Platanos at the eastern foot of Taygetos

Platanos between the plain and Taygetos

Platanos can be discovered through its landscape and two specific landmarks: the green settlement on the plain at the eastern foot of Taygetos, and the churches of Agios Georgios and Agios Dimitrios. There is also a route to Gytheio, described by the Municipality of East Mani, that passes through Platanos.

A settlement at the foot of the mountains

Platanos lies at an altitude of 70 metres on a plain at the foot of the eastern side of Taygetos. The plain and the mountain foothills describe two aspects of the same location: the settlement is in a flat landscape and also at the eastern foot of the mountain range. Platanos is also characterised as a green settlement by its vegetation. The elevation adds to this spatial picture. If you compare places by their landscapes, you can relate Platanos to both the plain and Taygetos.

Churches and views

The Byzantine church of Agios Dimitrios stands in an olive grove. A second perspective is offered by the central church of Agios Georgios: from there, you can see the settlement’s houses on the plain; in the distance, the dome of Agios Dimitrios can be seen among the olive trees. The two churches thus play different roles in the description of the place. Agios Georgios is the vantage point for looking out over the settlement and plain; Agios Dimitrios stands in the grove and also appears as a distant dome.

The view can be read as a near and distant perspective: the houses lie within the field of view, while the dome provides a single landmark in the landscape. For travellers interested in Byzantine architecture, this description connects the building with its surroundings of olive trees and the settlement. Agios Dimitrios is therefore not only a church in the grove within the townscape, but is also visible in relation to the plain from Agios Georgios.

The route to Gytheio described

A route to Gytheio described by the Municipality of East Mani in 2011 passes through Achoumata, Platanos and Agios Vasileios. In this order, Platanos lies between Achoumata and Agios Vasileios, with Gytheio as the destination. If you plan to follow the described route, check current route conditions before setting out.

Distinguishing the townscape from the route

When deciding on your trip, it is helpful to consider the townscape and the route separately. The landscape and churches describe Platanos itself; the route places the settlement on a connection to Gytheio. If your main interest is the place itself, the plain, Taygetos and the view between the two churches are the specific points of reference. If you plan to include the route in your itinerary, you should also check current route conditions. This helps distinguish two different questions: What characterises Platanos, and what is the settlement’s place on the described route?

Discover more destinations: Neapoli Vion, Kokkala, Pyrgos Dirou, Pikoulianika, Gytheio, Koita, Elika, Monemvasia

Back to the regional travel overview: Laconia.