Stoupa () is a village on the coast of the southern

Peloponnese The Peloponnese (), Peloponnesus (; el, Πελοπόννησος, Pelopónnēsos,(), or Morea is a peninsula and geographic region in southern Greece. It is connected to the central part of the country by the Isthmus of Corinth land bridge whi ...

peninsula in

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wit ...

. It is part of the community of Neochori within the municipal unit of West Mani, in

Messenia Messenia or Messinia ( ; el, Μεσσηνία ) is a regional unit (''perifereiaki enotita'') in the southwestern part of the Peloponnese region, in Greece. Until the implementation of the Kallikratis plan on 1 January 2011, Messenia was a ...

and the historic region of

Mani Peninsula The Mani Peninsula ( el, Μάνη, Mánē), also long known by its medieval name Maina or Maïna (Μαΐνη), is a geographical and cultural region in Southern Greece that is home to the Maniots (Mανιάτες, ''Maniátes'' in Greek), who cl ...

. Once a sleepy little town, in the past few years more and more tourists have discovered Stoupa. There are about 20 restaurants lining the road along the beach, a few small hotels, and many rental houses. Besides Greek tourists, who come mostly in August, British and German, as well as Dutch, French and Italian tourists visit in the summer season.

Geography

Stoupa is located in an area of Greece called Outer Mani. Approximately from Stoupa is the village of Agios Nikolaos (also known as ''Selinitsa'' meaning small moon), a working fishing village which also has a number of restaurants and guest houses but which attracts fewer tourists than Stoupa. Above Agios Nikolaos is the lovely small village called Riglia. Other places in the Mani region include Itylo (),

Limeni Areopoli ( el, Αρεόπολη; before 1912 , ) is a town on the Mani Peninsula, Laconia, Greece. The word ''Areopoli'', which means "city of Ares", the ancient Greek god of war, became the official name in 1912. It was the seat of Oitylo ...

() and

Areopoli Areopoli ( el, Αρεόπολη; before 1912 , ) is a town on the Mani Peninsula, Laconia, Greece. The word ''Areopoli'', which means "city of Ares", the ancient Greek god of war, became the official name in 1912. It was the seat of Oitylo muni ...

(). Below Areopoli are the caves of Pirgos Dirou. There are many beaches and coves around the area including Stoupa Beach, which is the most popular and has a good beginner's snorkeling site at the end of the beach. Over the hill is Kalogria Beach, with its turquoise waters and rich marine life, volleyball net, and a handful of bars and restaurants. One of the features of Kalogria beach is the upswelling of an underground freshwater spring about out from the shore. It can be seen as a disturbance on the surface of the sea.

History

In the past, the Mani area was known for its fierce inhabitants, who lived in isolated fortified towers (some of which are still present today, either in ruins or having been restored). The towers offered protection in an area where feuding was commonplace. Stoupa also has rich cultural history. It is where the Greek writer

Nikos Kazantzakis Nikos Kazantzakis ( el, ; 2 March ( OS 18 February) 188326 October 1957) was a Greek writer. Widely considered a giant of modern Greek literature, he was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in nine different years. Kazantzakis's no ...

travelled to with

George Zorbas Georgios Zorbas ( el, Γεώργιoς Ζορμπάς; 1865 September 16, 1941) was a Greek miner upon whom Nikos Kazantzakis based Alexis Zorbas, the protagonist of his 1946 novel ''Zorba the Greek (novel), Zorba the Greek''. Biography Georgios ...

who Kazantzakis employed as the foreman of his lignite mine, the entrance to which can still be seen in a hillside nearby. It is their time together in Stoupa that the novel ''

Zorba the Greek ''Zorba the Greek'' ( el, Βίος και Πολιτεία του Αλέξη Ζορμπά, , Life and Times of Alexis Zorbas) is a novel written by the Cretan author Nikos Kazantzakis, first published in 1946. It is the tale of a young Greek i ...

'' is based upon, written after hearing news of Zorba's death. There is a bust of

on the cliff overlooking Kalogria beach, at the corner of the main road and the beach approach. Stoupa is just 7 km away from the historic area of

Kardamyli Kardamili ( el, Καρδαμύλη, variously transliterated as ''Kardamyle'', ''Cardamyle'', ''Kardhamili'', and ''Kardamyli'', and sometimes called "Skardamoula", especially on old maps) is a town by the sea thirty-five kilometers southeast of ...

, which is mentioned in work by

Homer Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the '' Iliad'' and the '' Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of ...

Transport

There are approximately four buses a day which call through Stoupa, running from Kalamata to the southern tip of the peninsula. The bus stops by the bakery, on the main road at the top of Stoupa and takes around ten minutes to reach Agios Nikolaos. Visitors can book coach trips to the ancient ruins of Olympia and the Corinth Canal. Another possibility is car rental, which allows travellers to take in the sights of places such as Nafplio, Mycenae, Epidavros, and Monemvasia on the Peloponnese. The area is serviced by

Kalamata Airport Kalamata International Airport ( el, Κρατικός Αερολιμένας Καλαμάτας) "Captain Vassilis Constantakopoulos" is an airport in the city of Kalamata, Greece. It mainly receives flights during the summer. In March 2013, A ...

where charter flights to the rest of Europe are operated in the summer season, as well as scheduled summer flights to Germany, Sweden, Norway, France, Ukraine and Russia operated by

Aegean Airlines Aegean Airlines S.A. ( el, Αερογραμμές Αιγαίου Ανώνυμη Εταιρεία ''Aeroporía Aigaíou Anónimi Etairía'', ) is the flag carrier airline of Greece and the largest Greek airline by total number of passengers carri ...

References

External links

WebcamStoupa Tourist GuideOfficial Website
{{West Mani div Populated places in Messenia