Monemvasia is a big rock surrounded by water. On the far side of this rock, hidden from view, is the eponymous medieval town.
To get to Monemvasia (the red pin on map) from Nafplio (the green pin) we hired a car and headed south along the coast.
The drive featured a winding two-lane road that hugs the coast, a plunge through a Yosemite-like canyon, a twisty 1,250 m mountain pass, then an easy downhill that turned to a tiring slog when a frog strangler of a rainstorm descended.
Highlights on the drive were the town of Leonidio (blue pin) which is in a dramatic red/brown rock canyon; the quaint stone mountaintop town of Kosmas (brown pin) whose main square is filled with cafes surrounding a pretty church; and a monastery carved into the side of a cliff.