3-day Photographic Road Trip in Mani on 14th May

Our three-day photographic road trip with Canon Photographer Babis Giritziotis is dedicated to Mani - the green and fertile Messinian, and the wildest Laconian.

Early on Friday 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 towering towers.

End of our current route 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 Kavo-Matapas, as sailors usually 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 shipping 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.

Saturday will start with a photoshoot at sunrise, with hot coffee and a quick breakfast. Today we will leave Tainaro behind us, gathering our equipment and returning to the cars to move to Areopolis. The capital of Mesa Mani is about 50 minutes away from the parking lot and is one of the most touristic villages in the area, however in October we will have all the comfort to explore it in peace. It is a well-preserved settlement with stone alleys and tower houses. The center of the village is the large square with the statue of Petrobei Mavromichalis, while we will have time to photograph the traditional architecture (the towers of Stylianos Mavromichalis, Kyriakoulis Mavromichalis, Barelakos and Pikoulakis stand out).

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 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, and the famous vendetta 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 checking out, we will start our return before 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 of Kalamata. This is where our road trip to Mani ends, and here we will say goodbye before each vehicle takes the road back…

PROGRAM

Friday 14 May

• 08:00: Departure from Agia Marina metro (Athens)
• 11:30: 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 - hiking 2 km.
• 18:55: Sunset
• Sunset photography, camp preparation, night photography.

Saturday 15 May

• 07:29: Sunrise, photoshoot
• 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: Arrangement in the hostel, free time

Sunday 16 May

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

Roadtrip cost: 260 € / person (VAT included)