Mina is the Municipal Compartment of Vytilo with 375 inhabitants (census 2001) that consists of many scattered villages around the center of the compartment, such as the village Mina with 89 inhabitants, Agiadaki with 23, Aghios Jeorgios with 14, Vamvaka with 51, Erimos with 17, Karynia with 36, Kouloumi with 23, Koutrela with 2, Mezapos with 25, Lakkos with 52, Briki with 16, Polemitas with 27 and Mermigianika with no permanent inhabitants. They are all traditional villages with the colors of Mani. The olive groves, the traditional towers, the stone houses, the cypress trees and the prickly pears along with the remnants of the Byzantine monuments take us back to the past. In Mina, Aghios Petros, Aghii Anargyri and Archangel Michael are all Byzantine temples of the 13th Century. In Vamvaka, Aghios Theodoros is of the 11th Century and in Karynia, Aghios Jeorgios is of the 13th Century. Also, Taxiarches and Aghia Triada are of the 12th Century. In Kouloumi, there is Kapetanakos tower with the old canon. In Erimo, Aghia Varvara is of the 12th Century and in Aghios Jeorgios there is Voudigaris tower which is built after the revolution.

These are just some of the impressive sights of the area. We have already written about Mezapos (December 2004, Issue 69).

The maintenance of the traditional architecture, the protection of the environment and the promotion of the historic and cultural character of the area should be the primary concern. Uphill roads and narrow lanes lead to places of calmness and relaxation. On the way, there are many trees that produce olive oil of the best quality, whereas some new constructions appear without disturbing the landscape, though. Traditional architecture and guarded development concerns all of us. The inhabitants are happy people, relaxed and relieved from stress. The colors and sounds of nature exchange and create pictures of which even the best painters would be jealous.

Prickly pears, olive trees, stone hills, mountains, small villages and churches constitute the scenery of Mesa Mani with Taygetus mountain rising up above it. The way there is full of turns, up and down hill roads in  good and bad condition but above all very narrow so that the traveler is in real contact with the cypress trees, the olives trees and the chapels.

The area is slowly transforming according to the demands of the our times to a place of attraction. It is ready to hug the visitor.

Every stone is dream like in the uniqueness of the scenery. The plainness, the nakedness and the hard beauty of the stone are not the ghost of the past. They are witnesses of the history surrounded by the magic of nature.

Ant. Roumaneas