"The escape" to the eastern Peloponnese: Astros and Leonidio

At a time when the bougainvilleas get their brightest purple color, the flowers of the orange and lemon trees exude a wonderful aroma, and the days grow longer than the night, we are heading for the eastern shores of Arcadia. Two villages with unique color, beauty and original history are ideal for a trip by car.

Paralia Astros (Παράλιο Άστρος) is on the western side of the Argolic Gulf, and wherever you look, the natural scenery is magical. The sea surrounds the entire village, and the most beautiful walk is the castle. Don’t be afraid to go uphill. By car, you can drive very close to the entrance to the castle, and visiting the sights is easy to do. The freshly whitewashed temple of Evangelistria with cypress trees at the entrance is the first thing that catches your eye. On the back side of the churchyard, a small gate leads to the very “heart” of the castle.

Today, the ruins of three houses, characteristic examples of the pre-revolutionary architecture of the area, have been preserved. The view from the castle is magical. The entire Argolic Gulf, Kranidi on the opposite shore, the lines of Spetses barely visible in the distance, as well as the green plain of Firea, on which olive trees and vineyards grow, are framed by the blue of the sea.

Mansions of Leonidio

Less than an hour from Astros you will reach Leonidio. Here, the settlement was declared traditional in time, and therefore modern buildings did not have time to damage it. Stone captain’s houses, neoclassical mansions, cobbled streets, spacious squares speak of a rich past, but also of a present filled with aesthetics and beauty.

The village is built under an impressive vertical slope of 250 meters, the famous Kokkinovrahos. This slope is one of the most famous climbing sites Peloponnese and now it is laid more than 1000 routes of varying difficulty. Throughout the city, we met dozens of climbers from Europe, enjoying its beauties and preparing for their antics on the rock.

But even if you are not a fan of climbing, the charm of the village will reward you. Whichever lane you cross, you will see an ornate front door leading to a beautiful mansion. Two-story and three-story houses, built mainly in the 19th century, with paved or pebbly yards, tiled porches, enclosed courtyards tell about an important maritime power and a prosperous world of shipbuilding.

The three most grandiose pre-revolutionary monuments of the Peloponnese are located in Leonidio. The tower of Tsikaliotis built in 1808, the mansion of Politimos of 1816 and the mansion of Katsikoyannis on the northern outskirts of the settlement “keep in themselves” the world of the past.

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