.

The rock of Monemvasia is connected to the mainland by a 300 m causeway. The road continues for another 800 m taking you to the city entrance.  After you pass through the narrow arched gate to enter the kastro, you won’t escape the sensation that you are travelling back hundreds of years in time. If as a child you ever lived in a fantasy world of medieval castles, valiant knights and moonlit cobblestone alleys full of mystery, you will feel right at home. The place is captivating. There are no cars or even mopeds. Shops are few and either endearingly old fashioned or arty and tastefully done. A handful of restaurants and cafés, all small and cute, constitute the only nightlife spots on the rock. And, most importantly, there is not a single architectural faux pas. The Kastro is under strict archaeological protection and the only type of construction allowed is restoration. The centuries-old stone houses look impeccable.

Most people consider Monemvasia a destination in itself, and stay just a few days to wander around the alleyways of the kastro, to swim and relax by the sea (there are a few places where the water is easily accessible) and to climb to the top of the rock to see the ruins of the castle. But you could easily use Monemvasia as a base for longer holidays: spend some days on nearby beaches or go hiking in the beautiful mountainous inland, and make a day trip to Elafonissos, a small island famous for its beautiful sandy beach. (Elafonissos is just off the west coast of the eastern peninsula of the Peloponnese, a one-hour drive and a short crossing by boat).