Kardamili and Viglia Greece

Don't bother looking for Viglia on a map. It's a tiny hamlet along the south western Peloponnese and is too small a community to even have a grocery store. Streets are unpaved or cobbled, and so narrow you can barely, even while traveling at a "snail's pace", fit a compact car through some of them without biting your lip.

Kardamili lured us to the area, but Anaxo Resort Hotel lured us to Viglia,  7 kilometers further south. But, more about Anaxo after we actually arrive at the resort. We're getting ahead of ourselves.

We had heard that Kardamili was a small town with lovely beaches, and saw a few photos as proof, so added it to our itinerary without a second thought. Always do your homework before traveling. It was so small, we found little else besides the beaches and a massive enclave of modern condos. 

There were also a few shops, some small businesses with no connection to tourism, 2 small grocery stores, more like general stores selling food and beach gear, with more snacks than food, and a bakery that was half full and made better eclairs than baklava.

Fortune smiled upon us as we parked to get our bearings and kicked ourselves for not thinking things  through. We hadn't even been able to find the beach. But, there across this block long, side street we saw Kiki's, a family run restaurant with an abbreviated menu, that did double duty as a place to rent a room.

There were 5 options so we ordered the thing we can seldom find at home, roasted goat with potatoes. Finding a meat not given its last rights with olive oil was a treat. We also ordered a rice and vegetable dish that was filling.

We tried a common enough salad made of cabbage, carrots and lettuce. The crunch factor was reason enough to order this, besides which, it filled our vegetable quota for the day. I should mention that the bread was more flavorful than one could reasonably expect in a small town.

I spent a bit of time talking to the owner about the Greek economy and learned something interesting about building codes. Locals are not allowed to modify their older buildings to modern tastes, but must use the old building materials and keep classic proportions. She wasn't allowed to add a wrap around deck, which I suspected she thought would make her rooms more appealing to renters. Her neighbors had just rebuilt their property with stone and mortar, like the rest of the town, but the stone color was different. It looked new and crisp, yet blended into the surrounding area.

After our late lunch, we proceeded down the coast and thanked the universe for a GSP, because we found Anaxo only by doing exactly what we were told. We even went through the narrowest street in town, any town excepting Venice, to get to it. This photo does not convey the terror of trying to proceed down this street. The mirror was inches short of grazing the wall, and the foundation of the building was further out into the street than the wall. I couldn't help but wonder how the building materials were brought to the site of the hotel, because a normal sized car couldn't get through, let alone a truck. It turned out that, in true GPS style, we were led to the most direct route,  even though there was a larger road leading to the resort. At least there were no roundabouts to confuse the system into taking us in a more scenic direction, although it did take us through a town center we had no interest in seeing.

It was a relief to finally arrive at the hotel and decompress after the drive from Nafplio, besides having had to "run the gauntlet"  through Viglia, holding our breaths while trying not to damage the rental car.

The resort was minimal and modern with only 16 rooms and an infinity pool. There may have been a few multi room suites, but most of the rooms were studios fitted with kitchens and a dining area, in addition to an enclosed deck with an additional table and chairs.

The kitchens were not brimming with equipment, but as I looked through the cupboards, it became clear that it would be possible to cook there. Thankfully there was a supermarket about 3km south called Katerina's that was fully stocked with fresh meats, produce, and most items one would need to make meals.

The grounds were beautifully planted with rosemary, lavender, and olive trees. They attracted so many bees, they should open an apiary and serve their very own honey with yogurt for breakfast. If you like baked goods, pastries, their breakfast will overwhelm you.

After a relaxing evening, we looked around the grounds and discovered that the hotel had a bar so we ordered a Mojito and a "Greek Mojito just for fun. The Greek Mojito was the superior drink made with basil, lemon, soda, and a Greek liqueur made from some part or other of the Mastic tree. It was herb flavored and refreshing.

The next morning we headed towards the coast to find the beaches. The first we found was south of Viglia on a slightly crescent shaped bay.

Then we proceeded to Kardamili where we had to stop for lunch, because the location was so beautiful. Admittedly, this beach was, in reality, a boat ramp, but it was still beautiful with a rocky coastline where the restaurant's busboy attempted to fish for bait.

The restaurant on this little piece of paradise had a local dish that was begging to be tried, not only by us, but the local cats. Stewed rooster is not often seen on a menu, so we ordered it, along with lamb and potatoes, as well as a plate of mussels to share, which turned out to be green lipped mussels, so not a local delicacy, although that was not a problem for the cats.

The next beach was on an expensive bay close to the condo jungle north of Kardamili. It was certainly the reason the town became a popular resort area, although it was a pebble, not a sandy beach.

Being here off season was a plus, because there were very few people around, but there were also few amenities. I had to wonder if stands for food and drink were set up during high season. The hotel near the end of the beach probably provided lounge chairs and umbrellas to its clients, but we didn't venture that far.

All in all, even with a long drive to and from Athens, it was worth seeing.