LACONIA, GULF OF

Modern Greek Lakoniks Klpos, large, deep gulf on the southern Ionian Sea embraced by the two southernmost peninsulas of the Peloponnese, Greece, 35 miles (56 km) north-south and 30 miles (48 km) wide. Cape Mala, which divides the Gulf of Laconia from the Aegean Sea, was once feared by sailors for its treacherous winds and harbourless coast. The surrounding region lies entirely within Laconia noms (department). The major stream entering is the non-navigable Evrtas River, which rises in the Tayetos range. Two promontories on the western shore form the Skotari and Kolokithis inlets, the latter fronting the port of Ktronas. The small island of Elafnisos is separated on the south by a channel from Cythera (Kthira), an Ionian island.