Monemvasia [Day 8]
The next morning, we ventured out from our hotel on foot and followed Victor into a neighborhood grocery store, where he gave us an impromptu shopping lesson. He pointed out the everyday treasures you can buy far more affordably – and authentically – than in any tourist shop: local wines and port, fragrant spices, dried herbs, cheeses, cured meats, honey, pantry staples, salty snacks, and an irresistible array of candies. It was a small but memorable window into daily Greek life, especially seeing the olive oil in gallon sized tins.
Our group then continued walking down to town, hopped a shuttle bus and crossed the causeway. We were ready to take on the massive rock rising straight out of the blue-green Aegean Sea.
Stepping into Monemvasia’s Lower Town feels like slipping through a crack in time. You enter through a single gate, and suddenly the modern world drops away. Cars are gone, the streets tighten, and the rock itself seems to fold around you, holding everything close.
The stone lanes are narrow and gently crooked, encouraging you to slow down, look up, and notice details – arched doorways smoothed by centuries of hands, balconies hovering just overhead, churches tucked into corners where you might stumble upon them by accident.
Lower Town feels surprisingly intimate. Small cobbled squares, cozy cafés, and AirBnB’s with tiny porches spilling over with blossoming flowers all tucked into this miniature-sized town. At the center of it all, stands the Church of Christ in Chains, anchoring the town both physically and spiritually. Around it, the streets ripple outward in no obvious pattern, a reminder that this wasn’t a planned city but one shaped by necessity and danger over time.
Like in my hometown of Bellingham, the sea is never far. You hear it echoing off the walls, catch it flashing blue at the end of an alley. I can only imagine that Monemvasia’s Lower Town lived with one eye on the water – welcoming ships in times of peace, watching the horizon carefully in times of threat.
Monemvasia was by far my favorite spot of the entire Rick Steves trip. (And anyone looking at my photo archives can tell by the sheer amount of photos from this single day – almost double that of any other day!) I almost don’t want to share the photos so that you too, can be overwhelmed with awe and wonder, but that would defeat the purpose of this scrapbook – know the photos just don’t do this place justice. And there is so much more to discover here.
Upper Town
After exploring Monemvasia’s charming and bustling Lower Town with the entire group, our foursome went all in, opting to hike to the very top of the abandoned fortress.
The reward: sweeping sea views and the evocative ruins of the Upper Town, a living museum of Byzantine, Ottoman and Venetian history.
We explored the ruins of Byzantine and Venetian buildings perched high above the sea; cisterns, defensive walls, the Church of Hagia Sophia (13th century) all dramatically set on the cliff edge and the panoramic viewpoints that are said to be some of the best in the Peloponnese.
Reading the guides, the Upper Town was once the administrative and noble quarter of Monemvasia but was abandoned over time. Today, I can attest that it’s mostly atmospheric ruins, wind, and wow-level views – quiet, mystical, and very different vibe from the bustling Lower Town below.
It was work getting to upper town, but the views!!!! We could only imagine what an effective fortress location this was!
The sheer rock island, rising straight out of the sea, the steep cliffs on almost every side, one land entrance, and then this single steep, zigzagging path all enclosed by thick stone walls with limited and narrow entry points.
In medieval warfare terms: this location was MWAH! Chef’s kiss!
We eventually came down as we’d traversed the entire upper area and had a wonderful lunch in town.
Scott and I opted to walked back across the causeway instead of waiting for a shuttle, while Allan and Camilla hitched a ride with a local.
We still had a half day to left to explore before our cooking demonstration and dinner, so Scott and I headed out to the hill behind our hotel to catch a different viewpoint. That morning, Victor had pointed out a flag one could hike to on the very top of the hill behind our hotel. We set out to find the flag! (Can you see the tiny spot at the very top center of the hill? That was our destination!)
We hiked along the trail, caves built into the cliffs all around us. The soil was bright red, filled with lily-like purple flowers and the rocks reminded me of coral, bleached white and porous. While we never did find the flag, we came across (guess?) ANOTHER RUIN!
Cooking Demo
The group reunited for a cooking demonstration and a memorable dinner of exactly what we’d just learned how to make: moussaka, chickpea patties, and tzatziki—finished sweetly with baklavas for dessert.
