Getting from Mykonos to Monemvasia

Monemvasia is one of those places that rewards the effort it takes to get there. A medieval fortress town built entirely on a massive rock connected to the Laconian coast by a single causeway, it is often called the Gibraltar of Greece. The lower town inside the walls is car-free, filled with Byzantine churches, stone mansions and narrow lanes that have barely changed in centuries. The upper town is largely ruined but the views from up there across the Laconian Sea are extraordinary. It is one of the most atmospheric places in all of Greece and almost entirely unknown by comparison with the islands, which is a large part of its appeal.

Take the ferry

There is no ferry connection to Monemvasia. It sits on the southeastern coast of the Peloponnese and is accessible only by road. Getting there from Mykonos means taking the ferry to Piraeus and then driving south through the Peloponnese, which takes around 4 hours from Athens via Corinth, Tripoli and Sparta.

What about flying?

Monemvasia has no airport. The nearest airport is Athens, around 300 kilometres to the north. The nearest regional airport is Kalamata, around 130 kilometres to the west, which has domestic flights from Athens. Flying from Mykonos to Kalamata via Athens and then driving east to Monemvasia is an option, though the drive from Kalamata takes around 2 hours through the mountains of Laconia.

Your best option

Fly to Athens and drive to Monemvasia. It is a long but beautiful drive through the heart of the Peloponnese and the landscape changes dramatically as you head south through Arcadia and into Laconia. Rent a car in Athens and give yourself at least two nights inside the walls. Monemvasia is not somewhere you visit for an afternoon and the town reveals itself slowly once the day visitors leave in the evening.