Gytheio - The Sea Port of Sparta

The Greek town of Gytheio, often called the sea port of Sparta, is located towards the north western area of the Gulf of Laconia, in the Peloponnese. This is an ancient town which offers a variety of interesting spots to meet as well as many unique constructions and buildings dating from past époques.

Due to its age, the city of Gythia has gone through a great amount of interesting and critical historical events. One of the first most critical events this city went through dates from the year 455 BC, when the admiral Tolmides burnt most of it during the Peloponnesian War.

Another important moment in the history of Gythio was when the city became founder of the union of 24 towns. This union was known as the Eleutherolaconian towns, and consisted on a group of communities who united their forces in order to fight again Sparta and keep their autonomy.

There are clear descriptions on how the town was and how it looked like during the rign of Marcus Aurelius. These descriptions explain about the Acropolis, the Agora, and the island of Crane, the precinct of Aphrodite Migonitis, the hill Larysium or Komaro, among other spots; and it is recommendable that tourists learn about them in order to have as much information as possible at the time of visiting the town.

The Island of Crane, also known as Island Marathonisi is located near Gythio and has played an important role in its past. This island was the place chosen by Paris to marry Helen of Troy. This fact causes the island to have a special charm and tourists could learn more about this event while visiting it.

According to its modern history, one of the latest most important events that happened in Gythio was the opening of a port. This port started functioning around the year 1960 in what is known as the Sean of the Diocese of Gytheion and Oitylo. This has had an important impact on the town, and is one of the most interesting spots tourists can visit while being in .