Kyparissi of Lakonia, Greece

An earthly paradise, Kyparissi Laconia.

Kyparissi is a picturesque village in Laconia. Kyparissi impresses with its stone houses and narrow alleys. Kyparissi is famous for its natural beauty, clean beaches, crystal clear waters and hiking trails. In Kyparissi you can taste traditional dishes made with fresh seafood, locally grown vegetables and aromatic herbs.

Κυπαρίσσι Λακωνίας

        At a distance of approximately 320 kilometers from Athens, under the shadow of Mount Parnon, you will find Kyparissi, bathed by the Myrtle Sea.

 

       

Kyparissi, with the ancient name Kyfanta, is first mentioned in the work Laconia by the traveler Pausanias in the second century BC.

The settlement was built in such a way as to be protected from pirates, who plundered the coasts of the Peloponnese.

Today Kyparissi has approximately 400 permanent residents, and administratively belongs to the municipality of Monemvasia. It is 59 kilometers from Leonidio, 50 kilometers from Molaoi and 60 kilometers from Monemvasia.

Kyparissi remained isolated from the rest of Greece until 1970, as there was no road network, when it was connected to Sparta. Until then, access to the village was possible through paths from Parnon or by ferry from Piraeus.

      Access by road, even today, is not easy. The road from one point onwards is narrow. with large rocks and imposing gorges. However, upon reaching Vrisi, the upper settlement of Kyparissi, and facing the sea, you forget everything. Upon reaching Kyparissi, we encounter the first of its three settlements, the mountainous settlement of Vrisi. The settlement of Vrisi, just one kilometer from the beach, is built at the foot of Mount Parnon, on a rock. Inside the same rock, near the sanctuary of Asklepios and the springs of Atalanti, is built the chapel of the Virgin Mary. Here there is also a historic building built in the early 1900s, the elementary school. The boundaries of the settlement are the bridge with the adjacent large oak tree.

    The other two settlements (Paralia and Mitropoli) are newer and seaside. Paralia is the place that gathers the most people. Here we will find cafes and traditional taverns that offer fresh fish, local meats and other traditional flavors and sweets. In Paralia, the traditional whitewashed houses, with chronological inscriptions on their facades, touch the sea. In the settlement is the port and the nearby beach “Mikri Ammo”. Just 50 meters from the port we find another beach with black pebbles, crystal clear waters and trees. “Megali Ammo”.

 

 

Leaving the settlement of Paralia and proceeding to the left we will come across the settlement of Mitropoli. Mitropoli is the settlement in which there are several tourist accommodations and generally newer buildings. However, walking through the narrow back streets you have the feeling that you are on an island in the Aegean Sea.

Leaving behind the houses of Mitropoli after about one (1) kilometer there is the beach of Agia Kyriaki. Agia Kyriaki is a pebble beach, with impressive rocks and panoramic views.

 

        Kyparissi has many small hotels, rooms to rent, taverns, cafes, mini supermarkets, a bakery, a pastry shop, a butcher shop, a basketball court, a football field and a playground, as well as gift shops.

However, you will not find a gas station, a pharmacy and a bank or ATM.

The visitor will be ecstatic by the magnificent view, the dense vegetation, the crystal clear waters and of course the indescribable sunrise through the Myrtoo Sea. He will certainly be impressed by the island architecture and the hospitality of the locals

The village streets are narrow, barely fit a car.

 

SIGHTSEEING

The Castle of Kalogria: The medieval Castle of Kalogria is located in the Kastelli area on a low coastal hill, above the Myrtoan Sea. Its style indicates that it is medieval. It must have been built between the 13th and 14th centuries, initially as a castle and later as a castle monastery.

The Castle in Kastraki: The ruins of this castle are also located in the Kastelli area on a lower coastal hill to the right of the medieval Castle of Kalogria. This castle is ancient and was probably the acropolis of the ancient city of Kyfanta.

The Laxefto Asclepion: The archaeological site of the Laxefto Asclepion is located before the settlement of Vrysi, in caves at the foot of the rock. There, in the rock, ruins of carved baths can be seen, as well as rectangular niches, apparently for depositing votive offerings or offerings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The school: The village school dates back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries and has been classified as traditional and listed. The building was rebuilt with donations from the American diaspora, to designs by the German architect Ernst Ziller. It is a ground-floor stone building with a hipped roof and Byzantine-style tiles and a ceramic lion on top.. 

 

The Assumption of the Virgin Mary: The church was built in 1893, in the settlement of Vrysi. It is a three-aisled church with a dome and a women’s wing. It is the parish church of Kyparissi.

The Church of the Holy Trinity: The cemetery church of the Holy Trinity was built in 1883, in the settlement of Paralia. It is said that the floor slabs of the courtyard were transferred from a Jewish temple.

The Church of the Life-Giving Spring: The Church of the Life-Giving Spring is located in the settlement of Mitropolis and is associated with the massacre of the village’s inhabitants by pirates, around 1200.

The Climbing Park of Kyparissi: The uniqueness of the Climbing Park of Kyparissi is not the 15 routes of varying degrees of difficulty, but the combination of the relief of the rocks with the view. The rocks are made of limestone, with caves with many stalagmites. Along the way you have the opportunity to see Hydra, Spetses, Portocheli, Milos, Sifnos, Serifos, Kythnos, … .

 

 

Local traditional products:

Thyme honey

kaltsounia

touloumotiri

myzithra,

shrimp patties

gogès (local pasta)