Kardamyli is a place with an over 3.000 years old history. It retains its name and location since the Archaic ages. It is the Archaic Kardamyli, of the free spirited Laconians, of the Byzantines  and of the war Lords of Mani.

It was a free place during the Turkish occupation, where the Rebells used to assemble, and the “Society of Friends” had appointed as a base of operations. It was this place that Kolokotronis and the rest of the war Lords began the Revolution.

As it is mentioned by Stravon, it was built on a steep rock and was considred as one of the most fortified places. The name Kardamyli is mentioned for the first time in Homer’s ages in Iliada as one of the first “Seven well ruled and well inhabited cities”.

According to Pausanias it is one of the seven cities that Agamemnon had promised as bowery to Achilles if he got married to one of his daughters, which is also mentioned by Herodotus and Stravon.

Pausanias says that the Nereid nymphs came ashore Salio beach to admire Achilles’s son, Pyrros or Neoptolemus on his way to Sparta to marry Hermione daughter of Menelaus and the beautiful Helen.

Access

Kardamyli is a coastal village located at the Messinian Mani 35 km. south of Kalamata. You can reach Kardamyli in two different ways, either by crossing the Messinia Prefecture via the capital, that is Kalamata continuing the coastal road, or through Laconia Prefecture taking the coastal road that crosses Gytheio and Areopolis. The via Kalamata road is shorter by approximately 40 minutes. Arriving at Kardamyli, on the main road you pass by the Town Hall, then by turning left the uphill road, Polismata is located after 350 metres.