To the southeast, in Laconia, lies Inner or Deep Mani, with an austere and wild beauty, a land of rocks and cacti, family feuds and towers with special ledges from which to pour boiling water onto unwelcome visitors.
Made popular through the English-speaking world by the late author, war hero and long-term resident of the area Patrick Leigh Fermor, the Mani has a proud history of rebellion and autonomy, but also an enchanting array of attractions, ranging from the underwater Caves of Diros to the mystical heights of Mount Taygetos, from the forest of Vassiliki with its 300-year-old pines and the jaw-dropping Vyros Gorge slicing through their midst, down to the postcard-perfect old town of Kardamyli, the age-old stone ‘skyscrapers’ of Vatheia, and the idyllic coves and sandy stretches that line the coast.