Ultimate 7-Day Mani Road Trip Itinerary for 2024

Mani is located in the Peloponnese region, in the southern part of mainland Greece. It encompasses most of the middle finger within the Peloponnese peninsula and is considered one of the most beautiful and unique areas of Greece – and great for a Mani road trip.

The area is divided into three sections: 

• • Outer Mani with beautiful rocky, coastal villages like Kardamyli, Stoupa, and Limeni in the West.
  • Lower Mani with its beautiful sandy beaches and popular towns like Gytheio in the East.
  • Deep Mani with its rugged coastline and isolated paths, further south of the peninsula, all the way to Cape Matapan.

As we’ve written before here, the entire Peloponnese is absolutely magical, but there is something special about Mani. The stone houses often resemble forts, the coves and caves are incredibly picturesque, and many of the food staples are unique to the region. 

You could certainly do this road trip in less than a week since distances are actually fairly short, but if possible, we’d recommend spending the full 7-days to get the most out of this charming, and not often traveled region.

Rental Car Options

If you’re looking to embark on this Mani road trip, we recommend flying into Kalamata and renting a car. Most of the roads across Mani are in good condition, but they can be narrow and windy, particularly in the southern, more isolated area. Also, note that drivers in Greece can be somewhat impatient and often drive fast, so just be careful and let them pass you, when possible.

For car rentals, we recommend using Discover Cars. The site is very user-friendly and aggregates all types of vehicles and prices to make sure you find the best deal.

Mani Road Trip Itinerary

Day 1: Kalamata

To start this Mani road trip, you could fly into Athens and drive the 3 hours to Mani or you could fly directly into Kalamata. The Kalamata international airport is quite large and busy, with flights from Star Alliance, One World, British Airways, and many more. 

If you do fly into Kalamata, we recommend spending one day enjoying the city. In reality, the city itself isn’t as charming as the smaller ones you’ll drive through during this road trip, but it is quite special in its own way.

Where to stay: 

• • The Mansion, Mediterranean Villas
  • Garden City Resort
  • Dreamers Santova Villa-Kalamata
  • Pharae Palace

Where to eat: 

Kalamata is home to the Kalamata olive (the large, dark brown one) and has some fantastic, modern restaurants:

• • Kardamo (modern take on traditional plates)
  • Souvlakia o tzimis (gyros and souvlaki)
  • Ta Rolla (traditional taverna)
  • Blossom Owl (brunch and coffee)
  • Kamares (wine and seafood)

What to do:

• • If you’re there on a Wednesday or Saturday, check out the biweekly market for the best fresh products Peloponnese has to offer
  • Do a food tour of Kalamata for the best culinary Greek experience
  • Walk along Kalamata Beach or its long boulevard on the water and stop by any of the bars or cafes overlooking the ocean for a drink
  • Stop by the Oikonomakos store for some deliciously unique sausages made with spices and oranges, and cooked in wine

Day 2: Kardamyli

You can continue your Mani road trip by driving about an hour from Kalamata to the beautiful town of Kardamyli. If you want to make the drive a bit longer and through the coastline, you can stop by the village of Kitries and enjoy some of its nice restaurants right on the water.

Kardamyli is definitely one of the prettiest villages in the Peloponnese and one of our favorites in the whole region! It’s filled with old stone houses, with the ocean on one side and the peaks of the Taygetus mountains on the other. Many of the buildings also have a unique mix of traditional Greek and Venetian designs.

Where to stay:

• • Katikies Manis Suites
  • Papanestoras Apartments 
  • Pyrgos Fassea Kardamyli 

Where to eat:

• • Aquarella Cafe (bar with some food overlooking the ocean)
  • Harilaos Restaurant (seafood with a view)
  • Gialos Taverna (traditional taverna)
  • Cafe Androuvista (charming cafe) 

What to do:

• Walk around the city and stop at all the beautiful boutiques for lovely jewelry or souvenirs
• Check out the Old Town of Kardamyili and get lost in the magical ruins
• Go kayaking, starting from the Kardamyli harbor and stop at the different hidden coves 

Day 3: Limeni and other coastal villages

Day 4: Areopoli

Take a quick 10-minute drive from Limeni to the city of Areopoli. Despite being so close to each other, they are actually quite different. Areopoli is the city of Ares (the God of War), located on a hill above the harbor of Limeni, and one of the larger towns in Mani. Despite its larger size, its largely stone-paved streets and stone towers make it charming. 

From there, drive about 30-minutes south to the picturesque village of Gerolimenas, at the southern end of the Mani peninsula. It used to be one of the most remote areas of the Peloponnese and could only be reached by boat until the 1970s. Today, the village has a small beach which is ideal for swimming since the bay is protected from the wind.

Where to stay:

• • Kyrimai Hotel, Gerolimenas
  • Ariá Estate Suites & Spa, Areopoli
  • Salvia Areopolis All Suite Hotel, Areopoli
  • Antares Hotel Mani, Areopoli

Where to eat:

• • To Mavromichaleiko in Areopoli (traditional taverna)
  • Lithostroto in Areopoli (Greek cuisine)
  • Ítan Kairós in between Areopoli and Gerolimenas (traditional taverna)
  • Kyrimai Restaurant in Gerolimenas (Mediterranean cuisine)

What to do:

• • Get lost in Areopoli’s stone-paved streets and check out many of the old chapels for some incredible frescos
  • Explore the caves of Diros, just 10km away from Areopoli – they are considered one of the most beautiful stalactite caves in Greece
  • Walk around Gerolimenas and make sure to peek through the spots in between stone buildings that look out into the water

Day 5: Vathia and Cape Matapan

The Mani road trip can continue with a 30-minute drive south to Cape Matapan (or Tenaro), the southernmost point of mainland Greece. It’s been an important spot for thousands of years, especially because of the cave that Greek legends argue was the home of Hades – the god of the dead. 

On your drive, make sure to stop halfway down to explore the Vathia village, known for its stone tower houses built on a hill, overpowering the countryside. From afar, the village is striking and almost looks abandoned. But, actually, some of the houses have been restored and a few dozen people still live in the village.

Where to stay:

• • Tainaron Blue Retreat
  • Porto Kale
  • Marmari Paradise Resort

Where to eat:

• • Akron Tenaro (traditional taverna)
  • Marmari Paradise Restaurant (greek cuisine)
  • This area is quite isolated and has very few restaurants, so best to pick up supplies in Gerolimenas before embarking on the drive

What to do:

• • Walk through the almost abandoned village of Vathia and take in the feeling of the lonely and spooky sensation often described
  • Take a short hike, all the way to the Tenaro Lighthouse for some strong winds and incredible views (to find it, take the windy and narrow road, all the way to Kokkinogia village, where you can park your car and will continue on foot)
  • Explore the cave presumed to be the gateway to Hades – the realm of the underworld 

Day 6: Gytheio

After a day in the “end of the world”, drive 1.5 hours north to the town of Gytheio, on the eastern shore. You can take the quicker drive (on the same road you came down) or if you have 30 minutes to spare, we recommend taking the road directly on the coast.

There are plenty of beaches to stop at along the way, including the beautiful Selenitsa beach. Most of them generally have calmer waters than the ones you’ll find on the west coast of the Mani peninsula.

Where to stay:

• • Pantheon City Hotel
  • Aktaion Resort
  • Aktaion City Hotel

Where to eat:

• • Saga Fish Restaurant (seafood)
  • O! Live (Mediterranean cuisine)
  • Diosmos (modern taverna)
  • Taverna O Nikos (traditional taverna)

What to do:

• • Climb up the village’s narrow alleys for some wonderful views of the coast
  • Drive out to the beaches of Mavrovouni and Selinitsa (both are calm, sandy, and perfect for swimming)
  • Check out the Dimitrios shipwreck, abandoned in 1980, on Selenitsa beach

Day 7: Mystras or Profitis Ilias

For the last day of the Mani road trip, we recommend choosing between the village of Mystras or the Taygetus mountain range. It really depends on what you’d rather do – take in some history or hike a mountain.

Technically, Mystras is not in Mani, but we decided to include it here because it’s pretty close and the ideal spot for a history buff. Mystras is a fortified town on Mount Taygetus, near ancient Sparta, and one of the most famous Greek archeological sites. It actually used to be a former Byzantine capital but it was abandoned in the 1830s when the town of Sparta was built.

Today, it still has a number of impressive historical sites, including the Palace of Despots, the second most important palace of the Byzantine Empire, after Constantinople, and the Cathedral of Agios Demetrios. It’s also known for its fortress, built by the Franks. It’s a bit of a hike up, but the views are worth it.

If you’d rather spend the day in nature, we would recommend driving north to the Taygetus mountain range. Mount Taygetus or “Profitis Ilias” is the highest peak and the range extends across 70km. However, what makes it so unique is that the mountains rise from sea level, creating many different ecosystems. 

In our hike up the mountain, we went from coastal Mediterranean weather to Alpine atmospheres and even snow in one day. For more details on the hike, check out our post on our favorite hikes in Peloponnese here.

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