Kyparissia

Kyparissia? Where on earth is that? And how did I end up there?

Well, let me tell you!

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🧿 My favourite stop along the way

Anyone who knows me a little knows I’m crazy about Messinia, in the southwest of the Peloponnese.

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For years I’ve been driving back and forth between Zakynthos and Methoni. And right on that route lies Kyparissia, a lively coastal town of around 5,000 people. It’s about 60 kilometres from Methoni, 68 kilometres from Kalamata and 110 kilometres from Zakynthos.

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And I stop there. Always.

Really, always!

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Miles of sandy beaches, wonderful tavernas, delicious food and lots of little shops. The heart of town is the platia, the main square, full of cafés and terraces. Order a coffee, sit back and watch.

This is everyday Greek life, right there among the locals.

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🧿 There’s another Kyparissia

Only much later did I discover that high above the town lies a second Kyparissia: Ano Poli, the old upper town.

What a surprise!

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And what an atmosphere up there! Ano Poli has its own little square with traditional tavernas and old fountains, and a stunning view over the coast and the Ionian Sea. Right at the top of the hill stands the Castle of Arcadia.

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It was that castle that made me curious.

Why is it called Arcadia?

And what happened here?

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🧿 Thousands of years of history

Well, there turned out to be quite a story behind it

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Kyparissia is thousands of years old. Its name most likely comes from the Greek word kyparissi: cypress. You’ll know them for sure, those slender, dark green trees standing like tall columns in the landscape. They stay green all year round, and in Greece you see them everywhere: beside little chapels, on hillsides and along old roads.

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Homer already mentioned the town in his Iliad, as one of the places in the kingdom of King Nestor.

In the Middle Ages the town was called Arcadia, a name it kept for centuries.

 

The castle dates back to Byzantine times. Around 1205 the Franks arrived, and in 1460 the Ottomans took over.

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Then came 1686… and yes, there they are again. The Venetians!
Here they stayed just 29 years, until 1715.

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🧿 Ottoman traces

That’s exactly what I loved about it. In Methoni, Koroni, Nafplio and on Zakynthos I come across the Venetians everywhere.

They ruled there for centuries, and you can still see it in the buildings. In old Kyparissia you’ll find a completely different story.

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Ano Poli mainly carries the marks of the Ottoman period.

For centuries Arcadia was an important centre of trade and government, with a busy market, mosques, fountains and a hammam, a Turkish bathhouse.

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And plenty of it can still be found! Near the castle lie the remains of a former mosque, and in the upper town you can still see what’s left of a seventeenth-century hammam and several historic fountains.

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🧿 Eighty houses within the castle walls

Did you know that the famous Ottoman traveller Evliya Çelebi described no fewer than eighty houses within the castle walls in 1668?

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I found that so special. Suddenly you realise: real people lived here. They traded, cooked, chatted, and soldiers kept watch.

For centuries this was a small town all of its own.

And all those years I’d been strolling around down below in Kyparissia, while all of this was waiting up there!

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🧿 Messinia keeps surprising

That’s exactly what I love so much about Messinia.

 

You think you know a region well, and then suddenly you discover something new.

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Heading to Messinia?

Then put Kyparissia on your list.

Enjoy the beaches, the wonderful food and the lively platia, and be sure to take the road up to Ano Poli and the Castle of Arcadia.

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If you truly want to discover Messinia, this is a place where you’ll always want to stop for a while. 

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🧿 Discover Messinia with Authentic Greece

For thirty years Authentic Greece has been creating journeys to the real Greece.

As Messinia specialists, we know the region down to the smallest detail: the most beautiful spots, the best tavernas and the stories behind them.

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We’d love to design a tailor-made journey for you, with Kyparissia, Methoni, Pylos and everything else this beautiful region has to offer.

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Feel free to get in touch. We’re happy to help you plan!