ytheio,
a little port town on the Laconian Gulf, is a
gateway to Cythera (Kythira) and Crete and an excellent
starting point to explorations of the Mani region.
Historically, the town was the naval base of the powerful
republic of Sparta. Many scholars
attribute bravery,
fierceness in battle, and the independence of the
inhabitants of the Mani to their
Spartan ancestry. Even
though Gytheio does not possess any
significant archeological monuments (only fragments
of a Roman theatre survive nearby), it is an enchanting place
-- a quintessential Greek port town with houses
rising in tiers around the bay. A legend links Gytheio's tiny island of
Marathonisi with Helen of
Troy: After the abduction, Paris brought Helen
to the island and the couple spent their first night
together here. Today, the island is connected to the
mainland.
ytheio,
a little port town on the Laconian Gulf, is a
gateway to Cythera (Kythira) and Crete and an excellent
starting point to explorations of the Mani region.
Historically, the town was the naval base of the powerful
republic of Sparta. Many scholars
attribute bravery,
fierceness in battle, and the independence of the
inhabitants of the Mani to their
Spartan ancestry. Even
though Gytheio does not possess any
significant archeological monuments (only fragments
of a Roman theatre survive nearby), it is an enchanting place
-- a quintessential Greek port town with houses
rising in tiers around the bay. A legend links Gytheio's tiny island of
Marathonisi with Helen of
Troy: After the abduction, Paris brought Helen
to the island and the couple spent their first night
together here. Today, the island is connected to the
mainland.