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By Durant Imboden
ABOVE: The Hotel Malvasia is just above the
central part of the old town.
Hotels
The
Hotel
New Malvasia [tel. +30 (0)732 61323] may be the most luxurious hotel in Monemvasia, at least if
you choose one of the larger rooms or apartments. Its name comes from
Malvasia or Napoli di Malvasia, the town's name during the Venetian
era. The
Kellia, located in a converted monastery, and the
Byzantino
[tel. +30 (06732 61 254] are other choices in the old town. Rooms and apartments
in these hotels are located in restored buildings around the village, offering guests the illusion
that they're local residents. The Byzantino also
operates the
Hotel Lazareto by the causeway that connects the port to the old
town.
The
Hotel Pramataris is next to the
beach, about 1 km from Monemvasia's old town. The 18-room
Hotel
Filoxenia is nearby.
Restaurants
To Kanoni
has been featured in The New York Times, Gourmet, and other English-language
publications. The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and
dinner indoors or on sunny terraces.
Other restaurants in the old town include Mariantha's Taverna
(recommended by Fodor's), Matula's Taverna (the town's oldest
restaurant). The Castellano is in the Hotel Lazareto by the causeway, and
you'll find other places to eat or drink along the waterfront of the port
(a.k.a. Gefira or Yefira).
Other businesses
Monemvasia isn't a shopping paradise, but you'll find a number
of tastefully furnished boutiques and souvenir shops in the old town. In one of
the pleasant little shops on the main street, I found the perfect souvenir: an
illustrated book titled Monevmasia: The Town and its History for only six
euros.
If you're looking for a supermarket, head for the port,
where there's a well-equipped grocery just beyond the tavernas and shops on the
waterfront.
For gasoline, try the port or the
service station along the causeway.
Next page:
Transportation
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