“Tainaron Blue Retreat”: have you ever stayed in a tower?

An ideal destination for summer road trips in the Peloponnese, the area of Mani offers for some months now a new and quite distinctive accommodation option, as a ruined tower house was turned into the boutique guesthouse “Tainaron Blue Retreat” (2733300461,  http://tainaron-blue.com). Its construction in the 19th century served defense purposes since the site affords uninterrupted views of both the sea and the mainland. Thanks to the careful restoration by the couple of owners, the four-storey stone building now has three rooms that provide all modern conveniences, at the same time keeping its charm intact. With the guesthouse as your starting point, you can visit the nearby picturesque villages of Vatheia and Areopolis, the important cave of Diros and also other Byzantine sights that make Mani a unique destination. If you love to swim, the sandy beaches of Marmari and Kainourgia Ammos are within easy reach while, along the route from Limeni to Kotronas, you’ll find pebbly coves.