Portrait
GYTHIO is located in middle south of Peloponese at the center of the Laconian Gulf. It is a lively, charming little harbour town. The most of its houses are two- or three-storey neo-classical mansions, stuck to the steep side of the Mt. "Koumaros". A long sea-side promenade, the colourful fishing boats, the narrow streets and stairways produce the typical Greek environment which faszinates every visitor.
There are not realy mentionable ancient objects to be studied in Gythio. From its ancient past only a small Roman theatre was left by an earthquake that destroyed the city in the 4th century. So, every visitor is free to enjoy just greek present life.
Gythio is protected by spurs of the mighty Taygetos mountain range. Its highest "Profitis Ilias", with 2.407 m the highest mountain on the whole Peloponese, makes a marvellous background scene. From November to May, the snow-white peaks are a magnificent sight behind the deep blue sea.
A little island called "Kranai" and connected with the mainlaind by a short dam, protects the port of Gythio town from the open sea. It is a beautiful place with pine-trees and an ideal view-point to overlook the gulf towards the Parnon mountain range in the east and Taygetos in the north-west.
As it is reported by Homer, the island was the first refuge of Helen and Paris on their journey to Troy. According to the myth, paris forgot his helmet on the islet as he was leaving - hence its name, since in Greek a helmet is calles "kranos". An interesting site on Kranai is the restored Tzannetakis Tower, a Maniot fortress-residence belonging to the Tzannetakis-Grigorakis families. It was donated to the state and currently houses the History and Ethnology Museum of Mani. Also worth visiting are the chapel of Agios Petros and the octagonal lighthouse of 22 m height, built in 1873 of tenarian marble.
There are many beaches around of Gythio and the largest one is Mavrovouni-beach. Because of its length of several kilometers it will never get crowded - just during the first half of August, when nearly all Greek people are on holiday, it may become a little more lively. In the afternoon, usually a perfect wind for wind-surfing will raise, and you can also hire a board and take lessons by the "Ocean Cafe". Mavrovouni beach is one of the favourite places for the "caretta-caretta" sea turtles to lay their eggs in the sand. The nests are surveyed and protected of the Sea Turtle Protection Society of Greece called ARCHELON.
The beach of Mavrovouni is awarded the BLUE FLAG. The Blue Flag award is both based on all the bathing water quality results of the previous year and of the current year of the award. This means that only beaches with excellent bathing water quality standards in the previous year will be eligible for the Blue Flag award.




The Town Hall and the former Girls' Gymnasium, both recently renovated, are of neoclassical style and go back to the German-Greek architect Ernst Ziller, who designed more than 500 private and public buildings between 1870 and 1914 for Greece, most of them for Athens, for example the local library and many others.
Last but not least, the village shines through its picturesque harbor with many small boats, to medium-sized fishing boats and sailing boats anchored at the quayside. It also has a port facility that has just been expanded considerably in recent years by a ferry terminal with two specialized berths and a cargo berth with a total of 153.5 meters and an area of 5,600 square meters. So it is a port of call for cruise ships and sailing ships in the eastern Mediterranean.
The port connects the city of Gythion with the islands of Kythira, Antikythira and Crete (Kissamos), but also with Piraeus. Find actual timetables here .
Here is a nice Youtube-Video with well-musically appealing views of the town of Gythio:
Excursion links
Info
Accommodation
Gythio has, of course, a variety of accommodation to offer, which would be listed separately the local framework.
Some of them are advertised under the following local advertisements. Otherwise, we recommend the following for your search:
tripadisor.com Selection of holiday apartments at:
Selection of hotels at:
tripadisor.com für Hotels
Gastronomy
In Gythio, there are plenty of cafenions, taverns (traditional taverns) - especially special fish tavernas - as well as various restaurants. As usual in the whole of Greece, Cafenion is visited in the morning and in the late afternoon, by no means at the German coffee time. Lunch is served between 1:30 pm and 3:00 pm, and dinner is usually not until 8 pm. There are also a few bars in the town, where not only young people romp about at night.
Retail shops
In Gythio there are shops of all kinds: several supermarkets with a wide assortment, retail shops for vegetables, clothes, underwear, shoes, eyeglasses, four pharmacies, cell phones and photo shops, hardware stores and, of course, souvenir shops. Usual business hours are: 8.30am to 2.00pm, 5.30pm to 8pm, but every Monday and Wednesday the shops are closed from 2pm for the rest of the day (except some of the touristic shops).
Crafts / Services
Gythio has everything to offer to craftsmen and services. If you are looking for contacts, please contact the Chamber of Commerce of Gythio, located on the seaside roead (Ξανθάκη 3 - Xanthaki 3), Phone: +30-27330- 22279 and +30-27330-23804.
Banks
In Gythio there are the following banks with ATM:
- National Bank of Greece, Joannou Grigoraki street
- Alpha Bank, Vasileos Georgiou street 1
- Piraeos Bank, Archaiou Theatrou- und Ger. Kapsali street
- ETE Bank, Ermou street 18
Real Estate
For Gythio and Laconia there is a real estate office under German-Greek ownership: Immo Laconia.
Local ads
ADVERTISING ON GYTHIO ONLINE
The website gythio online under the domains www.gythio-online.gr as well as www.gythio.net - is a private-commercial portal for the presentation of the town of Gythio as well as its surroundings, and with around 30,000 page impressions per year is the most extensive Internet platform for the region.
The extensive structure of the town portal and the surrounding portal makes it possible for companies to reach a particularly targeted customer approach via the Internet. The "WebSiteOffice - Webdesing, Internet marketing" office is responsible for the administration and marketing of the portal (contact details see below). Since the website is a regional portal, this platform is used exclusively for advertising and links whose clients and / or content are in a comprehensible context with the region (ie Gythio and its surroundings).
Services
Please find here contact information that may be useful to you:
Emergency call: 112 - Also in mobile networks - applies to police, accident rescue / emergency in the event of an accident
First Aid Health Center of Gythio: (+30) 27330-22001 und 22002
Hospital Sparta: (+30) 27310-28671
Police of Gythio: (+30) 27330-22271
Fire department Gythio: (+30) 27330-22199
Pharmacies in Gythio: (+30) 27330-22566, 27330-22131 und 27330-22219
Auto and touring club: (+30) 210-6068800.
Chargeable street subsidiary ELPA: 10400
Bus connections from and to Gythio: (+30) 27330-22228 and travel time info: ktel-lakonias.gr
Taxi call: (+30) 27330-23400
Animal protection society and shelter Gythio "Melios", Tel. (+30) 6945-104421, www.meliosanimalprotection.com
Veterinarians (in Skala and Sparta, Since there is no veterinarian practice in Gythio):
Mr.Panajotis Tsakonakos: (+30) 27350 24161, mobil: (+30) 6932 260459, Skala
Mrs. Margarita Dana: (+30) 27310-21201, mobil: (+30) 6977-316646, Meneláou Str. 10, Sparta
Mr. Jorgos Dimou: (+30) 27310-29917, mobil: (+30) 6944-274221, Othonos-Amalias-Str. 59, Sparta
Mr. Athanasios Legos: (+30) 27310-20121, mobil: (+30) 6947-308670, Thermopylón Str. 88, Sparta
Mr. Michael Mantas: (+30) 27310-82003, mobil: (+30) 6948-374248, Orthias Artémidos Str. 69, Sparta
Beaches
In more or less closer distances to the small town of Gythio there are the following wonderful beaches:
The beach of Mavrovouni
is the closest beach to the city of Gythio. It consists of fine to coarse-grained sand and offers plenty of space on a length of approx. 4 kilometers and a considerable width, as well as several places with rent-free sun loungers under fixed sunshades, where you are also supplied with dtinks and food. The Mavrovouni beach is under the protection of an organization for the so-called "Karetta-Karetta" water turtle.
Beaches of Selinitsa und Valtaki
are both sandy beaches in the north-east direction of Gythio, means In driving direction Skala / Monemvasia. To the Selinitsa beach go about 2 km out of the town of Gythio and then turn right into the entrance of the beach restaurant called .... To Valtaki beach it is another 3 km to drive. It is conspicuous by a completely rusted shipwreck, which has once been stranded and seemingly anchored - has become the landmark of Gythio.
Beaches of Vathy
are also extensive sandy beaches near by Gythio, in about 15 and 25 minutes to reach. Go first in the main direction Areopoli and after approx. 8 km turn left following a sign for the HOTEL BELLE HELENE. Then, after about another kilometer, turn left again, direction CAMPING KRONOS, and there you will find the beach section where a small, shallow river flows into the sea, which brings refreshing cool water. Or you can go straight for one kilometers straight to Vathy and stop opposite a large apartment complex with access to the beach.
Beach of Kamares
is about 25 minutes away from Gythio going first to the direction of Areopoli, turning left at the junction with the sign for HOTEL BELLE HELENE, continue and pass the hotel, go up to the small village of Ageranos and continue down the road to the next bay of Kamares. The beach here is covered by coarse gravel and usually there are some free campers.
Beaches in the bay of Skoutari
Skoutari is a not necessarily picturesque village, but has the most beautiful beaches in the entire area, just 30 minutes by car from Gythion. The beach presents itself in three parts, in a left part with a tavern, sun loungers and umbrellas, in the middle a smaller part, which is delimited by a shadowy earth wall. These two beaches are of the finest golden sand, with far shallow access into the water. The third part of the beach, on the right, is permeated by coarse pebbles, also has a small port, two fish taverns and a charming old, Byzantine chapel.
Events
Christian-traditional act of water consecration
The first Christian-traditional act of the year is the the water consecration in the port on 6th of January. The Orthodox Christians commemorate the baptism of Jesus on the day of the Lord's manifestation (epiphany). The ceremony consists of a procession to the port, at the end of which the chief priest of the city throws an orthodox cross into the seawater. To catch the cross exclusively some young men jump into to water, regardless of the icy temperatures of the year. Whoever is the first to find the cross receives the separate blessing.
Shrovetide events
On every last Saturday of the nationally specific carnival period is staged a shrovetide event on the main road and places of Gythio. This is mainly a disguise fun for children, but also adults have their pleasure with the masquerade.
National day 25 of March
The 25th of March is a great national holiday to the liberation of the Greeks from the Ottoman Empire. In the schools, pupils recite poems, and there is a parade with the pupils of all the schools of the city, as well as of the army, the war veterans and other associations.
Easter
The feast of all feasts is for the all Greeks Easter. In Holy Week everybode goes diligently to the church. A highlight is the procession on Good Friday evening through the whole city of Gythio (see Youtube video) , with all the processors holding a burning candle, then the midnight fair from Saturday to Easter Sunday in the central church of Agios Jorgios with subsequent proclamation of the resurrection of Christ by the priest on the central square. A questionable ceremonial, since the whole thing takes place under real dangers and deafening noise by the serial inflammation of firecrackers by the young people.
Pilgrimage day to the summit of Prophet Ilias
On the 20th of July every year many people rise to the highest peaks of the country, here in the south of the Peloponnese it is the "Profitis Ilias" of the Taygetos mountains. Pilgrims from the villages of Laconia and the Mani, who present themselves at dusk in the simple chapel of the prophet, to perform their all-year vows.
Cultural summer festival
From July of each year on, various events take place during the summer: Live concerts by well-known Greek singers, comedies and tragedies of traveling amateur drama groups, some performanced even in the small Roman amphitheater of Gythio, as well as beach parties. The programme is issued as a booklet for each summer, available in the cultural center of Gythio.
As the crisis in Greece continues and is always a more tragic impact, the performances regrettably are becoming poorer every year.
15 of August - Dormition of Mary
Dormition of Mary - after Easter the second most important religious festival in Greece at all. In many villages in the vicinity of Gythio there are corresponding night-time festivals with loud Greek live music, which is danced extensively.
Fair marketplace
Always in the second week of September in Gythio a ten-day market takes place. The central one-way streets in Gythion's business district fill up with sales booths, instead of the parking cars. Flying traders from all over the world offer a lot of things, what low-cost countries are producing. For the inhabitans of Gythio and the
local farmers from the surrounding villages is this an opportunityto buy the family's annual necessities at household goods, clothes, laundry, small tools etc. cheaply.
To western buyer's hearts the offer certainly do not make beat it higher, but - which is far more healthy - guaranteed to laugh.
Sting fish festival
The 30th of September is celebrated in the port of Gythio as the day of "Marida" (= small stinging fish) with free portions of these fishes in fried form plus wine for each visitor.
National holiday 28 of Oktober
On 28th October is in Greece the second major national holiday of the year, celebrated with march music and military parades in many towns as well as in Gythio. It is the historical day, when in the year 1940 Metaxa as government leader in agreement with all oppositions and the Church prevented the free entry of the nazi-allied Italians to Greece.
Contact und Imprint
Please do not send any inquiries or criticism to our address concerning the city, region or individual facilities. This is not an official website of the municipality, it is based on a purely private commercial initiative (see imprint).
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Responsibility and content copyright:
Ursula Katharina Papajaannou
Mavrovouni Ktirakia
GR-23200 Gythio
Phone:(+30) 69778 062353
Web: www.websiteoffice.gythio.net
Email: mail@gythio.net
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