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Contents
1. Introduction
Monemvasia is a spectacular fortified island town. At its peak it had a population of 60,000 people. It was founded by the Byzantines in the 6th century and it remained in their possession for almost 700 years.
Monemvasia fell to the Ottomans in 1540 and was under their control for almost 300 years, except for a brief 25 year period of Venetian rule. In 1821 the fortress fell to the Greeks in the War of Independence and the Turks were massacred.
The fortress town of Monemvasia is definitely worth a visit. The Lower Town is well preserved. The Upper Town has the 12th century Church of Hagia Sophia, ruins and fantastic views.
A half day is needed to see both the Lower and Upper Towns. You can easily spend a whole day there as there are beaches at new Monemvasia and there is a hike around the island.
There are no entrance fees for visiting Monemvasia's Lower and Upper Towns.
2. Parking in Monemvasia
Monemvasia's entire lower town is pedestranised. You can park on the road between the causeway and the ancient gate into the lower town. It can be difficult to find a parking place.
Alternatively you can park in the new town and walk across the causeway. From there it is a 20 minute walk to the old town.
3. What to See in Monemvasia's Lower Town
Monemvasia's Lower Town once had forty churches and over 800 houses. Only a few of the churches remain but there are still a lot of buildings and an intricate network of alleys.
The western fortified entrance gate is narrow and Z shaped for defence purposes. When we arrived we weren't even sure there was a way through!
There is a single main street leading from the gate to the main square. It is lined with cafes, restaurants and souvenir shops.
The main square is a beautiful public area with a Byzantine church, a museum housed in a 16th century church and a cannon in the centre. There are places to sit at the far end to enjoy the square and views of the Upper Town.
You can walk through Monemvasia to the eastern gate. If you walk through the gate and continue eastwards you will reach the lighthouse. See the section on hikes.
From the eastern gates you can follow the southern wall back to the centre of Monemvasia's Lower Town. You can walk along the top of the wall in places.
We spent an hour wandering around Monemvasia's Lower Town.
4. What to See in Monemvasia's Upper Town
Monemvasia's Upper Town was the home of the Monemvasia aristocracy. During the 17th century A.D. there were more than 500 mansions. Very little remains today except stone ruins and the Church of Hagia Sophia.
It is a 10 to 15 minute steep walk to the Upper Town. There are good views of the Lower Town on the way up. Halfway up is an impressive tunnel and entrance gate.
The church of Hagia Sophia was built in the 12th century A.D. and has been recently restored. It is the most important building in Monemvasia. It is reported to only be open at weekends but we went on a Friday and it was open.
The Citadel is at the very top, which is about 300 metres above sea level. The ruins aren't that impressive but it is worth going for the views.
We spent just under 2 hours seeing Monemvasia's Upper Town, including the walk up.
5. A Hike around Monemvasia
You can hike around the island of Monemvasia. The full circuit is around 4 kilometres and would take about an hour. The route is described on the Alltrails website, although this route also includes a walk up to the Upper Town.
Other options would be to:
Walk along the south side of the island from the east gate of lower Monemvasia to the lighthouse and return the same way. This would probably take half an hour.
Walk along the northern shore from the causeway to the lighthouse and return the same way. This route is described on the Alltrails website.
6. Accommodation in Monemvasia
Accommodation in Monemvasia's Old Town is expensive. We booked a small apartment in Monemvasia's new town which is on the other side of the causeway. It was a 20 minute walk to the Old Town.
We booked through Booking.com and paid Eur 53 per night. My review of this apartment is on the blog "UK to Greek Islands Accommodation - Part 1" (number 15).
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