On the dance floor of time

Mani is a special place, where the past and the present are interwoven in a harmonious blending that makes the experience of the visit to Mani unique. During your stay here, you will have the opportunity to wander the paths of history and legends, and to taste the excellent local products that make up a particular flavour mosaic. On the days of the festivals, follow the roads to the picturesque country churches and the village squares and mingle with the locals at the feast. Go back home with a feeling of nostalgia, longing to return soon into the welcoming embrace of Mani.

General Information for Visitors

The participation in the three-day celebration of the anniversary of the Revolution in Areopolis and the surrounding towns is a unique experience for the visitor. Mani, though, also stands out for its summer events. Every year, East Mani Municipality organizes the Cultural Summer events that are open to the public: concerts, theatre performances, the revival of customs and local gastronomy evenings dedicated to the products and the special flavours of Mani. Only two and a half hours from Athens and with excellent accommodation, it is the perfect high cultural experience destination.

Recreation Information

An ideal destination for all seasons, Mani invites you into her welcoming arms and offers an escape from everyday life: unique beaches hidden in picturesque bays, paths through time and history under the shadows of the towers, warm and friendly people, products made with passion and love, special tastes. From Areopolis, Oitylo and Gerolimenas to Vaho, Petrina and the villages of Sminos, Mani invites you to live a unique experience…

Take part in memory celebrations dedicated to the heroic struggles of our ancestors and in celebrations that invite you to feel the pulse of tradition and culture. Lose yourself into the experience of the hospitality that this unique destination offers. From dance floors and village squares to the solemn masses in monasteries and from the dreamlike beaches to the quaint taverns, you feel the pulse of a place that is soundly founded on its traditions and embraces its present in a creative way… (see again)
 

Point of Interest A
In the footsteps of the Ancestors

With the emblematic motto of Mani: Victory or Death… A day of memory and honour for the younger people of Mani who gather every year to commemorate the anniversary of the uprising against the Ottoman Empire. Dressed in their ancestors’ clothes and belted on the arms of their great-grandparents, once again, they give the oath their ancestors gave in the courtyard of the church of the Archangels, reviving a centuries-old tradition. Celebrations last for three days (15th–17th March) and they are a unique opportunity for visitors, especially for young children, to get a taste of history. Hum the song “I patris mou einai I Mani” (Mani is my homeland) and feel the pride of being of Mani origin.

Point of Interest B
Flavours of Mani

Proven over time, the flavours of Mani invite you to experience its traditional cuisine. Recipes passed down from generation to generation, kneaded with the same materials and prepared with the same passion. Syglino, smoked pork with local herbs and spices, pure honey, olives, extra virgin olive oil, lalangites and pitaria with local greens and all sorts of seafood are the culinary treasures of Mani. You can find them in all the taverns of Areopolis, Gytheion, Kotronas and Oitylo as well as during the festivals organized by the Municipality of Eastern Mani every summer.

Point of Interest C
Evenings of Tradition

In the peninsula of Mani, morals and traditions are kept alive through the stories of the elderly but also through daily practice. During the summer months, at village squares and on remote beaches, legends and traditions come alive again. Watch the representation of the traditional marriage of Mani in Areopolis and the feast of the grape harvest in Vaho. Those of you who are not afraid, follow in the footsteps of the pirates on the beaches of Gerolimenas and Kotronas. The only danger is that you might be taken prisoners by the wild beauty of Mani in August …
 

Point of Interest D
The Paths of Faith

People from Mani are religious and their faith is simple and pure and is handed down from generation to generation. Their hope is founded on the power of the holy warriors who they used to evoke during their difficult and heroic times. In August, follow the pilgrims uphill to the monastery of the Saviour that stands like an eagle’s nest above Kotronas. And in September, if you happen to be in the picturesque and verdant villages of Sminos, light a candle for Our Lady Giatrissa situated above the heroic village Kastania.

Point of Interest E
Nutrition and Health

The traditional diet of Mani is considered highly nutritious and has many of those elements which experts emphasize are needed in order to maintain good health. Traditional local products are proof of the big wealth of the tastes of Mani.