20.10.2026
It was back in December 1933 when the 18-year-old Patrick Leigh Fermor set out to walk across Europe, from the Netherlands to Constantinople. Literally, he travelled mostly on foot, and sometimes with a horse, carrying with him a little more than a rucksack.
During his travels, he would sleep in barns and shepherds' huts. Also, every now and then, he would spend the night in the country houses of local aristocrats; a journey that would last about 13 months, during which he filled many notebooks.
As time passed, these memories turned into a trilogy, as he wrote the first two books: "A Time of Gifts" (1977) and "Between the Woods and the Water" (1986), in his house in Mani. The third one, "The Broken Road: From the Iron Gates to Mount Athos," was published in 2013, two years after his death.
If you take a look at the map of Greece, in the south of the Peloponnese, there are three rocky peninsulas that reach into the Mediterranean Sea. The middle one, and the most remote one, is Mani. In the '60s, when Fermor was about fifty years old, he settled in Mani with his partner, Joan Eyres Monsell, a photographer from a noble family. The couple designed a house with their friend and architect, Nikos Hadjimichalis, in the Kalamitsi area of Kardamyli, approximately 35 kilometres from the regional capital of Kalamata.
The construction of their house started in 1964 and was completed in 1967. During that period, Patrick and Joan used to stay for short periods in a tent next to the construction site, so that they could keep an eye on the progress. Local workers dynamited stone out of the hillside and cut it into blocks on the spot, while pack animals carried it down to the site. After the foundation stone was laid, according to an old local tradition of Mani, blood sacrifice was to be made. So, the master builder brought a rooster, and a priest blessed the site with holy water.
Well, you don't read such stories every day.
In 1996, Patrick and Joan signed a deed, donating their house to the Benaki Museum, as they wanted scholars and artists to work there in an inspiring setting. Additionally, it was their wish for the house to stay open to the public. Following their deaths (Joan passed away in 2003 and Patrick in 2011), the museum took ownership of their property.
With funding from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), the museum restored the house and reopened it in 2019. At that time, the garden was replanted, and the wild myrtle, juniper, and marjoram that always gave the place a unique scent were kept. Today, the house serves as an educational centre and a place for cultural events, while it also hosts researchers and artists, in collaboration with Greek and international institutions.
The heart of the house is the library, and books fill its rooms.
This house is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful properties in Greece. More specifically, the property is made up of four stone buildings, set in a Mediterranean garden above the sea. Guests can stay in three of them. The largest is the Main House, which has three suites. The other two are smaller: the Traditional House and the Guest House.
The house of Patrick and Joan is open to the public for guided visits by appointment, and the Benaki Museum looks after the house and its contents. What is more, under the 1996 donation, the museum has the right to rent the house out and, therefore, since 2020, Aria Hotels has run guest stays during the summer season.
28.09.2026
Two important changes were recently announced at the Hellenic Cadastre, which that property owners in Greece should be aware of. The first one involves properties that are listed as “owner unknown” and claimed through adverse possession. And the second one is about properties that have been registered with the wrong area, boundaries, shape, and/or location (also known as “διόρθωση γεωμετρικών στοιχείων”).
24.09.2026
Getting to Greece is becoming even easier, with Transavia expanding its connections from Belgium and France, with new routes to Crete and Thessaloniki and more options for travelling outside the traditional summer season.
08.09.2026
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has announced series of housing measures affecting property buyers and owners at the Thessaloniki International Fair.
05.09.2026
Greece is entering a new era of property and inheritance regulation. For the first time in over 80 years, the government is preparing a comprehensive reform of the Inheritance Law, designed to simplify procedures, ensure fairness, and modernise how estates are managed.
07.08.2026
Greece is taking an important step in environmental protection, becoming the first country in the world to deploy a national satellite system for wildfire detection and monitoring. First launched in May and expected to become fully operational in September 2026, the new Hellenic Fire System brings advanced space technology to Greece's efforts against wildfires.
06.08.2026
If you own a home in the Peloponnese or have been quietly thinking about buying one, there is some news you should be aware of: At the end of June, a 40-year concession for Kalamata International Airport "Kapetan Vasilis Konstantakopoulos" was signed by a consortium led by Fraport, together with the Kopelouzos Group's Delta Airport Investments and the Konstantakopoulos Group's PILEAS. According to the National Development Fund, which retains a 10% stake in the new company, the initial concession payment is 45 million euros, and the planned investment programme is expected to exceed 125 million euros over time.
In short: Kalamata's airport is set to roughly double its traffic by 2030, with a new terminal three times the size of the current one. For anyone with a house in the region, or an eye on one, that matters.
03.08.2026
A new regulation regarding the calculation of ENFIA (Eniaios Phoros Idioktisias Akiniton/annual property tax) was announced by the Greek Ministry of National Economy and Finance. The purpose of this regulation appears to be to address cases where property owners were previously taxed on more square meters than their property actually has. The new regulation, which is expected to take effect in the 2027 tax year, introduces the Electronic Building ID as a key factor in determining taxable floor area.
28.07.2026
As UNESCO recently announced, Mount Olympus – also known as the Home of Ancient Greek Gods, or Greece’s highest mountain – has been added to the list of World Heritage Sites. Of course, Greece welcomed the news with a wave of euphoria, as Mount Olympus is widely recognized for its cultural and natural significance.
