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Kalamitsi, Foneas & Delfinia south of Kardamili |
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In Kardamili there is a long pebble beach called Ritsa beach and a small pebble beach, which I call Kardamili beach, as well as a large pier with bathing ladders. If you get tired of swimming and sunbathing in Kardamili, there are other beaches close by: Kalamitsi beach, Foneas beach and Delfinia beach. Kalamitsi is only 1 kilometre south of Kardamili and it is so
close that you can walk there. The view over Kalamitsi is so beautiful
that you almost think it is a mirage. There are many beautiful places
in Mani, as this part of the Peloponnese is called, and one of the most
beautiful is Kalamitsi. The
most adorable view is over the village of Limeni, which is located
further down the coast.
The extremely beautiful view of Kalamitsi, located 1 kilometre south of Kardamili.
The beach in Kalamitsi consists of pebbles mixed with sand. There are also smaller secluded coves in the area for those who want a bit of privacy. Sunbeds and umbrellas are not available for rent and there is no shade, so bring your own umbrella if you want to escape the sun. There is no taverna or canteen. The nearest taverna is in Kardamili. There is a canteen at Foneas beach which is three kilometres south of Kalamitsi.
Kalamitsi beach in Mani in south western Peloponnese.
Kalamitsi is known in almost the entire Western World because the British author Sir Patrick Leigh Fermor lived here. Patrick Leigh Fermor – known as Paddy – was an adventurer, writer and soldier – often described as one of the most colourful travel writers of the 20th century. His life is almost as legendary as his books. He wrote several books about Greece, including Mani: Travels in the Southern Peloponnese. During World War II, he worked for the British intelligence service SOE, where he was a major. His most famous action is in Crete on 26 April 1944 when he, together with Captain William Stanley Moss and local resistance fighters, kidnapped the German general Heinrich Kreipe and took him across the island to a British evacuation point. They dressed as German soldiers and used a captured German car to sneak up on the general’s car. At a roadblock near Heraklion, they stopped the general’s car and overpowered the German drivers.
Monument outside the village of Archanes showing where General Kreipe was kidnapped.
Despite the challenges, they managed to successfully carry out the kidnapping and hid with Kreipe in the mountains. During their escape to the coast, they encountered several dangers, but eventually reached an Allied evacuation point on the south coast of Crete - at Rodakino beach - where the boat that completed the escape over the mountains was waiting.
Here at Rodakino beach, the boat that completed the escape over the mountains was waiting.
The daring kidnapping was a success and sent a clear signal of resistance to the German occupation. It was one of the most spectacular strategic acts of resistance during World War II and was later immortalized in the book “Ill Met by Moonlight” by Captain William Stanley Moss. This operation became legendary and was later adapt into the film “Ill Met by Moonlight” in which Dirk Bogarde played Fermor. Patrick Leigh Fermor himself also wrote books about the event |
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After the war, Sir Patrick Leigh Fermor spent a lot of time in Greece, especially in the Peloponnese. He and his wife Joan had long been looking for a place in Mani, and finally found an olive grove in Kalamitsi overlooking the Messenian Gulf . They began building the house in the early 1960s. The construction itself took several years, as they employed local stonemasons and wanted the house to be built in the traditional Maniot style with thick walls and hand-carved blocks. The house was practically finished and ready to move in by 1969, but Fermor continued to make improvements and additions throughout the 1970s.
View of Kalamitsi from the other side.
Patrick Leigh Fermor was born in 1915 and died on 10 June 2011, aged 96, in Dumbleton, England, but his heart always belonged in Greece. Patrick Leigh Fermor was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2004, becoming Sir Patrick Leigh Fermor. He was 89 at the time and had already received several British and Greek awards, including the Greek Order of the Phoenix for his services during World War II. He bequeathed the house in Kalamitsi to the Benaki Museum in Athens. Today, the house is available for rent, and it is even available on Booking.com, where you can see pictures of the beautiful house.
Sir Patrick Leigh Fermor's house is located under the red arrow.
The Swedish author Staffan Stolpe settled in Kardamili in the late 1960s. So he and Patrick Leigh Fermor lived there at the same time. As far as I know, they never met. But he mentions him in his books, which also deal with Mani and other parts of the Peloponnese. Staffan Stolpe's most famous books (which have not been translated into other languages) are "I skuggan av en liten ouzo", "Från min grekiska grotta" and "Morea – en bok om Peloponnesos". |
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Foneas beach is located about 4 kilometres south of Kardamili. The beach is reached via a path from the road, where there is parking that can get full during high season. It is a small, naturally sheltered bay with white to blue-gray pebbles. An impressive large boulder rises in the middle of the bay and divides the beach into two parts. The water is crystal clear and turquoise, and perfect for snorkelling and diving.
Foneas beach about 4 kilometres south of Kardamili.
There are no sun beds or umbrellas for rent, and there is little shade. A small beach bar (canteen) is open during the summer and offers drinks and light meals. Foneas is also spelled Fonias, which means “killer” in Greek. According to legend, a pirate was shipwrecked on the beach and hid in a cave, killing passersby to steal their belongings. Whether this is true or not, no one can answer.
The impressive boulder that divides Foneas beach into two parts.
The Swedish version of the popular TV program The Ultimate Champion (in Swedish Mästarnas Mästare), where famous sports figures compete in various physical and mental challenges, has been filmed in the Peloponnese on three occasions. Season 5, which aired in 2013, was filmed in the south western Peloponnese, based outside Kalamata and competitions in, among others, Ancient Messini, Kardamili, Voidokilia beach and here at Foneas beach.
Foneas beach from the other side. The small canteen on the left in the picture. |
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Delfinia beach is located about 5 kilometres south of Kardamili. Just like Foneas beach, Delfinia is reached via a path from the road where there is parking, which can also get full during high season. Delfinia beach is located in a very beautiful cove surrounded by incredible greenery. The beach consists of sand and pebbles and the bottom is shallow, making it child-friendly.
Delfinia beach is beautifully located.
There are no sun beds and umbrellas for rent, but there is some shade under the trees. A small cantina called Delfinia Cafe is open during the summer and serves drinks and simple food. About three kilometres south of Delfinia are the sandy beaches of Kalogria, Stoupa and Halikoura.
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