Peloponnese-Nauplion -Olympia: Mediterranean Collection's selected tours.

Monemvasia.
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At the far end of Peloponnese, on the southern east coast of the peninsula looking on to Mirtoon Sea, at a distance of 95 km form the town of Sparta, stands Monemvasia.
A distinctly shaped great rock - "capsized ship" according to Greek poet Yiannis Ritsos - rising from the sea, only a few meters from the coast is often refered as the "Gibraltar of Greece".
A thin strip of land links it with the Gefyra, a fishing village on the main land. It takes 15 to 20 minutes walking from Gefyra to Monemvasia.
On the north side of the bay there are a few houses consisting the small village of Palea (old) Monemvasia.
Walking along the road you find the cemetery where in 1989 the famous Greek poet Ioannis Ritsos was buried as it was his motherland.
After the cemetery you reach the lower town of Monemvasia which is called "the Fortress" today. A wall protects the lower town from three sides east, south and west.
There are several churches around like Panagia Chrisafitissa, Panagia Mirtidiotissa, Chistos Elkomenos, Agia Sofia. On the east side of the main square stands the house with a garden containing the remains of the early Byzantine church. At the west end of the square there is the "Stellakis" house as it is known, that was reconstructed giving a lot of information about the architectural details and the appearance of the medieval town.
A small zigzag path connects the lower town with the upper town and it was difficult not only for the attackers but for the residents to curry their supplies using their hands or their donkeys.
The Fort city of Monemvasia with the one and only gate as its name suggests (Moni=sole, Emvasia=entrance) turns a dream into reality.