Stoupa has a little bit more to offer other than wonderful beaches and great places for eating and drinking.
Aghia Triada Church
This large modern church in the south of Stoupa barely gets a mention in the guide books, or anywhere, possibly as it is rather plain on the inside. However, it’s an impressively large structure that dominates the skyline and can be seen for miles around. There is another small church next to this one as well as a memorial in the adjacent square.
The Castle
Lefktro Castle or Beaufort Castle or just simply The Kastro is at the southern end of Stoupa on top of the small hill that looms over the town.
The 13th century castle itself is not immediately obvious as most of the structures have not withstood the test of time too well. It is a bit of a scramble to get there and a sign does remind you that you are entering the castle at your own risk. It’s worth the scramble up to the top though as the castle walls are quite impressive, the cistern less so but the views of Stoupa are great.
Zorba related stuff.
Nikos Kazantzakis, author of Zorba the Greek, lived for a year by Kalogria and based his book on the foreman he met when when working at a Lignite Mine just outside Stoupa. Lignite is a poor relation to coal so it is not surprising that this venture failed.
You can visit the site of the mine but there is not much to see, just some holes in the ground, pools of water and a sign. It’s worth a quick butchers though. If you do have the urge to have a look, the mine is just north of Stoupa and there is a signpost to it from the main road which is easy to miss. It’s also easy to miss the mine.
Giorgios Zorbas lived at the north end of Kalogria Beach for a year in 1917 in a small rented house right by the freezing cold freshwater plungepool known locally as Pritzipas which he used to enjoy at his own convienience. You will find it in the rocky bit near Pritzipas Taverna. If you are very brave try and sit submerged under the water for a few seconds!
Craft Bazaar
In the summer on most fridays [sometimes also on a saturday] mornings there is often a small craft market held on the terrace at Pefko. There are interesting items on sale and everyone is very friendly.
Festivals
Many villages in the Peloponnese hold a festival to celebrate a religious day each year and Stoupa is no exception. I managed to catch the festival of Agias Triadas in 2024 which was held that year on the 22nd June at the southern tip [Halikoura beach area] of Stoupa. There was live Greek music, lots of dancing, food and drink and it was great fun.
The Kardamyli Jazz Festival is held in May and lasts just over a week and often has concerts spilling over into the bars and restaurants of Stoupa. Most of the concerts are free. The Mani Lit Festival occurs over a couple of nights in October.
The Mani Sonnenlink Festival is held on certain days in the warmer months and is just up the road in the mountains near Pyrgos. It’s a lovely outdoor setting in a small amphitheatre and I have seen several performances there now.
The Coastal Path to Ag Nik.
At the southern end of Stoupa you can take a pleasant walk along a coastal path to the small village of Agios Nikolaos. It takes about an hour. You can walk to Ag Nik, have lunch followed by a dip at Gnospi and then head back to Stoupa, but remember to take water with you in the summer.
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