Leonidio

Leonidio sits on the east coast of the Peloponnese, on a fertile plain squeezed between the cliffs of Mount Parnon and the Myrtoan Sea. It is roughly 205 km southwest of Athens, about a three-hour drive, and it is the main town of both Tsakonia, the small region where the Tsakonian language is still spoken, and the municipality of South Kynouria.

The Setting

The town stands at the seaward mouth of the Dafnon gorge. The river runs through the middle of it, crossed by three bridges, with green mountainside on one flank and sheer rock on the other. The red limestone wall above the houses rises around 250 m and has made Leonidio one of the best-known sport-climbing areas in Greece, with crags scattered through the surrounding valleys. The stone mansions and tower houses along the lanes, the ruined windmills and the chapels on the slopes above are all protected: the settlement holds traditional status under Greek planning law, which is why so little modern building has crept in.

Tsakonia and the Tsakonian Language

Tsakonian is the only surviving descendant of Doric Greek, the language once spoken around Sparta. Every other living form of Greek comes from the Attic-Ionic branch, which makes the handful of villages around Leonidio a linguistic island as much as a geographical one. The speakers today are few and mostly elderly. Leonidio became the region's de facto capital during the Greek War of Independence, when the Tsakonians were pushed east from Prastos; its Tsakonian name is Agie Lidi, and the local Easter celebrations still follow older customs than those of the surrounding Peloponnese.

The Tsakoniki Melitzana

The best-known product of the plain is the Tsakonian aubergine, the Tsakoniki Melitzana: slender, pale purple, with few seeds, tender flesh and a distinct sweetness. The European Union has registered it as a Protected Designation of Origin product, tying the name to this stretch of coast. Two summer events are built around it: Melijazz in July, which pairs contemporary music and exhibitions with local cooking, and the Giorti Tsakonikis Melitzanas in August, which brings chefs from across Europe down to the port.

Plaka: Leonidio's Port

Plaka lies 4 km from the town at the far end of the gorge, a small fishing harbour with tavernas along the quay and a beach beside it. There are proper berthing facilities, and the mud seabed gives anchors a firm hold. The harbour is protected from the prevailing northerlies, but a swell can work in from the south, and that is the thing to watch when the wind backs. Its holding and its position on the long, thinly harboured eastern flank of the Peloponnese make Plaka a popular stop for gulet charter guests exploring Greece, particularly for crews working south from the Saronic islands towards Monemvasia. The August aubergine festival is centred on the port, so a berth in mid-month puts you in the middle of it.

Beaches and Activities

Plaka beach is sand and pebble, with shallow, clear water that suits families with small children. Sup-surfing and kayaking are run off the shore in season. South along the coast, Poulithra and the coves at Fokianos are quieter, backed by the pine and scrub of Mount Parnon and reached by a road that narrows as it goes.

Climbing has its own calendar. The Leonidio Climbing Festival is held each autumn over a long weekend at the turn of October and November and fills the town with climbers from across Europe. The grades on the local crags run from beginner routes to hard sport lines, and because the rock faces south and the winters are mild, the season here carries on well past the point where most European crags shut down.