Greece's Secret Peninsula Region Is A Paradise Blending Beaches And History With Charming Villages And Castles

Somewhere in Greece there's a land of whitewashed villages poised perfectly on forest-filled hillsides, gleaming beaches, and enthralling historical sites all far away from the buzzing tourist crowds of Athens and Santorini. No, we're not talking about Karytaina, a mystical medieval village on the mountains of Arcadia. And no, it's not historic, tourist-free Nafpaktos, either, with its cobbled alleys perched high in the Vardousia Mountains. Although both of those might fit the bill, this place also lords over sea-splattered peninsulas of pebble coves and oozes a rich Byzantine history. Welcome to Laconia.

This is one of the most paradisiacal corners of Greece you've probably never heard of. Don't beat yourself up for that, though. You see, Laconia spreads across the southeastern edge of the Peloponnese to a peak at the very tail end of Cape Maleas — a rock-ribbed finger of high cliffs that's struck fear into the hearts of seafarers for millennia. It's off the beaten path in the most literal sense. To get here, it takes a roughly five-hour drive from Athens; although the nearest airport is in Kalamata, which is only a little over two hours from the region's capital in Sparti.

If you like your Greek holidays quiet yet adventurous — packed with the likes of secret swimming coves shrouded by the mountains and half-ruined castles once used as hideouts by pirates — then Laconia is probably just what you've been searching for. Here, you can expect days to be filled with hikes along the cape, visits to Byzantine churches, and plenty of ancient history.

Laconia is capped off by one of Greece's most far-flung, wild, and untamed coastal regions. Cue Cape Maleas. This is the second most southerly point of the mainland, poking out into the Aegean Sea in a twist of rock and a show of cathedral-like mountains that soar overhead to the summits of Mount Parnonas. The unique geography conspires to make the cape one of the most infamous spots for sailors in the country — even the hero Odysseus is thought to have blamed the winds here for derailing his homeward journey from Troy.

All that should be music to the ears of lovers of feral beaches and secluded coves. In fact, much of the coast on Cape Maleas isn't even accessible by car, and the best way to explore is on foot. Take to the marked D14 hiking path that weaves along the edge of the cliffs from Agia Marina. Alternatively, leave southbound from Velanidia on the D10, a path that's also known as the Maleas Lighthouse Trail. One past hiker, writing on AllTrails, waxed lyrical about the route, saying: "[The] trail itself is a pleasure, following the coast with glorious crashing waves and with a feeling of splendid isolation."

For something a bit more traditional or relaxing, venture out to Marathias, on the west-facing side of the cape. The glinting sands there aren't popular, but the seas are super clear. South again from there is Pouda, where sunbathers and strollers can get stuck into roughly 3 miles of uninterrupted beachfront.

Laconia certainly doesn't want for history. After all, the modern-day town and regional hub of Sparti was once the legendary Sparta, home of the great warriors that inspired movies like "300." Sadly, there's not all that much left of the ancient town, and certainly nothing in the ilk of the great monuments and museums of Athens. But there are stacks more elsewhere.

There's hardly a jaw that won't drop when the walled village of Monemvasia comes into view, for example. Clutching a plinth of land on the eastern side of Laconia, it was apparently built to be perfectly camouflaged from sea invaders in the Middle Ages. Visitors can clamber up to a high-perched fortress where ruined watchtowers stand above Byzantine chapels.

Even closer to Sparti is the UNESCO-attested Mystra complex. Another leftover from the Byzantine era, it's thought to have once rivalled Constantinople. Today, the main draw is the citadel, which can be accessed via hiking trail up the slope of a mountain. Below that, you can wander through monasteries and churches, complete with domed roofs and fading medieval frescos. Pretty amazing stuff!