Vamvakou

The birthplace of the parents of both Stavros Niarchos and Ioannis Coumantaros — founders of two of Greece's most powerful shipping dynasties — this pocket-sized Laconian hamlet in the Peloponnese has recently become the focus of a large-scale investment by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, aimed at reversing decades of population decline by attracting new residents. Close to mountains and within reach of several UNESCO World Heritage sites in the wider region, Vamvakou carries an outsized historical significance for its size.

• Population70
• Nearest water0.2 km
• Nearest mountain2.4 km
• UNESCO within 50 km2