Prastos, the old historical capital of Tsakonia has been built amphitheatrically on the hillside of Parnon. It is a beautiful and picturesque village and enchants the visitor with its traditional houses, tower houses and churches. In addition, it has also been declared a traditional settlement.
We’ll remain in the village of Prastos for a while in order to explore the picturesque streets of the historic settlement and then we’ll take the trail that will lead us to the quaint little village of Kastanitsa. Thereon, we’ll head west on the downhill to the Mazia River only to enjoy the waters and beautiful nature.
In this region there exist half-ruined watermills and chapels. We’ll continue uphill through a shady path full of firs, cedars, plane trees and dense vegetation. Afterwards we’ll meet the chestnut tree, which marks the end of the route and is a sign that we’ve reached the scenic village of Kastanitsa, and specifically the region of Ai Giorgi, one kilometer above the village.
We’ll spend our afternoon in Kastanitsa, which is one of the most important old communities in the area, and considered to be one of the most beautiful listed settlements in the Peloponnese. Hence, worth walking through the whitewashed paved streets amongst the traditional stone-built- two-storey houses with bright colored windows, flower-covered courtyards, lime roofs and slate slabs, several of which (three-story tower houses) happen to be over 300 years old.
Degree of Difficulty A
Driving hours 2 hours
Route length
