The first day of our tour and we decided to follow the southern direction and more specifically in the Eastern side of Peloponnese, region which our club had not visited up to now. We started early in the morning, in order to drink our coffee at the beautiful coastal village of Astros Kynourias. In case you have already visited Nafplion and want to pass over it so that you reach faster and easier the village of Astros, we suggest that you should follow the direction for Tripoli (just after Korinthos) and then come out from the exit that gives the direction for Argos. In this way you will avoid a lot of turnings. As soon as you enter Argos you will see the sign for Astros. Be very careful at this point because if you miss it the road will lead you to Tripoli...
Astros is a traditional village and in fact a well-known tourist resort. Do not miss to visit the fortress which is found in very good condition, even if you have to pass through the courtyards of some houses in order to reach up to it!!!
Our next stop is Leonidio. The way up is very narrow and full of bends… In some points the road surface is bad… however, the magnificent landscape deserves everything. Leonidio is a characteristic village of the region, without some particularity. If you enjoy walking you can visit the windmills from where you can have a panoramic view of the wider region.
Leaving from Leonidio, in order to reach the city of Sparti, you have to pass the Term of Parnonas… For this reason you should provide yourselves with patience as, in our opinion, this road is one of the worst in Greece. It is really narrow, with a lot of turnings, in a lot of points paving of bad quality and you should pray not to meet with a truck… Nevertheless you can enjoy the variety of trees as you go up hypsometrically…On your way you will meet also a lot of monasteries which are literally bedded on the rocks…!
As we were really tired from the turnings, we reached the beautiful mountainous village of Kosmas. Hypsometrically it is located above the 1000 metres, and the village was rammed in very big firs. The central square of the village is full of big lanes, traditional taverns and springs. You will also find a lot of. We suggest spending one night there, as you will enjoy a lot of interesting places in the region, such as gorges, resorts, etc…
After we refreshed ourselves in the springs, we continued the way for Sparti. From its geographic place, between mounts of Parnonas and Taygetos, we figured out the reason why during the ancient times this area was an impenetrable fortress… Due to these particular mountains the approach of Sparti was impossible…
Sparti is a very beautiful city full of liveliness, at least during the season we visited. We relaxed in one of the many cafeterias that are found in the central street of Sparti and took the opportunity to we met also a friend of our club, Georgia, who had visited at the time her particular homeland. In the afternoon we took the road for Kalamata, crossing the term of Taygetos.
The way up to Kalamata is satisfied enough. You will meet enough turnings that will not complicate you while you enjoy the splendid landscape. We stayed overnight at the region, 20klm after Kalamata near Velika, in a place called Gouves. Anna, a very good friend of the club, accommodated us…