Kyllini: Capo Verde

There is no way one can miss Kyllini. Driving on the national road and heading south, its castle suddenly pops right in front of you, disrupting the flat fields of Elis. “From the land it’s visible from a distance of 5 days away and from the sea from 100 miles”, noted the Turkish traveler Evligia Tselembi in the mid 17th century. The scenery starts to slowly transform and come to life as one approaches the Kyllini peninsula, having the castle as a compass. The thick foliage is covering the sun and the bushy vegetation is about to swallow the road. Nature here is dominant, orgasmic, nearly aggressive; it barely opens the way. A green carpet stretches everywhere, in an endless array of shades. Eycalyptus trees, aspens, pine trees and acacias, all in the blue background of the Ionian Sea. Color blue is in battle with green; the pine trees gush into the beach and the sea water penetrates the fields. Opposite powers cancel out and ultimately balance. As you descend and prepare to break into the sea, the smell of sulfur officially announces your arrival at the once renowned spa of Killini.

The grey figures of mud lovers start appearing behind the refreshments kiosk, the one built at the beginning of the last century. Covered completely in mud, from head to toes, the bathers seem to enjoy the sun and the beneficial properties of argil mud. The springs manifest the existence of an ancient sanatorium, whereas the remains of the roman baths are still in place. The seven hot springs bouncing from the depths of the Earth attracted many people seeking cure during the past century. Nowadays, those who seek entertainment, well-being, or simply some bonding with nature gather here as well. As far as rheumatisms and arthritis go… well, who knows? The power of water is there for those willing to believe…

Killini’s castle pops out once again, this time behind the thick foliage at the baths. The country road winds around Helonata hill, crosses the small village of Kastro and ends up at the entrance of Chlemoutsi. At the top of the hill, the citadel of Chlemoutsi overlooks the Ionian Sea and the whole fertile valley of Elis. The citadel was built in the 13th century by the Franks and safeguarded the surrounding area, which was the central Frankish colony in the Peloponnese. On one side it looked over Andravida, the capital of the Achaian principality and on the other side it looked over the highly important commercial port of Glarentza. All of the region’s products, such as olive oil, wheat, wool, flax and silk cotton were summoned in the port of Glarentza, loaded on the galleys and carried all the way to the European markets.

Inside the citadel’s tall walls unfolds the area’s medieval past. Plots, conspiracies, schemes, crimes and punishments, were constantly revolving around the everlasting object of desire; the accession of power. The noble young men from France came here to enjoy the citadel’s magnificent views during their holidays; the mossy valley, the seaport and the light house, the islands of Zakynthos and Cefallonia, the blue waters of the Ionian Sea. As you sit there on the bastions gazing at the sea, a metallic sound coming from the Mint breaks the silence from time to time. Legend has it that here, at Chlemoutsi, the famous Frankish coins, the tornesi were cut. This explains why in later years, during the short Venetian occupation, the citadel was renamed Castel Tornese. Today, the sound filling up the galleries is the sound of music. Within the medieval walls concerts and plays take place during the summer festival.

From the top of the castle one can watch the waves as they rhythmically break on the shore. The endless beach of Kyllini, gushing pine trees and beautiful lilies, is probably the strongest memory of Kyllini. Sun tanned tourists enjoy the sea breeze, the hot sand, the bright sun, the clear shallow waters. The beach goes as far as the eye can see. People become tiny dots and disappear in the horizon. A canteen peeps out in the sand dunes every now and then. Here, at Kyllini, the sea, the beach and the forest become one. Nature is at its best, containing everything harmoniously, in an orgasmic alternation of color, shape and texture.