Gerolimenas sits in a deep, sheltered bay near the tip of the Mani, and it is the last proper harbour before the land runs out. The name is thought to come from the Greek for sacred harbour, a name that suggests an ancient history, though the village as it stands was developed mostly in the nineteenth century, when the Maniot families made money from trade and the sea. A few tall stone houses stand along the front, with a small quay, a handful of fishing boats and a taverna or two, and the water is startlingly clear.
The southern Mani is among the wildest corners of mainland Greece. The land is dry and stony, with scattered tower houses on every ridge, built in clusters that look like small fortresses, and abandoned villages whose roofs have fallen in. Vathia, a few kilometres to the east, is the most famous, a village of tall stone towers that stands almost empty on a bare hill, a haunting sight at sunset. Beyond Gerolimenas, the peninsula tapers toward Cape Tainaron, also called Matapan, the southernmost point of mainland Greece, where ancient Greeks believed there was an entrance to the underworld, and where there are ruins of a temple to Poseidon.
Riding here is slow, rough and gorgeous. The road from Areopoli runs south through low hills, past stone walls, prickly pear cactus and the occasional lonely chapel, and it is narrow, with tight bends and uneven surfaces, so a steady pace is wise. Goats on the road are common. In summer the heat is intense and the landscape bleached, so early morning and late afternoon are the better times, and spring offers wild flowers and green hills. In winter, storms can lash the coast, but the air is clear and the light superb.
There are few people around. In the evening, the village is quiet, with the sound of waves and the smell of grilled fish from the taverna, and the stars are bright in the clear air. The sea is excellent for swimming from the small stone pier, in water deep blue and cold at the edges. Quiet is the point.
Fuel is the main practical concern. There is none in Gerolimenas, and services in the southern Mani are sparse, so fill your tank at Areopoli, about twenty kilometres to the north, or at Gythio further on. A few small shops sell basics, and the tavernas serve fresh fish, octopus, and local lamb with lemon potatoes. Bring cash, as card machines are not universal.