HistoryIn 1870 Michalis Katsimantis, a trader, chose one of the two headlands of the
Gerolimenas bay to construct a two-storey house with a defensive tower
and various warehouses. Gerolimenas turned out to be an ideal spot for
the developing trade of inner Mani with the rest of Greece and the
Mediterranean.
The buildings were completed by Theodoros Kyrimis, Katsimantis' nephew, a
trader from the village of Pangia, who later became mayor of Messi. In the years
that followed the business flourished to such an extent that a thriving trading
post grew up - the village of Gerolimenas.
Today, growing out of the rocks, only a few metres from the water, the
buildings seem to be dreaming of their glorious past. As they look out over the
sea, their thoughts turn back to bygone years...
In August 1875 the steam ship which plied the route from Piraeus to Kalamata,
made port for the first time at the southern point of the Peloponnese,
with the sole aim the growth of trade.
It was a historic moment for Mani.
The 'Kyrimai' Hotel is to be found just a few kilometres from the
southernmost point of the Tainaro peninsula, where the Ionian Sea
meets the Aegean.
On the same latitude as southern Sicily and the straits of Gibraltar. A place of
unusual beauty with its own distinctive cultural identity and a unique
architectural style.
The buildings have been restored by the Kyrimis family with particular
care and respect for tradition.
The original materials, mainly stone and wood, have been used throughout and
the whole process of restoration has been carried out in strict accordance
with the architecture and geometry of the buildings.
The result is unique - a complex of stairways, arches and internal courts
situated in a privileged position on the edge of the sea.
