Gythion Greece

Gythio is a small seaside town 40Km south of Sparta, in the northeast part of Mani in the South of the Peloponnesse ,Greece.. The permanent residents amount to no more than 2000 but during the summer this number reaches the 20,000, as tourists from all over the world come to enjoy the beaches and the laid back atmosphere.

The main attraction are the beachside cafes serving sun-dried octapus and ouzo, the numerous fishing boats in the harbor, an ancient theatre (where ancient Greek plays take place during the summer) and the tall houses along the bechfront.

Just outside the harbor is one of the most scenic parts of the area, the island of Kranae (Marathonisi). The legend has it that when Paris of Troy stole Helen from Sparta he anchored his boat in the island and during his departure forgot his helmet ("Kranos")- hence the name of the little island.

The church of "Aghios Petros" and a "tarsanas" (small traditional shipyrad for fishing vessels) occupy one end of the small (about the size of a football field) island. At the center of the island is the Tzanetaki's tower, (built circa 1700) and even some prehistoric ruins can be seen a few yeards away.