In the embrace and in the villages of Lykodimos

Worth seeing, worth experiencing

Yannis Laskaris : presentation editor

Where the endless blue of the windless sea gives the baton to the rich flora and the landscape with its great changes and turns directs you to a magical mountainous mass, is exactly the moment when the “touring relay” begins and you have left the well-known Petalidi of Messinia to find yourself in the embrace of Lykodimos and get to know its jewels, its beautiful and picturesque villages.

The first meeting is with the famous Achladochori that touches sea and mountain, has hospitable inhabitants and is suitable for a tour of its chapels and the places where the legend meets the unobstructed view of the Messinian Sea.

The uphill road leads to the charming Mathia which is captivating and breathtaking when you can see the sea and a large part of Messinia from the entrance of the village.

The more you go to the heart of Lykodimos, the more you are enchanted by the flora that surrounds it until you see Lykissa with its few but warm people and its historic and proud church. Right next to it is the well-kept hospitality area of the village association for visitors.

It is now worth walking to GAMVRIA and ANGNADIO, which confirms its name with the view that distinguishes it. Very close is also Kokkino, a mansion village with stone alleys, many well-preserved traditional houses and the legendary Drakotrypa where tradition wants you to visit it to be cured.

The active club has left its mark here too.

Somewhere here we meet the GUARDIANS and GUARDIANS of the LYKODIMOS which is a group of active citizens who voluntarily open paths and beautify the LYKODIMOS and aspire to turn it into a walkers’ paradise.

So through the paths we will be led to the legendary and unconquered by the conquerors ROMYRI, the village that bears the history of the most famous chamiko “STOU PAPALABROS THE GULF”.

Romry

Indeed, here is the famous courtyard mentioned in the song and here the tour is a revelation. The cultural association has intervened redemptively and the architecture of the deserted but full of potential village has been preserved.

The downhill and almost gentle road will lead you to the beautiful Kalochori with its traditional cafes and its benevolent and cordial inhabitants.

Kalochori

From there we will visit the beautiful MAYROLIMNA of POLYLIMNIOU which is not so well known but just as magical as the rest of the complex of POLYLIMNIOU.

MAYROLIMNA

This of course ends part of the initiation ritual into the hidden charms of the Lycodemus as there are others to “admire” and it is understood that the traveller is looking to the future and charting a course. It’s worth living in Lycopodemos, but it’s also worth living it.

* Lykodimo is a mountain in Messinia with an altitude of 959 meters. A rich flora thrives in the heart of the mountain and rare fauna can be found there.