The road between Sparta in Laconia and Kalamata in Messinia that cuts through The Taygetos Mountains is a wonderful drive. The views are stupendous and you may well feel the urge to stop on numerous occasions to take photos. it’s a ‘proper’ road, not a track and a safe, albeit a very bendy drive. I would urge anyone to take this route as opposed to the toll motorway if you have the time. For the more adventurous, if you fancy another route through the Taygetos Mountains you should try going Over the top!
It’s a great place to have a picnic and there are one or two picnic areas with superb views. There are some isolated villages off the main road with tavernas if you have forgotten your picnic basket.
The pass is worth doing in both directions as it looks so different depending on which way you are travelling.
Detours
On a previous drive along the Langada Pass heading east to Sparta, we allowed time to take a detour through the small villages of Nedousa and Algonia before rejoining the main pass. We saw no other traffic, the road was a bit rough at times but the views it offered were really special.
On another drive we took another detour, this time taking a small turning that led us slowly to the villages of Nadas and Karveli before rejoining the main road.
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