Peloponnese: Arcadia
Arcadia is a mountainous land of rivers, running streams, deep gorges, Frankish forts, Byzantine churches and monasteries, traditional villages and ancient cities
Arcadia is an
area visited by only a few determined tourists who
are rewarded by one of the finest coastlines in
Greece. The capital, Tripoli is an agricultural
and commercial center of neo-classic houses and an
archeological museum. But the real beauty of
Arkadia is found in the surrounding villages like
Karitena, called the Toledo of Greece (no, not
Ohio: Spain) with it’s narrow streets, stone
houses and Frankish castle. Nearby is the old
Frankish bridge over the river Loussios, its gorge
and the ancient site of Gortys which can be
reached on foot or by jeep. The town of Leonideon
is on the side of a tremendous gorge between two
mountains and has an excellent beach called
Plakas. Visit the tiny village of Cosmas with its cool
summer weather and beautiful platia.
The
town of Langada is an interesting place to visit for a couple
reasons. It is a mountain village nestled within a pine forest at
a pretty high altitude and has some amazing views. There are some
cafes and tavernas and what is called the Katastima Trofimon
right next to an excellent coffee shop that makes great espresso.
The Katastima Trofimon is run by a lovely woman by the name of Kanella
Mouroutsou (her brother owns the coffeeshop next door). The store
features natural and traditional products including their home-made
pastas, honey, olive-oil, herbs from the mountains, soaps, cheeses,
vinegear, fruit preserves, grains, dried fruits, sun-dried tomatoes
and lots of other products. Langada is on the road from Olympia
to Tripolis so if you are passing through it is a nice place to
stop and take a break. Also on the road out of town is a small shop
owned by a little old man by the name of Athanasios Grigoropoulos
who makes hand carved walking sticks and canes of a wide and interesting
variety including some made of goat horns. Athanasios is an engaging
and interesting guy who has mountains of letters and cards he gets
from well-wishers who have stopped in to his shop. The shop itself
is in a precarious location near a bend in the road so be careful
while crossing and shopping.
When driving in Arkadia and for that matter any of the back roads of the Peloponessos take it easy. There are places where the road gets wet either by springs or from the rain that can be treacherous and you can easily lose control of your car if you are going too fast.
What does one bring home from a trip to Tripolis? Nothing. Tipota. See why
Helpful Sites:
Swift
Car Rentals
George's
Taxi Tours
Hotels
Athens
Guide
Travel Agents
Mainland
Guides