The green mountain village of Kastori (or Kastoreio) is built at an altitude of 500 metres northeast of Taygetos. It is just 17 km from Sparta and has 600 permanent residents. It is one of the most picturesque villages in Laconia. The village was named after the mythical hero Castor. It is unknown when it was built.
Kastorion, with the name "Kastania", took an active part in the Revolution of 1770 led by the Tzortzakis family. In fact, its leader, Georgios Tzortzakis, was killed in a battle with the Arvanites. From the second prominent Papadopoulos family, the Turks hanged two priests, one in "Tikla" (opposite the church of Panagia Misosporitissa) and the other on the rock, on the banks of the river Castor.
Kastori is the ideal destination for relaxation, hiking, canyoning and mountain biking. In the area, there are many gorges, which lower the waters of Taygetos to the river Evrotas. Inside these gorges, visitors can see the ruins of old settlements, watermills, caves and waterfalls. From Kastori, some paths start and lead to the peaks of Xerovouna (1,426 metres) and Pyrgaki (1,732 metres) at the northern side of Taygetos. In fact, in recent years, steps have been taken towards agritourism, nature-loving, ecological and mountain tourism.
At Kastori, visitors can wander the picturesque alleys and admire the old stone houses and neoclassical mansions. The Bakis Cultural Centre stands out, housed in a beautiful, restored neoclassical building donated by expatriate Bakis. Today, the Cultural Centre is run by the non-profit company "Mystras". The first floor houses the municipal library of the village, while events that highlight the local culture (in the context of its diverse activity), such as book presentations, photo exhibitions, speeches, etc., also take place.
At the village entrance, visitors can enjoy cold water in the springs of Agios Mamas. Just a ten-minute walk outside the village, the visitor can find the church of Panagia Misosporitissa, which is literally buried in the rocks of Taygetos. The hermitage of Agios Theoklitos was inside a cave. The view of the village from this point is fantastic. A legend says that an old woman saw in her dream that she could find the icon of the Virgin Mary at that location. So, she went, found it and took it to her house. The icon, however, returned to the original point, inside the cave. Thus, after this miracle, the woman built the chapel, which was renovated about fifty years ago.
In November, the villagers welcome the olive fruit with the Boukouvala Festival every year. "Bokouvala" is the name of the crispy bread with feta cheese and lemon dipped in fresh agourelaio (very first olive oil) that has just been taken from the factory. It is the most important agricultural festival of the place and is celebrated with plenty of food, wine, music and dancing. Also, at Kastori, the largest carnival in the prefecture of Laconia with the parade of chariots and the feast of Ash Monday, known as Moutzourodeftera, takes place.
Finally, it is worth mentioning that in Kastori, there is a trout and salmon production company of the Gerontidis family in the springs of Agios Mamas. It is the only company in Greece that produces gourmet products, such as caviar. In fact, the company had an honorary reference in the famous movie, "God loves caviar".
