The Local Area

Local Area

Getting Around
Private car hire
Car hire is recommended to explore the many secluded beaches and coves along the coast, inland villages, places of historic and archaeological interest and nearby market towns. You can hire a car from Athens or locally, once you have reached the villa using alternative transportation. Car hire from Athens: We can arrange for you to be met by a car hire company representative with your car at the airport. Please contact us for more information on this option. Local care hire: We can also recommend a local car hire company. Please contact us for more information.

Public transport
There is a bus from the village twice a day. Alternatively, you can contact the local taxi company to get around. While the nearest beaches, towns and villages can be a mere 3 to 10 minute drive away, the fact that Villa Miranda is situated in a mountain village makes walking to the beach a challenging experience, especially during the summer months! Car hire is highly recommended to make the most of your stay.

Day trips to nearby islands
A hydrofoil service goes from Leonidio to Athens and Nafplion. It also calls at the islands of Spetsae and Hydra should you wish to make a trip to the islands. Timetabling and availability of this service varies each year so please contact us for further information.

The Area
Melana
Melana is a peaceful rural village set on Arcadian hillside overlooking the sea. The whole area for many miles around is extremely beautiful. Rugged mountains covered with olive groves, cypress and eucalyptus trees slope down to clear sparkling sea and clean and deserted beaches. Lively nightlife can be found in neighbouring towns as well as numerous tavernas where you can enjoy a drink or a meal.

Peloponnese
The Peloponnese region gracefully combines the sea and a mountainous landscape. The olive groves, wild herbs and flowers make walking along the numerous tracks with their panoramic views an exhilarating experience. The beautiful little towns of Leonidion and Tyros (pictured to the left) have a variety of shops, tavernas and night clubs. Tyros is set on the sea front with numerous tavernas overlooking a beautiful natural harbour where many picturesque boats are moored. It provides excellent swimming and food shopping. Leonidion is a short distance from Melana by car. Linked to it is the harbour of Plaka with its popular, but not crowded, beach and harbour side restaurants. Reasonably priced taxis link these two towns with Melana. Between Tyros and Leonidion are several beautiful beaches, a number of which are often entirely deserted and only sparsely populated during peak summer months.
Melana's Kisakas beach at peak season, 2006.
A little further afield the area offers a wealth of ancient and historic points of interest including: Mycenae:- the citadel and ruins of the palace of King Agamemnon, who led the Greek forces in the Trojan war. Epidaurus:- the marvellously preserved 2400 year old classical Greek theatre (pictured right).
	Sparta:- the legendary city of ancient Greece. Mistras:- the medieval Frankish city with its beautiful architecture. Monemvasia: walled town now linked to the mainland via a narrow promontory. Navplion: the ancient capital of Greece, with its maze of narrow streets, open air cafés and colourful shops (pictured left).