Laconian Gulf
Encyclopedia
The Laconian Gulf is a gulf in the south-eastern Peloponnese
, in Greece
. It is the southernmost gulf in Greece and the largest in the Peloponnese. In the shape of an inverted "U", it is approximately 58 km wide east-west, and 44 km long north-south. It is bounded to the west by the Mani peninsula
, which separates it from the Messenian Gulf
, and to the east by the Cape Maleas peninsula (also known as the Epidavros Limira peninsula), which separates it from the Aegean Sea
. To the south it opens onto the Mediterranean Sea
. The Mani and Cape Maleas peninsulas are dry and rocky, by the northern shore, fed by the Evrotas River, which empties into the gulf at its apex, is fertile farmland. The island of Elafonissos lies in the Laconian Gulf, with the island of Kythira
directly to the south. The main ports and settlements on the gulf are Gytheio
and Neapolis.
Peloponnese
The Peloponnese, Peloponnesos or Peloponnesus , is a large peninsula , located in a region of southern Greece, forming the part of the country south of the Gulf of Corinth...
, in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. It is the southernmost gulf in Greece and the largest in the Peloponnese. In the shape of an inverted "U", it is approximately 58 km wide east-west, and 44 km long north-south. It is bounded to the west by the Mani peninsula
Mani Peninsula
The Mani Peninsula , also long known as Maina or Maïna, is a geographical and cultural region in Greece. Mani is the central peninsula of the three which extend southwards from the Peloponnese in southern Greece. To the east is the Laconian Gulf, to the west the Messenian Gulf...
, which separates it from the Messenian Gulf
Messenian Gulf
The Messenian Gulf is a sea that is part of the Ionian Sea. The gulf is circumscribed by the southern coasts of Messenia and the southwestern coast of the Mani peninsula in Laconia. Its bounds are Venetiko Island to the west and Cape Tainaron to the southeast...
, and to the east by the Cape Maleas peninsula (also known as the Epidavros Limira peninsula), which separates it from the Aegean Sea
Aegean Sea
The Aegean Sea[p] is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea located between the southern Balkan and Anatolian peninsulas, i.e., between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey. In the north, it is connected to the Marmara Sea and Black Sea by the Dardanelles and Bosporus...
. To the south it opens onto the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
. The Mani and Cape Maleas peninsulas are dry and rocky, by the northern shore, fed by the Evrotas River, which empties into the gulf at its apex, is fertile farmland. The island of Elafonissos lies in the Laconian Gulf, with the island of Kythira
Kythira
Cythera is an island in Greece, once part of the Ionian Islands. It lies opposite the south-eastern tip of the Peloponnese peninsula. It is administratively part of the Islands regional unit, which is part of the Attica region , Greece.For many centuries, while naval travel was the only means...
directly to the south. The main ports and settlements on the gulf are Gytheio
Gytheio
Gytheio , the ancient Gythium or Gytheion , is a town and a former municipality in Laconia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality East Mani, of which it is a municipal unit. It was the seaport of Sparta, some 40 km north...
and Neapolis.