Limeni is a village on the Mani Peninsula

Mani Peninsula

The Mani Peninsula , also long known as Maina or Maïna, is a geographical and cultural region in Greece. Mani is the central peninsula of the three which extend southwards from the Peloponnese in southern Greece. To the east is the Laconian Gulf, to the west the Messenian Gulf...

, Greece

Greece

Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....

. Limeni is situated on Limeni Bay which is a mile or two north of Areopoli

Areopoli

Areopoli is a town on the Mani Peninsula, Laconia, Greece. The word Areopoli means "city of Ares", the ancient Greek god of war. It was the seat of Oitylo municipality. Areopoli was called Tsimova by the invading Slavs during the 7th century AD...

, the capital of the Deep Mani. It is part of the community of Aeropoli within the municipal unit of Oitylo

Oitylo

Oitylo is a village and a former municipality in Laconia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality East Mani, of which it is a municipal unit. It is one of the oldest towns in the Mani Peninsula. It was mentioned in the Iliad by Homer as Oetylοs ,...

.

History

Limeni was the home town of the most important clan in Mani, the Mavromichalis. The Mavromichalis castle has been restored by the local council to what it looked like 200 years ago. Around the coast line there are caves where Neolithic

Neolithic

The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...

 people used to live. Those caves were also used as hideouts for klepht

Klepht

Klephts were self-appointed armatoloi, anti-Ottoman insurgents, and warlike mountain-folk who lived in the countryside when Greece was a part of the Ottoman Empire...

s. Limeni now harbours over 100 yachts.

Population

Limeni's population used to be around 500, but due to many people moving to Kalamata

Kalamata

Kalamata is the second-largest city of the Peloponnese in southern Greece. The capital and chief port of the Messenia prefecture, it lies along the Nedon River at the head of the Messenian Gulf...

, Sparta

Sparta

Sparta or Lacedaemon, was a prominent city-state in ancient Greece, situated on the banks of the River Eurotas in Laconia, in south-eastern Peloponnese. It emerged as a political entity around the 10th century BC, when the invading Dorians subjugated the local, non-Dorian population. From c...

 and Athens

Athens

Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...

 the population has fallen to 100.

Geography and Information

• Postal code: 230 63
• Elevation:
  • Centre: about 20 m
• Dialing code: 030-27330

Historical population

Year	Population
Early-20th century	about 500
1991	12
2001	47

Other

Limenio formerly had a small school but it closed down due to a small population. The nearest (plateia

Plateia

Plateia or platia is the Greek word for town square. Most Greek and Cypriot cities have several town squares which are a point of reference in travelling and guiding...

) is in Gerolimenas. Much of the houses are almost abandoned heading to a point where Limeni can be abandoned.