Boomer Road Trips to Discover Messenia
Ancient Messene, Pylos, Methoni, Voidokilia Beach, Gialova, Nestor’s Palace, Castle at Koroni
Road Trips in Messenia
A couple of hours drive from Corinth you will reach the heart of the Region of Messenia, which was once dominated by the Spartans primarily for its arable lands. These days the area offers visitors multiple archaeological sites, castles and fortresses, un-spoiled beaches, seafood tavernas, and accommodations from studio apartments to 5-star resorts. And the regional airport is by the city of Kalamata.
Ancient Messene
A must see and experience in the South West Peloponnese is the region around
Ancient Messene located north of Kalamata, and should take no more than 45 minutes to drive.
Before entering the site and getting close up to the ruins, we suggest you take time to appreciate the size and magnitude of the site in total.
Check out the engineering features of the wall along the perimeter of the settlement and the Arcadia Gate. This video shows the site on our first visit in May 2013 for comparison to the excavation work carried since that date.
Messene was surrounded by a circuit wall which was 5.6 miles long and 23 – 30 feet wide.
[Boomer Alert: We suggest visiting the site early on a weekday to avoid the tour buses and if possible avoid July and August due to the heat in the summer months .]
The Theatre
“The first monument as you enter is the theatre, built in 3-2 BC and regarded as one of the greatest examples of its kind, reaching almost 100m in length and once seating 10,000 spectators. It was used for political gatherings as well as entertainment and has been restored to serve as a summer festival venue.” https://www.discovergreece.com/
Pylos
Pylos, also known as Navarino, is a famous port on the Navarino Bay on the West Coast of the Southern Peloponnese. It is beautiful place to stay a few days as a base to explore the Messenia peninsula. There are gorgeous sandy beaches, fresh seafood restaurants, and dozens of historic sites.
We found the Karalis Beach Hotel, which is a comfortable 3-Star hotel. Its a convenient location on the water with beautiful views across the Navarino Bay and easy walking distance from the main square in Pylos.
There are plenty of restaurants and bars / nightlife, plus many free parking spaces. Pylos and Gialova have good selection of different types of restaurants & accommodations. We suggest you check out Bookings.com (or Expedia or any of the many sites out there).
Just out of town is the 5-Star luxury Marriott hotel with golf course and tennis courts. It’s the Marriott Westin Resort at Costa Navarino which was featured in the movie Before Midnight.
Gialova
Gialova is a village on Navarino Bay in the municipality of Pylos-Nestor in the regional unit of Messenia in the south-west Peloponnese, Greece, about six kilometres north of Pylos. The name derives from Greek γιαλός (shore) and Turkish ova (lowland), i.e. “lowland shore”.
It’s close the famous Voidokilia Beach is in the shape of the Greek letter omega with a semicircular strip of dunes and is located about 30 minutes north of Pylos.
On the land-facing side of the strip of dunes is Gialova Lagoon, known for being a bird habitat.
Be careful of driving & parking near Voidokilia Beach as the sand is soft in areas so a 4×4 is the best car / jeep to drive out there.
Road Trips – Places to Visit in and around Messenia
Finikounda
Its small beach town which features a sandy shore with clear waters and a small harbor that looks out to a small island complex, Messenian Oinousses. This seaside village is less than 30 minutes from Pylos (and just past Methoni).
Castle of Pylos – Niokastron
The Castle of Pylos was built by the Ottoman Turks in 1573 and is a six-towered castle which overlooks the port of Pylos.
Opening Hours
- Apr – Oct: Tue-Sun, 08:00-20:00
- Nov – Mar: Tue-Sun, 08:00-15:00
Methoni
Methoni is only about a 20 minute drive south from Pylos. It is a quieter alternative place to stay, with a nice beach, an historic Venetian fort, and a number of restaurants and tavernas all within walking distance. We highly recommend the Methoni Beach Hotel if you decide to stay.
Nestor’s Palace
Nestor’s Palace is about 40 minutes from Pylos with Gialova / Voidokilia en route.
The palace featured in the story of the Trojan War, as Homer tells us that Telemachus:
went to Pylos and to Nestor, the shepherd of the people, and he received me in his lofty house and gave me kindly welcome, as a father might his own son who after a long time had newly come from afar: even so kindly he tended me with his glorious sons.[2]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Nestor
It was built in the 13th Century BCE by King Nestor, who led Pylos to the Trojan War with 90 ships.
More archaeological findings can be viewed at the Museum of Chora.
Koroni Castle
A pleasant day trip from Pylos is driving to see the Castle at Koroni on the East Coast and then relaxing at the beautiful beach at Peroulia. The castle has existed since the 7th century AD. It was reconstructed by the Venetians in the 13th century and worth seeing!
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