Palyros

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Palyros

Paliros or Palyros is a preserved traditional stone village located near Cape Tainaro in Mani, Peloponnese. It is built 139 meters above sea level around 3 km from the sea. Due to its geographical position stays invisible from the sea. The port of Paliros is Porto Kagio, a small and picturesque fishing village with a nice beach and a few tavernas along the waterfront.

There is not much to see in Paliros, apart from a few old stone towers, narrow-cobbled alleys and the church of Agia Triada (Holy Trinity) with its remarkable frescoes. Walking through the alleys, you will notice how harmonically the old towers and the new stone houses blend. However, around Paliros, there are a few things to see such as the small church of Asomaton (Taxiarches), which is located midway between Paliros and Cape Tainaro. Built on the site of an ancient temple dedicated to God Poseidon, the church is about 2 km south of Paliros, in the area of Kokkinogeia. It is believed to have been erected during the Middle Ages with materials taken entirely from the ancient temple. Nearby, you will find some carved stones with many carved cavities resembling to ancient seats, known as “sternes”. A bit further, there is a cave carved by humans, which most likely served as an ancient temple dedicated to God Poseidon as well. This cave is mentioned by Pausanias in his work "Lakonika", and is believed that it housed a statue of the god at the time.

If you ever visit this part of the Peloponnese, do not miss to hike to the southernmost point of mainland Greece in Cape Tainaro and enjoy the view from the old lighthouse, take a refreshing dip in Marmari, and eat fresh fish in Porto Kagio.

Photo: macrolepis, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons