Roadtrip & Photography Excursion Mani

Day1
• 08:00: Departure from Agia Marina metro (Athens)
• 01:30: Arrival in Gythio
Coffee and photo-walk in the port, shopping for light dinner and Saturday breakfast.
• 13:30: Departure for Tainaro (beach)
Food in the tavern, bath anyone who wants.
• 17:30: Departure for lighthouse - walking 2 km.
• 18:55: Sunset
Sunset photography, camp preparation, night photography.

Day 2
• 07:29: Sunrise, photography
• 08:00: Light breakfast and picking up
• 09:00: Departure for Areopolis
Walk in the center for photos
• 13:00: Departure for Kardamili
Photo stands in villages and beautiful places
• 16:00: Accommodation in the hostel, free time

Day 3
• 09:00: Breakfast
• 10:00: Photo-walk in Kardamili
• 13:00: Departure for Kalamata, lunch
• 16:00: Departure for Athens

Early morning we will start from Athens with the distant destination the lighthouse at Cape Tainaro, where we will spend the night. Our first stop will be at the picturesque port of Gythio. We will have time for coffee and a photo tour of the neoclassical buildings and the fishing boats of the port, but also to buy some supplies. Early in the afternoon we will proceed to the interior of Mani, heading towards Kavos Matapas, following the eastern coastline of the middle foot of the Peloponnese. On our way, we will meet the settlements and the beautiful beaches of Prosiliaki Mani, with short stops to photograph the most picturesque landscapes, starting from Skoutari and reaching the photogenic Lagia with its towers.

End of our current journey by car is the small settlement of Kokkinogeia, the southernmost parking lot in mainland Greece! Before loading our equipment and starting our short hike to the lighthouse, we will enjoy a meal with fresh seafood in the village tavern, but also the most courageous, a quick dip in the crystal clear creek.

Cape Tainaro (or Cape Matapas, as sailors commonly call it) is a place of Doric natural beauty and great mythological significance, as our ancestors placed the Gate of Hell there. Originally it was a place of worship of the Sun. Sailors often stopped there to visit the temple of Tainarius Poseidon, of which few ruins survive today.
On the way to the lighthouse we will see and photograph the surviving mosaic from Roman times, but what is most worthwhile is the landscape, the wildness of Mani nature, the open sea and the haughty lighthouse that illuminates the ship route that will we see them pass in the open.

We will reach the courtyard of the lighthouse at a time when the sun will paint the sky with its evening colors, at a time when the lighthouse will begin to send its light to small and large ships that pass through here traveling to distant places. When night falls, and after we organize our camp, we will have all the time in front of us to learn techniques of photographing the night sky, with the central theme of the lighthouse.

At noon we will start the beautiful route to Kardamili. We are accompanied all the way by the sea, the wild shores of Mani, the small traditional stone-built villages but also the isolated towers that emerge among prickly pears and olive trees, reminiscent of the rugged heritage that accompanies this place to this day. The towers, in addition to being defensive structures, were also a symbol of power and an indication of the value of each family that owned them - the strongest patriarchal families in the area could even force the demolition of another, weaker family tower, and well-known vendettas often led in such symbolic collapses. Approaching Kardamili, the landscape changes significantly. The earth is much more fertile here - after all it is said that when God made the Messinian Mani, he threw behind him the stones, which went and landed in the place we know today as Laconic Mani - resulting in a green landscape. Thalames, Lagada and Trachila are the first villages of Messinian Mani that we meet, and we will definitely need several stops to capture the beauty of the landscape. The route continues along the coast until we reach the picturesque Kardamili, where we will spend the night. After settling in our hostel, the afternoon is free for walking and shopping, coffee and food in the beautiful alleys of the village and the picturesque harbor.

On Sunday after our breakfast, we will take a photo-walk to photograph the village from various places, either the traditional buildings up close, or the entire settlement from afar, capturing the Mani landscape with the sweet autumn light of autumn. After check-out, we will start our return to Athens, but not before we pass the beautiful small villages with citrus crops that adorn the west side of Mani, and not before we make a stop for food on the beautiful, cosmopolitan beach. Kalamata. This is where our road trip to Mani ends, and here we will say goodbye before each vehicle takes the road back…

Level of difficulty: easy
The point on the mpa below, indicates the place of activity and NOT the meeting point.
Meeting point is in Athens. (exact meeting time & point will be arranged with your guide)

Throughout the trip we will have the opportunity to try photography techniques and get useful tips from Canon Photographer Babi Giritziotis

For cancellations up to 30 days before the activity, there is the right to a refund of 100% of the money, minus the cost of banking transactions for booking and refund. For cancellations in the period from 30 to 7 days before the activity, there is a right of refund 50% of the participation cost less the cost of banking transactions for booking and refunds.
For cancellations less than 7 days before the date there is no refund, and all the cost of the trip is withheld. The trip will take place only if the minimum number of people is completed. In case the minimum number of participants is not completed, the date will be changed and will be announced in the future.

The organizers reserve the right to modify the program unilaterally.