The Mani Page 6

The village of Kitta, where the last large feud was put down by the army in 1870, has remains of more than twenty tower houses, and was once the largest and most powerful village of the Mani, now largely abandoned. The battalion that quenched that last battle, consisted of four hundred soldiers. Nomia, Kitta's rival village, is visible from Kitta, with its own towers. Boularii is one of the most interesting of the Inner Mani villages, with towers and twenty churches, the latter including 10th century Aghios Pandeleimon and 11th century Aghios Stratigos, the latter with marvelous frescoes that span the 12th through the 18th centuries. Ask at the post office in Yerolimenas for keys at the post office. Gerolimenas (left) is a good base for exploring the southernmost part of the Inner Mani.

South from there is Alika (with bus service), and from there the road forks to the east through the mountains to Layia, (which has towers) and the other to Vathia and across the small peninsula to Paliros, with good coves for swimming between Alika and Vathia-especially Kyparissos, reached via a dry riverbed. The remains of ancient Roman Kaenipolis is above it, including the excavated ruins of a 6th century basilika.

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