Monemvasia “Gibraltar of the East” is a small island connected to the mainland by a causeway. At this point one wonders why so much interest, but the real jewel is still hidden. You will enter into an idyllic village reachable only on foot after going through the only entrance that still retains its original doors (Monemvasia means single entrance).
Stairs and cobbled alleys divide into a network of Byzantine houses remains. Shops, restaurants and churches, bougainvillea and oleanders pop up in every corner.
The upper town is home to the splendid mansions where the Venetian aristocracy lived. The panoramic view of the entire area and the church of Agia Sofia, half Byzantine and half Venetian, perches on a cliff overlooking the sea. The view is just breathtaking.
