Gythio by Matt Barrett, Gytheio, Greece (B)

One of my favorite places in Greece is Gythio in the southern Peloponessos. It is a port town with lots of good fish restaurants, some great ouzeries and is within driving distance of the Mani, Mystras, and much of the south-eastern coast of the Peloponessos. It also has some amazing old buildings built in the last two centuries. Gythio (or Gythion) is a pleasure to wander through with the neo-classical houses, shops and spectacular old apartment buildings, hugging the side of Mount Koumaros all the way down to the sea. It makes you feel like you are in the type of Greek port that disappeared with the introduction of mass tourism into the country. Gythion to its credit is still Greek. But don't get the impression that this is a coastal tourist resort whose citizens are out each day making the city spic and span for the bus loads of visitors. This is a working class town with a crumbling infrastructure and unemployment, a fading once-important port with derelict buildings and an uncertain future. It's the kind of place I like but that does not mean you will, particularly if you are expecting something like Kardamili or Stoupa. It is an authentic semi-urban Greek port town with both positive and negative aspects. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).