Welcome to Gythion, the town that Hercules and Hermes built! It is located in south Peloponnese, 40 km from Sparta city. It was the port of ancient Sparta and afterwards, during Roman years one of the most important commercial ports of the area.
On 375 Α.C. an earthquake destroyed the town. As a result of it, today one can discern ruins, part of the ancient wall, as well as other constructions of the inundated city, which are now in the bottom of the sea, in the north area of modern Gythion.
The main site in the archeological area found in the northern part of the town is the ancient theater. The Paleo-Christian basilicas that have been excavated indicate the prosperity of the town in later Roman times. The ancient theater of Gythio had elevated walls on all sides like a conservatoire to better control the acoustics of the space and has been preserved in relatively good shape.
One of the most beautiful places in Gythio is the small island Kranai, located across from the town and connects the land by means of a sea wall. According to mythology, Paris and Helen spend their first night there before leaving to Troy. On Kranai Island, you can also visit the lighthouse and tower-house of the revolution chieftain Tzannetakis Grigorakis family, which built in 1829 and currently houses the Historic and Folkloric Museum of Mani.
Nowadays Gythio remains a port not only for commercial ships, but for cruise ships, leisure boats, fishing boats and the ferries to Kithira or Crete as well.
It is a small town looks like a painting! It is built amphitheatrically on the foot of Akoumaros hill. It has an island character and many of the neoclassical buildings still stand in a very good state.
The neoclassical building of the Town Hall houses an ancient Greek and Byzantine collection, comprising of findings from the excavations in the areas of Gythio and Mani. The museum collection includes richly decorated marble sarcophaguses, embossed ossuaries, engraved inscriptions, ceramics and sculptures from Roman times.
Southwest of Gythio lies the Passava castle, which was built in 1254 by Baron Jean de Neuilly to control the exclusive and narrow passage to inner Mani. The hill on which the castle stands is located about 400 m from the Gythio-Areopoli road.
