Messinia lays on the southern part of mainland Greece, now divided from the mainland by the Corinth Canal. The peninsula hosts some of the most important and impressive ancient sites in Greece.
It has a warm winter, it’s not too hot in summer and boasts some of the best and cleanest beaches in the whole of Greece. Even in the height of the summer holiday season there are no more than a handful of people to be seen on them.
The mountain landscape of the Messinian Mani is simple stunning and is dominated by Taygetos, one of the largest mountain ranges in the Peloponnese. Whereas the Messinian peninsular has rolling hills and fertile valleys considered to be the market garden and wine centre of Greece.
It is an ideal place to relax and go for walks. Wander off the beaten track into the old hill towns and discover the true beauty of the region. A world apart from the islands, the beautiful and sparsely populated the Peloponnese is a bastion of disappearing Greek village life.
The rural villages in this area are beautifully authentic, traditional and spread out. The local villagers are friendly and welcoming, often plying new tourists with gifts of wine and oranges.
The city of Kalamata with all its facilities nestles at the head of the Messini Bay in between the two peninsulas, thus making it an ideal location for a dream holiday.
Kalamata
The capital and chief port of Messinia, Kalamata is the land of the Kalamatianos dance and the silk kerchief.
Of succulent black olives, honeyed figs and the sesame-covered sweet called pastelli.
The town is dominated by the 13th century fortress above it built by Geoffrey de Villehardouin.
On the north side of the citadelthere is a small Byzantine church, dedicated to the Virgin of Kalomata (of the good eye), from which the town may have acquired its name.
From the fortress you can survey the expanse of sea below with its sandy and pebbly shores or turn your gaze upon the deep green plain, the “happy land” of the ancients.
The old city reaches out underneath the fortress. This is where the Byzantine church of the Virgin Ypapanti and the convent of the Kalograies, where the nuns weave the famous Kalamata silk, are situated.
There are many churches in town, the oldest being the historic church of Agii Apostoli (13th c.), where the Greek Revolution against the Turks was formally declared on March 23, 1821. Kalamata has an archaeological and folklore museum, a fine arts museum and a library containing 60.000 volumes.
Every summer cultural events like concerts and plays put on by the Kalamata theatre are held in the amphitheatre of the fortress. In the evening, the town comes alive, especially along the waterfront which is lined with tavernas, seafood restaurants and rotisseries serving local dishes and drinks, fresh fish, roast suckling pig and chicken, sausages, cheese, olives, retsina and ralki.
Methoni
The small town of Methoni is on the south western tip of the Peloponnese. It is dominated by its impressive fortress stretching into the sea separated from the town by a wide (and now dry) moat. Methoni fortress joins those in Crete and Cyprus as a stepping stone on the pilgrim route to the holy land. The pretty town with its pleasant old houses with wrought-iron balconies shelters behind the fortress and has a delightfully lazy Greek air.
Homer called Methoni “rich in vines” and tradition maintains that the town is so called because the donkeys (oni) carrying its wine used to get drunk (metho) from the heavy aroma.
Methoni beach lies below the fortress and is well known for its magnificent, uncrowded, long stretch of sand and shallow sea.
It was awarded a blue flag in 2001 and is ideal for families.
In season there is a good selection of traditional Greek tavernas, restaurants, bars, banks. and supermarkets.
The Fortress of Methoni
The fortress is the best preserved in the entire Mediterranean. Evidence of past visitors includes the remnants of a Venetian cathedral and a Turkish bath within the fortress walls. In the town are some enormous Venetian wells whose marble rims are furrowed by the pressure of huge ropes over the centuries. Inside the fortress is an entire medieval town and you can literally spend hours wandering around.
The site was fortified as early as the 7th century B.C., and in the period between 395 A.D. and 1204 A.D. was used as a Byzantine fortress. The area was dominated by the Franks for a very short period and in 1206 was captured by the Venetians who strengthened the fortification, incorporating the pre-Christian defensive structures. In 1500 Methoni was captured by the Turk Bayazit Pasha, again came under Venetian occupation from 1685 until 1715, and was for a second time dominated by the Turks who kept it under their control until 1829, when it was liberated by the French general Maison, along with other towns of the Peloponnese.
For many years the buildings of the fortress have been restored by the Archaeological Service. The most important monuments of the site are:
The fortress and remains of a secular, religious buildings inside the fortified area.
The Byzantine church of Aghia Sophia (Holy Wisdom).
The remains of Turkish Baths.
The ruins of a house which was used as the residence of Ibrahim Pasha in 1826, and of General Maison after the liberation.
The church of the Metamorphosis (Transfiguration). A single-aisled church built in 1833 by the French liberation army.
The remains of structures from the Second World War. The Cisterns and remains of the cemetery of the British prisoners.
“Bourtzi”. A fortified islet at the south end of the fortress, occupied by an octagonal tower with isodomic wall masonry
Pylos
The town of Pylos is undoubtedly one of the most attractive coastal villages in Greece.
It is built on a hill side on the south coast of the bay of Navarino. Snow-white two-storey houses with courtyards drenched in flowers.
The arcaded streets make you think you’ve been transported to an island.
The main square is situated on the water front. It’s ringed with pastry shops and sheltered by enormous, centuries-old plane trees.
The TurkoVenetian fortress, known as Neokastro, dominates the west side of town. One of the most attractive in the Peloponnese, it is called that to distinguish it from the ancient fortress to the southwest, named Paliokastro or Palionavarino.
The bay of Voidokilia with its sandy beach extends from the base of the old castle. A tranquil, carefree sanctuary, the floor of the bay is covered with a thick layer of sand.
There are two castles; one on each side of the bay and nearby is the Mycenean Palace of Nestor one of the best preserved of all Mycenean palaces.Many of the frescos and artifacts found here are now in the archeological museum in nearby Chora.
The Battle of Navarino Bay
Pylso was the site of the battle of Navarino which was not even supposed to be a battle but became the turning point in Greece’s War of Independence when the British, French and Russian fleets under Admiral Codrington ‘accidentally’ sank 53 ships of Ibraham Pashas combined Turkish, Egyptian and Tunisian fleets.
Though meant to be a warning for the Turkish ships to leave the bay the end result is that those ships are still there to this day and can be seen in the clear waters. Though an embarrassment for Britain, the end result of this misunderstanding was that the Peloponessos was liberated and the Peleponisos became the nation of modern Greece.
Gargaliani
Gargaliani nestles on a lush green hillside. It’s worth going up to the town just to see the view that unfolds beneath it. There a magical carpet of olive trees and vines that stretches to the sea. Marathoupoli and the islet of Proti and the site of a ruined Mycenaean acropolis form the backdrop. Hora is built on a hilltop behind and has preserved its old-fashioned appearance — stone houses with tiled roofs and narrow lanes. Filiatra is not far off. The whole district is dotted with churches, Byzantine and Frankish, of a venerable age.
Kiparissia
The town is position as if it were wedged into the base of its fortress. The lower districts reaching as far as the sandy shore lapped by the lonian sea. Beyond the fortress lays a beautiful plain planted with olive trees and grapevines which give way to open seas with an infinite expanse of cobalt blue. It is said that the view of the sunset from the fortress is one of the most superb in the world. Everything here is instil with history and a fascinating light. Everywhere you look you can see ancient, Byzantine and Frankish monuments. Peristera is a place a little past the village of Raches (approx 5 km. from Kiparissia), where three beehive tombs have been excavated.
Finikounda
Finikounda is a picturesque fishing village at the back of a bay.
Caiques and
Messinia Greece – Some Time Off Guide