The semi-mountainous village of Skaltsotianika is located on the Mani peninsula, 4 km north of Kotronas, at the bottom of a ravine. It is gradually built on the slopes of Mount Arabikia, with the result that its altitude ranges between 153 and 180 metres. The village has 65 permanent residents. It is characterised as a traditional settlement due to its stone houses and tower houses, which are a classic example of the Mani and the Post-Byzantine architecture. The village of Skaltsotianika is one of the oldest inhabited villages of Mani. It is mentioned, along with 124 other historical settlements of Mani, in a memoir probably written by Pierro Medico in 1618.
Another name that we find in older sources for the village Skaltsotianika is "Afougia" or "Afougia Glinas". The geographical designation "Afougia Glinas" is found in the handwritten diary of a general practitioner from Lagia, named Papadakis, which is kept in the Historical and Ethnological Society library of Athens. The journal describes operations, as well as visits of the general practitioner to the villages of Mani during the 16th century, among them the village of Afougia. Today, the name Afougia is used to describe the most mountainous area of the village located around the church, dedicated to the Virgin Mary and the adjacent cemetery. In the village, visitors can also see the chapel of Agios Nikonas with a rare 13th-century hagiography, which is incorrectly referred to as Agios Nikolaos and the churches of Agios Georgios and Agios Nikolaos (at the "Kakomachi" area). Finally, within walking distance from the village, visitors can also visit the Monastery dedicated to the Transfiguration of the Savior.
