Anakolo Gorge Xirokambi

Discover Xirokambi: culture, nature & Greek food

Xirokambi Sparta: a great place to stay if you love hiking, authentic Greek food and culture. Close to Sparta, Mystras, within 15 minutes in the mountains and 30 minutes from the Mediterranean Sea. The village will be featuring in the Greek-American movie Melina’s Dream. Filming started in May 2022; the movie will be launched in 2023.

Xirokambi, a lively village with impressive stone houses in the valley of Sparta, is one of the jewels of the southern Peloponnese. Ancient Sparta and the Byzantine castle of Mystras are close by. The majestic peaks of Mount Taygetos rise high above the valley, rich in olive and orange groves.

The village square, surrounded by shops, cafes and restaurants, is the local hot spot. Take a seat and watch its hustle and bustle, while you drink your coffee under the shade of the plane trees. Farmers pass by with their pickup or tractor, loaded with sacks of olives and oranges. On Friday mornings a farmers’ market is held on the road from the square to the church.

Discover Xirokambi & the Valley of Sparta

Xirokambi has plenty to offer. The village features a true stone arch bridge dating back to the 1st century BC, the remains of a Mycenean palace, a 1000 year old olive tree, and easy access to the Taygetos via the beautiful Anakolo gorge.

Xirokambi makes a great starting point for walks via country roads and old cobbled paths into the mountains, through traditional villages and old olive groves. Stroll around the Byzantine city of Mystras, Ancient Sparta or visit the Olive oil museum. Combine your stay with a concert in the amfitheater or learn how ancient pebble mosaics are made. Plenty to do and enjoy in all seasons!

What to see & do
When to visit
Ancient bridge Xirokambi
The 2000 year old bridge over the Rasinas River in Xirokambi

What’s in a name: Xirokambi, Xirokampi, Xirokapi, Ξηροκάμπι

The translation of names from the Greek alphabet into latin characters often results in different ways of spelling. In Greek one writes ΞΗΡΟΚΑΜΠΙ or Ξηροκάμπι in small letters. The combination of Μ (mi) and Π (pi) is pronounced as soft B, in which the M is hardly pronounced. We prefer to write is as Xirokambi, but you can also come across Xirokampi, Xirokapi or even Xirokambíon on road signs, maps or weather apps.

If you want to be sure you are looking at the right place, you can search for Xirokambi Lakonia or Xirokambi Sparta. In a weather app, check the map with the rain forecast to see if you located the correct village.

Xirokambi Sparta Map
Click on the map to go to Xirokambi in Google Maps

Authentic Greek food

Αround 1000 people live in Xirokambi, but is has surprisingly many restaurants, all serving great food and local wine. Written menus are almost non-existent. Instead the hospitable restaurant owners visit your table and tell you what the kitchen offers today. Eat tasty fried cod with a daring garlic sauce (skordaliá), or zucchini cakes and perfect home made pork sausages. Oranges grow in abundance, and people like to blend them with meat. Sausage with orange peel is one of the local specialties.

Restaurants in Xirokambi
Kalamata olives
Fresly harvested Kalamata olives. Olives and olive oil are essential for Greek cooking.

 

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