From 30 June to 14 July 2018, our group of nine (two families including five teen-agers 13 to 18 years) passed a great vacation in Danea’s Villa in Gythion. The owner, Katerina Fragkia, was very helpful, always answering quickly to our inquieries or requests.
The villa has a good ‘feel’ to it, and is perfectly well equiped (kitchen, rooms, veranda, grill etc) and well situated on a hill side a few kms from the center of Gythion. The view from the villa, in spite of a number of electric wires reminding us of the realities of contemporary civilisation, is great, just like the swimming pool with a magnificent view on the bay. Our teens daily passed hours in and around the pool having a lot of fun. As did the parents. The only critical issue is the noisy (guard) dogs kept by a few neighbouring villas, some which managed to enter the compound of the villa during the night and early morning.
To the nearest and very nice beach of Selinitsa, it is only a 12 minutes walk (or a short drive) down the hill on a small road. The beach has a nice shaded terrace and snack bar (the Beach Hive Cafe Bar) offering also beach chairs and umbrellas free of charge. There are many other very beautiful small beaches in the area.
A good number of very good and reasonable priced restaurants can be found in Gythion and its close surroundings, most of them around the port directly on the seafront. A great place to end the day on the beach is with an apero at the Glyfada Restaurant and Beach Bar (up-market) followed by an excellent meal, and enjoy the view of the stranded freighter that rusts away on the beach below.
We also much appreciated the windsurf lessons offered by the Ocean Cafe Surf Club on the Mavrovouni beach, south of Gythion (15 min drive from the villa), which we can recommend for young and less young.
Gythion is an excellent point for discovering this lovely and somehow wild region, inlcuding highlights as the Mani, the Island of Elafonissos or the old city of Monemvassia. We also did most interesting day trips to the historical sites of Mistra, Epidavros and Mykene.
In short, we had a wonderful time in a beautiful place and region.
The Julier and Merkelbach families
