What do mean: Stoupa in the Mani? Where is it? In the Peloponnese? But it’s still Greece, right? Yes, we know Greece very well! How far from Halkidiki is Stoupa then?
Stoupa in the Peloponnese? The Mani? What do you mean by mainland?
Whether I recommend and mention Stoupa as a travel destination or as a perfect investment village for homebuyers in Greece, I am met with question marks. It is actually only once so far that an acquaintance of both of us said: “I can absolutely agree with you!It is a charming though not a beautiful place”.
And it doesn’t just apply to Stoupa. It is enough to write on our webpage: “we only work with the mainland”. “What do you mean by the mainland” is a question that is asked often and by many. And even when I specify: “Stoupa is located in Mani in the Peloponnese” I am met with the same question mark.
Stoupa is not Greece’s prettiest village
Stoupa is not Greece’s prettiest village. Electric cables surround the houses and streets like spider webs. There are no multi-storey luxury hotels here. There are only a few shops here. It takes about 15-20 minutes to walk through the entire village. Cats wander everywhere and join you at the dinner table whether you want it or not.
The local wine is ordered by color and quantity, not by grape or bottle. There are no gourmet chefs working here: the food is traditional and homemade. What you are served here is local, freshly grown and seasonal: if you want melon in January, you have to get it yourself. Menu? Yes, yes, but in the end it is the chef who decides what to cook today!
The beaches in Stoupa are far from the white sandy beaches with palm trees in the background that we all eat everyday on Instagram. Here you are greeted by the rugged, magnificent Taygetos massifs and the occasional forgotten beach chair.
The houses are not in the category that can be described as “the white dream with an Olympic-sized pool”. Here you pass towers and castle-like robust stone houses that are surrounded by proper stone walls.
So why do we like Stoupa?
Elias and I are not Stoupa fans, but we also like Stoupa precisely for all the above. Because it feels real and authentic. Because the village doesn’t try to pretend to be something it’s not. Because the village and people here feel reliable and welcoming. Because we know what to expect when we come to Stoupa. Because, although it feels exciting to explore new things and places, Stoupa feels like coming home. A little untidy, a little “that’s how I am” feeling. But as always there is and waiting for one. And last but not least: the sunset steams! So for all of you who want to experience the magic of sunsets: welcome to Mani and Stoupa!
