Kissamitakis Guesthouse: ''Kouzina''

A trip through history in the powerful medieval fortress of Monemvasia. This 44 square meters maisonette, which is part of my –late 19th century– family's home features a bathroom, a kitchen, and a large –panoramic– terrace with a staggering view of the Myrtoon Pelagos and the town itself. Monemvasia's / Μονεμβασία name derives from two Greek words, ''mone'' and ''emvasi'', meaning "single entrance". Its Italian form, Malvasia, gave its name to Malmsey wine. Monemvasia's nickname is the Gibraltar of the East or The Rock. The town itself is located on a small island off the east coast of the Peloponnese and is linked to the mainland by a short causeway 200 meters in length. Its area consists mostly of a large plateau some 100 meters above sea level, up to 300 meters wide and 1 km long, the site of a powerful medieval fortress. The old town of Monemvasia is a perfectly preserved medieval settlement still inhabited, a world cultural heritage monument and a major attraction for every traveler in the Peloponnese. It has a unique, magical atmosphere and a fascinating history. Monuments and churches are scattered throughout the old town. An important archaeological collection is housed in the old mosque in the Square of Elkomenos Christos / Ελκόμενος Χριστός. ''Kouzina'' features a bathroom, a kitchen, and a large –panoramic– terrace with a staggering view of the Myrtoon Pelagos and the town itself. Ground level includes living / dining area with one couch and a fireplace. The second level includes the bedroom with a double bed. Guests have access to all their own facilities and will be given a key to come and go as they please. All amenities are for your use exclusively; services include: Fully equipped kitchen Private bathroom Washing machine (top loader) TV/DVD Mini HiFi system Portable CD/TAPE/TUNER player Wireless BT speaker (for use with smart phones) WiFi internet Refrigerator Microwave oven Coffee machine Toaster Heater Iron (+ board) Hairdryer Basic ingredients to prepare by yourself your breakfast (coffee, tea, sugar) Couch (which can be used as a bed for a child) AC unit Small safe I welcome all my guests and show them how every appliance works; there are however instruction manuals for every piece of equipment in the house. You 'll find everything you need to make you feel at home. You are welcome to interact as much or as little with me as you like. I am around most of the time and have a great knowledge of the history of Monemvasia. I am more than happy to give you a guided tour around, chat or simply stay out of your way. There's the amazing view, the sea and the long shingle beaches, but there is also an incredible sense of history and beautifully preserved buildings; bars and restaurants; friendly and welcoming people and everything is within walking distance. Built in the shadow of the rock on which the medieval fortress town stands, the new town of Monemvasia, Gefyra / Γέφυρα has become a tourist destination in its own right. A large variety of restaurants, cafe bars and shops attract thousands of visitors year-round. Gefyra’s stores sell the region’s traditional delicacies, the most famous being its almond sweets. For those staying in the fortress you can swim either in Portelo / Πορτέλο or in a nice area of flat stones called Kourkoula / Κουρκούλα about a five-minute walk towards the modern town. There are probably some other spots below the city that you can ask about. There are several beaches within walking distance of the modern town, mostly stone but not too bad. A couple km north of the town is Pori / Πορί beach which is long, sandy, beautiful, clean, with shade trees and wide-open sea. It has a great view of the rock of Monemvasia. South of Monemvasia there are four smaller beaches that are very nice, called Xifias / Ξιφιάς, Ampelakia / Αμπελάκια, Livadia / Λιβάδια and Agios Fokas / Άγιος Φωκάς which are all reachable by car or bicycle. If you have a car you can go – using the new motorway that connects Monemvasia to the city of Neapolis / Νεάπολη – south to the island of Elafonisos / Ελαφόνησος or cut across the peninsula where there are many beaches on the western coast. If you are adventurous drive north to Kyparisi / Κυπαρίσσι where there are two spectacular stone beaches in a small town said to be amongst the most beautiful in Greece. The seat of the municipality is the town Molaoi / Μολάοι. The distance from downtown Athens to Monemvasia – if you use the new motorway A71 & Sparta’s new peripheral motorway Skoura – Piri / Σκούρα – Πυρί – is about 330 km; it takes approximately 3 up to 3:30 hours with normal driving. (Note: The road to Monemvasia is quite straight forward but a GPS is always advisable to have). When you arrive in Monemvasia, you can find the walled fortress town by crossing the causeway and following the road to the gate; park your car freely, wherever you can, upon this 1.5 km road from the new town of Monemvasia, Gefyra / Γέφυρα until the entrance of the castle. It’s not so easy in the summer but people come and go so if you wait a space will open. – For motorbikes and bicycles a specially designated area has been reserved at the entrance of the castle. – There is a small bus connecting Gefyra with the entrance of the fortress every 30 mins. And some ... alternatives: – Hiring a taxi from Athens to Monemvasia (and possibly renting a car in Monemvasia for your local excursions). The taxi drivers that provide this ''door to door'' service are based in Monemvasia but do this ''back and forth'' almost every day. The cost varies depending on whether you hire the taxi just for yourself or the taxi driver will have other passengers as well. In the latter case, the cost per person is something close to 40 euros. If you choose to hire the taxi for yourself, this will cost around 180 – 200 euros. Keep in mind though, that you must book a driver as soon as you have the final info/details of your arrival. Should you choose this option, I can help you finding a driver. – Taking the bus (KTEL / ΚΤΕΛ) from Athens Central Bus Station at Kifisos / Κηφισός; it is a five hours ride but it is much more affordable in terms of cost. More hours but cheaper; something like 30 euros per person. The bus will leave you at the beginning of the bridge that connects the new town in the mainland with the fortress; there is a small kiosk there. From that point on –until the entrance of the castle– you will get that smaller bus, that I referred to earlier. – Arriving at the airport of Kalamata / Καλαμάτα (that's a city in Southern Peloponnese) and either renting a car, hiring a taxi or taking the bus to Monemvasia. With the bus, however you will have to change in the city of Sparta and this will ''cost'' you several hours of waiting there. The cost of getting a taxi from Kalamata's airport to Monemvasia is somewhere in the range of 170 – 200 euros and the distance is approximately 180 km (something close 2 – 2:30 hours). It isn't the most cost-effective approach but you will save at least an hour and you can still rent a car in Monemvasia for your local excursions (the cost of renting a car in Monemvasia will be something in between 30 – 40 euros per day). Keep in mind that – in general – it is easier to find more affordable tickets to Kalamata's airport than to Athens Int. Airport. – Renting of bicycles will cost you around 5 – 8 euros per day & the renting of a motorbike –depending on the engine– will cost you around 15 – 25 euros per day. These prices are indicative and negotiable; more days, better discounts. Keep also in mind that –during summer– you must reserve the soonest possible! I will provide you with all the details and the exact costs in time to help you deciding.