Travel Secrets
Cape Tenaro: Come and see how it feels to be at the tip of Europe...
It is the southern end of continental Greece, the farthest tip of the Balkan peninsula but also the most southern part of Europe after the Punta Tarifa in Andalusia.
The name Tenaro or Akrotenaro is reported in texts which count thousands of years, starting from Homer’s hymn to Apollo. We also read about the area in modern history texts mentioning the Tenaro seafights in 1941.
In the ancient times, the name of this region was «Metapea Akra», meaning the cape which is found between two seas - Lakonikos and Messiniakos gulfs – and had tremendous importance to ancient Greeks.
It was where the ancient Lakones would gather for religious purposes and according to Pafsanias they had even built the Temple of Tenarios Poseidon to show their devotion to the God of the seas.
Only ruins of the Temple of Tenarios Poseidon were ever recorded to be found and at the exact same location there is nowadays the little church of Asomatou. Sources say that the church was built with parts of the ancient temple which were scattered in the whole area.
As far as ancient monuments in the area of the Old Town of Tenaro are concerned, you will be delighted to come across a very well preserved decorative mosaic floor of a house, rooting back to the Hellenic-Roman era (1st century AC)...Its name «Star of Aria».
According to Pafsanias and Plato, the area was known to contain a place were one would go for a “reading of the psyche” or his sole to be criticised by an oracle.
In mythology this is where the Gates of the Underworld were located and which Hercules had to pass in order to bring Kerveros back to earth as part of his 12th and last deed.
This is from where Orfeus started his journey to go and find Evridiki, but also the place where Arpalos chose to hide after he had stolen the treasures of Alexander the Great.
Having read of the mythology which pertains to the area of Cape Tenaro, we suggest an excursion to the wider area around it, in order to see the ancient marble quarry and -of course- the famous 16 meter tall Tenaro Lighthouse which was constructed in 1882 at 25 meters from the sea level.
