Geography
Laconia borders on Messenia to the west, and Arcadia to the north. Laconia is surrounded by the Myrtoan Sea to the east and the Laconian Gulf and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. It encompasses Cape Malea and Cape Tainaron and a large part of the Mani Peninsula. The islands of Kythira and Antikythera lie to the south, but they administratively belong to the regional unit of Islands. The island Elafonisos, situated between the Laconian mainland and Kythira, is part of Laconia.
The Evrotas is the longest river in the prefecture. The valley of the Evrotas is predominantly an agricultural region that contains many citrus groves, olive groves and pasture lands. It is the location of the largest coffee bean production in the Peloponnese and probably all of Greece. The brand of orange juice named after this prefecture Lakonia is based in Amykles.
The main mountain ranges are the Taygetus (2,407 m) in the west and the Parnon (1,961 m) in the northeast. Taygetus, known as Pentadaktylos (five-fingers) throughout the Middle Ages, is west of Sparta and the Evrotas valley. It is the highest mountain in Laconia and the Peloponnese, and mostly covered with pine trees. Two roads connect the adjoining prefectures of Messenia and Laconia: one is a tortuous mountain pass through Taygetus and the other bypasses the mountain via the Mani district to the south.
The stalactite cave Dirou, a major tourist attraction, is located south of Areopolis in the southwest of Laconia.
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