Kyparissia and the archaeological site of Peristeria

Built amphitheatrically on the foot of Mount Psychro (or Aigaleo) in the northwest Peloponnese, the town of Kyparissia borders the Ionian Sea and is famous fot its Venetian castle, the so-called “castle of the giants” and its old town. At a mere distance of 10 km lies the significant archaeological site of Peristeria.

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Built amphitheatrically on the foot of Mount Psychro (or Aigaleo), the town of Kyparissia borders the Ionian Sea and is famous for its Venetian castle, the so-called “castle of the giants”. It dates back to the late 12th - early 13th century, offering a great sunset view of the whole region and the Ionian Sea.

Originally, the town was named Arcadia, due to the large number of Arcadians that lived there. According to myth, it was named after young Kyparissos, favoured by god Apollo. Homer mentions it as Kyparissienta.

Ancient Kyparissia Due to its location, the region was constantly inhabited since the Homeric era. The fortified city controlled the passage from Ilia to the coastal area of west and northwest Messinia, and its port was a waterway to Italy and the rest of Europe. In the Byzantine period, Arcadians sought refuge from Slavic raids in Kyparissia. From 1204 onwards, it passed into the hands of Franks, and it thrived during the First Ottoman Occupation (1459-1685). 

The settlement of Ano Poli (Upper town) has preserved to an extent the urban planning of a town of the Late Post-Byzantine period. Interesting examples of residences, church monuments, fountains, etc have been preserved. The Church of Holy Trinity dates back to the second half of the 19th century. The churches of Saint Demetrios and the Presentation of Mary are examples of the neoclassical church architecture of the late 19th century.

Ano Poli has been declared a protected traditional settlement by the Greek Ministry of Culture. Strolling in its alleys, you’ll also find the Folklore Museum (tel. 27613 60025), which houses interesting exhibitions. It is housed in the north and newest part of the complex of an Ottoman mosque, built between 1460 and 1685. This is where poet Kostis Palamas lived between 1881 and 1882.

The newest part of the town stretches up to the sea. It consists of contemporary buildings, and it is a lively commercial and administrative centre - Kyparissia is the capital of the Municipality of Trifylia, anyway. There, you will find the main square with the fountain, shops, restaurants, café-bars, etc.

North to the port of the town lies the small beach of the city, that of Ai Lagoudi. It is sandy, awarded with a Blue Flag, and it has sunbeds with umbrellas and beach bars.

Beaches near Kyparissia. To the north lie Sani, with fine sand, Kartelas, with sand and pebbles, as well as the organised Kalo Nero beach, in the settlement with the same name, awarded with a Blue Flag, too. Twelve to fifteen kilometres north of Kyparissia, the beautiful, sandy beach of Aggianakis stands out. Next to it is Elaia beach. On this beach, and on others in the region, the loggerhead sea turtle lays its eggs (you’ll see its nests, protected by volunteers). The big Vounaki beach, adjacent to Agiannakis beach as well, is not organised, since it has been incorporated in the Natura 2000 network.

To the north of Kyparissia lie the small pebbled Stomio cove, Agia Kyriaki, in front of the settlement of the same name, as well as Agrilis, near Filiatra.

River Neda flows into Gulf of Kyparissia. It’s worth visiting the amazing gorge with the waterfalls.
CULTURE

If you happen to be in Kyparissia in August, you’ll see the open-air market of antiques and old objects. It is held on the big cobbled street in the Old Town, and it lasts 6 days. During this time, there is a tasting of wines from Trifylia. The region also produces virgin olive oil and olives, raisins, figs, citruses and vegetables.

Remarkable is the 5-day Kyparissia Sunshine International Folklore Festival. It is held on 25-30 August by the Municipality of Trifylia and the Cultural Association of Kyparissia, with the support of the Hellenic national section of the International Council of Organisations of Folklore Festivals and Folk Arts (CIOFF-Official Partner of UNESCO). It aims at improving the knowledge of folk culture and history.

The old water mill of Katsaprokos or Mavrogenis is 2 km away from Kyparissia. It was used before 1850, it has been declared a landmark of the pre-industrial era, and it was renovated by the Imirziadis family. You will see it in operation, and then you can visit the estate of the mill, the traditional coffee house and a shop with traditional products.

Proti Island
This isle lies across Marathopoli (about 28 km away from Kyparisia). You can get there in your boat, or the scuba diving company can take you.
The isle has a marvellous beach, named Vourlia, with emerald waters. The only building on the isle is the Monastery of the Dormition of the Mother of God Gorgopigi, while there are also ruins of an ancient acropolis. The fortification protected an ancient settlement and it was in use for many centuries, up to the end of the Middle Ages.

Below the monastery lies the so-called Cave of the Seal, where, apart from seals, you may also see turtles and dolphins. In the Grammenos cove, etchings and inscriptions from the Roman and Byzantine periods are distinguishable.

Apart from its beautiful seabed, Proti island has two shipwrecks. The first one just lies at a depth of 5 m near the seaside, it is made of iron and it’s 20 m long. It carried petrol cans, and it was sunk by Italian airplanes during the war.

The second one is made of wood, and it carried barrels with milk. It lies on the seabed, at a depth of about 40 m. You’ll see it while scuba diving and snorkelling.

You can also sea kayak around the island.

Ancient Peristeria
The archaeological is around 10 km away from Kyparissia, neat the village of Myro. It seems that in Peristeria an important settlement thrived at the end of the Late Helladic period. The great variety of the findings and the size of the buildings, dating back to the 2nd millennium BC, or even earlier, remind us of the magnificent Mycenaean architectural monuments. So far, the principal findings are two tholos tombs, the biggest of which is, in fact, one of the biggest in Messinia and the west Peloponnese. A part of a palace and many residences also came to light. In the tholos tombs in Peristeria, jewellery, everyday-use objects, etc, were discovered.  

This type of tomb first appeared in Messinia, before it spread to the rest of Greece. They were shaped in such a way so that they would resemble residences. There was a long corridor leading to the main hall, the final resting place of the deceased.

Location

Find the destination on the interactive map below.