PLATANOS (LIBERDO)

Local compartment of Gythion Municipality it consists of the villages Platanos and Psathakia. It is built on the lowland and it covers an area of 7.500.000m2. The 4.600.000m2 are cultivated, whereas the rest is mainly pastoral land. The population has had ups and downs. In 1940, there were 370 residents, in 1951, 337, in 1961, 323, in 1971, 202, in 1961, 216, in 1991, 208 and in 2001, 194.

The village is built on a glade. The temple of Agios Dimitrios, which is the religious monument of the area, is of Byzantine rhythm. It is built with stones, whereas inside there are still some frescos. It is built in the place of Poseidon’s temple. Looking around the village, there are some contradictions. There are some houses, which are samples of traditional architecture and less modern. The narrow lanes on the two sides of the central road are particular, but they should be maintained. However, contradictions create a dynamic atmosphere, which becomes recognisable and friendly and becomes, after all, an advantage. The charm that comes out of the beautiful ugliness. It is the charm of the ugliness whish is authentic caused by uncontrolled building activity. Although this is a sad story it is not unusual, as it occurs all over Greece.

The flora of the area is very rich. There is a big variety of wild flowers.

The beauty of nature wants to be cherished by more and more people, who arrive to this beautiful part of Mani.

Platanos is the typical village with powerful images from the everyday life of the locals. The village lives on tourism, from olives and cattle breeding. In summer, local visitors and guests come to enjoy the coolness of the place and to live and remember images from the past. Nevertheless, this is not an everyday habit nor can this support financially the village. There are no guesthouses, only traditional kafenia, where the villagers meet in the evening to talk about everyday issues.

These are also images of the life of a village. Platanos may be a normal village without many facilities, but it attracts the visitor to come back again.

Ant. Roumaneas