Xirokambi and surroundings

Xirokambi is a lively village with a cozy square where residents and visitors gather. What immediately catches the eye are the stone houses, colorful orange trees, and old, weathered olive trees. From the village, you can directly enter the imposing Anakola Gorge or stroll over the centuries-old arched bridge into the forest. The village has its own open-air theater where every summer the ‘Call to Taygetos’ festival takes place, featuring theater, music, and the work of local artists. If you’re enjoying a drink in the village square, don’t be surprised if a tractor or pick-up drives by!

Near the church of Agios Vasileos lies a hill with excavations of a palace from the Mycenaean period. Legend has it that this was the palace of the famous King Menelaus and the beautiful Helen.

The beautifully situated mountain village of Arna invites you to visit a kafeneion, located under the centuries-old enormous plane tree on the village square. Here, you can buy herbs and tea from the Taygetos mountains in a small shop. At the end of October, there is a three-day festival celebrating the chestnut harvest. Expect lots of chestnuts roasted in a huge pan, dancing, music, and of course, tsipouro and wine!

Take a picturesque, winding road to Manganiari Springs. This place, with its cool water and shade from the plane trees, is a beloved picnic spot. And if you’re up for it, you can climb from here to Taleton, the 2,406-meter-high peak of the Taygetos mountains.