Kardamyli

Kardamili, like much of Greece, experiences a very mild, subtropical Mediterranean climate, with hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters. Snow is almost unknown in the town itself, only falling a few times per century. Snow is, however, common in the mountains above Kardamili, with the Profitis Ilias typically remaining snow capped until early June. Winter rainfall in the area is often heavy, with spectacular flooding in the Viros gorge occurring every few years. In summer, by contrast, rain is scarce. Summer thunderstorms are exceptionally rare, bringing short, heavy downpours. Summertime temperatures usually range around 90–95°F (32–35°C), but heat waves with temperatures above 100°F (38°C) are common. The cooling Meltemi wind which blows across much of Greece is largely blocked by the mountains of the area, resulting in unusually calm seas which are often lake-like in the morning, before the sea breeze kicks up. Spring and Fall are warm to cool with changeable weather. Heavy hailstorms are known to strike the area in early spring and mid fall, sometimes causing damage to the local olive crop, as the olives or flowers are knocked out of their trees by falling hailstones.

Global warming and climate change are especially felt in the area, with summers becoming more tropical – featuring higher humidity with occasional afternoon thunderstorms and warmer nights. Winters are becoming warmer and drier. Due to these climatic changes, tropical plants such as mango, avocado, lychee, and plumeria are becoming a more common sight in the area, giving the town an exotic and lush feel. At night, the town often smells of these new tropical flowers and jasmine, as well as eucalyptus, as light mountain breezes blow the smells through the town.

The following is climate data for nearby Kalamata. It is important to note that winter low temperatures tend to be a bit higher than those of Kalamata as the Taygetos block much of the northerly winds which bring cold air down from the rest of Europe.

View of Kardamyli at dusk

Kardamili sits at the foot of the Taygetus mountains on the coast of the Messenian Bay. Much of the town sits on the remnants of a prehistoric lava flow, the remains of which can be seen as the lava rock outcrops which separate many of the local beaches from one another. The local beaches stand out from those in other areas of the world for the remarkably round stones of which they are made up. Nowhere else in the world is it possible to find smooth, often spherical stones on a beach, and the phenomenon has been subject to multiple studies done to find the cause of such a unique occurrence. The nearest places are Kampos to the North and Proastio to the southeast.

Kardamili is one of the oldest settlements in the Peloponnese, with its current name being mentioned in the Iliad, the epic poem by ancient Greek writer Homer. Many of the townspeople can trace their lineage back to either famed clans of the area (as in the Mourtzinos and Troupakis clans), or the Byzantine Emperor Constantine Palaiologos, one of whose descendants (Dimitri Palaiologos) settled in the region. The descendants of Dimitris Palaiologos typically have the last name "Dimitreas", meaning "son of Dimitri'.

The dome of the Byzantine-Era Church of Eisodia

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  View of Kardamyli
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  Kardamyli in the 1880s
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  Desk in the P.M.L. Fermor garden near Kardamyli
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  View of houses
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  Eisodia church in Kardamili

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kardamyli.

• https://www.kardamili-greece.com/ Official website
• http://www.zorbas.de/webcam/ekardamyli.php Webcam view above the old harbour