The traditional village of Altomira is amphitheatrically built on a mountainside (at an altitude of 800 metres) and is 10 kilometres from Sotirianika. According to local tradition, the area owes its name to bandit Altomoros, who had his hideout and refuge here. Altomira is mentioned for the first time in 1618, while after that, they are included in almost all censuses of the villages of Exo Mani. During the Turkish occupation, it belonged to the captaincy and exarchate of Zarnata by being a refuge for soldiers.
After the Second World War, Altomira was utterly abandoned, while today, it is inhabited exclusively during the summer months by a few breeders and some visitors.
The village impresses visitors with its stone houses which are an excellent example of Mani architecture. The complex of the Margelis buildings, which has been classified as a historical monument, stands out. In 1999, the entire village was declared a historic settlement that should be maintained by the Ministry of Culture. In the village, the church of Agios Dimitrios, built in 1865, as well as the school building, which was built in 1875 but has not been in operation since 1960 due to a lack of students, are worth visiting. Finally, the Post-Byzantine Monastery of Agios Georgios Petalotis is not far from Altomira.
