Top Peloponnese posts
Some photo highlights from our return visit to Nafplio
Nafplio waterfront view to the Bourtzi sea fortress Back again: Exactly two years ago, we travelled to Nafplio for the first time and spent a full week exploring areas in and around the town. We liked it so much we decided it was high time to come back for a return visit. And here we […]Read More »
An afternoon at the Old Town and castle in Kyparissia
Houses on the hillside below the ruins of the Castle of Kyparissia, which was built during the 13th Century Impressive introduction: On the fourth day of our May 2017 road trip through the western Peloponnese we discovered another charming town to which we will have to pay a longer return visit sometime: Kyparissia. We […]Read More »
Top beach, golf, diving and other outdoor activity attractions near Marathopoli
Located just one nautical mile from the town of Marathopoli in southwestern Messenia, Proti Island is a popular day trip destination for swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, rock climbing, cliff jumping and trekking. This aerial photo of Proti Island is from the website for the Artina hotels in Marathopoli. Lagouvardos, shown in this aerial video […]Read More »
Two nights in Marathopoli: Where we ate and slept
We enjoyed our spacious, comfortable rooms at the Artina Hotel, seen here in an aerial image shared on Google by Nikos Tsiak On our first night in Marathopoli, we had dinner on this seaview patio at Panorama Fish Tavern Restaurant … … while the next night, we enjoyed mezes at Artoinos Μεζεδοπωλείο, seen […]Read More »
Marathopoli: A mellow seaside town and ideal base for exploring southwestern Messenia
An aerial view looking west toward the town of Marathopoli and Proti Island. The photo is from the website for Marathopoli’s Artina Hotel Nuovo, where we stayed two nights while visiting historic sites, towns and attractions on a road trip through the Messenia region of the southwestern Peloponnese . Great location: I didn’t know anything […]Read More »
Crumbling walls, perilous terrain & postcard views: Our climb to the old Castle of Navarino
Walls on the southern side of Palaiokastro, the Old Castle of Navarino, which was built in 1278 near the town of Pylos in the Peloponnese Though parts of the castle walls have collapsed, you can walk atop some of the remaining sections, such as this one high above the Ionian Sea Walking inside […]Read More »
A walkabout in Messenia's 800-year-old Methoni Castle
The southern fortification walls of Methoni Castle, viewed from the Venetian-era Bourtzi fortress (below) The Venetians built the octagonal-shaped Bourtzi fortress on a rocky islet connected to the castle by a stone-paved causeway Methoni meanderings: Day 2 of our western Peloponnese road trip turned out to be rather “monumental” for us, figuratively speaking, as […]Read More »
The quiet end of Divari, the mile-long golden beach in Messenia
A bend near the northwest tip of Divari, also known as Golden Sands Beach The shallow bay between Divari beach and Sfakteria Island Delightful Divari: Sunshine, warm temperatures, two beautiful sandy beaches, a crumbling ancient castle and superb Greek food. Combine those ingredients and you’ll cook up a perfect vacation day in Greece […]Read More »
A bucket list visit to Voidokilia, the extraordinary Ω-shaped beach in the Peloponnese
I got my first in-person peek at beautiful Voidokilia beach from this breathtaking vantage point in the ruins of the Castle of Navarino … … and shot this picture two hours later while walking along Voidokilia’s amazing arc of soft brown sand My Omega moment: I’m a big fan of beaches, as you’ve […]Read More »
A visit to Androusa Castle
Aerial views of the remaining walls of Androusa Castle in Messenia. The images are from an on-site information plaque that describes the features and history of the ancient castle, as well as recent restoration work by the Ephorate of Antiquities of Messenia. First fortress: On Day 2 of our May 2017 holiday in the […]Read More »
Greece 2017: Our 4-day road trip in the western Peloponnese
Omega-shaped Voidokilia, in the western Peloponnese, was one of many beautiful beaches that took our breath away in 2017 All-new experiences: Two trips to Greece in 2017 gave us opportunities to expand our horizons and see diverse regions we had never visited before, including parts of the Peloponnese, one of the Ionian islands, Central […]Read More »
A journey above the scenic coasts of the southern Peloponnese
Reflecting on Peloponnese, by Vimeo contributors Nestoras Kechagias and Athanasia Lykoudi, features aerial views of amazing coastal sites and scenery in the southern Peloponnese Captivating coastlines: Two back-to-back trips have made us big fans of the Peloponnese, and its extensive, awe-inspiring coastlines in particular. In 2016 we spent most of our time in the […]Read More »
Samarina: The beautiful Byzantine church in Messenia
The Byzantine Church of Zoodochos Pigi Samarina cuts a striking figure set amidst a valley of rolling hills lush with olive trees Lady of the valley: There were lovely landscapes everywhere we looked while we drove through Messenia in late May. One of the most memorable and marvellous sights along the way was the […]Read More »
Where to eat and sleep well in Mavromati
Street view of Messana Hotel in Mavromati. The boutique-style hotel has seven rooms, and serves a wonderful breakfast featuring dishes made with products grown locally and in the Messenia region. Ithomi Restaurant in Mavromati has an inside dining room and a large open-air terrace, both offering views of the countryside and the archaeological site […]Read More »
Moments in Mavromati
Houses in Mavromati, on the lower slopes of Mount Ithomi. The view from the main road in Mavromati Verdant vistas: First stop on our spring holiday was Mavromati, a small mountain village that overlooks the historic archaeological site at Ancient Messini. Although we spent less than 24 hours in the village and nearby […]Read More »
The 10 things we loved most about Nafplio -- in photos
Photo gallery: In my previous post, Falling for Nafplio, I described some of the elements and attractions that make the eastern Peloponnese port town of Nafplio one of our favourite places in all of Greece. That report was packed with pictures, but since I had dozens more that I wanted to share, I have gathered […]Read More »
Falling for Nafplio
The Old Town of Nafplio rises on the north side of a steep peninsula, directly beneath fortification walls and buildings of Acronauplia — one of three castles situated in the historic town. Nafplio was the capital of Greece from 1821 until the country’s Parliament relocated to Athens in 1834. Fast favourite: It wasn’t love at […]Read More »
Trifilia's enticing attractions
This film by Achillefs Jorjini spotlights more than 30 stunning destinations in the western Peloponnese area of Trifilia Treasure trove: Plans for our next Greek holiday are gradually coming together, and a visit to part of the Peloponnese is on the itinerary for the second year in a row. Last year’s vacation took us through the […]Read More »
Photo highlights from our trip to the Peloponnese and Hydra
The fascinating fortress town of Monemvasia, where we spent three days and nights in early June Amazing experience: I only need one word to describe our first-ever visit to Greece’s Peloponnese region and Hydra island this month: Wow! We weren’t even halfway through our holiday when we noted that the trip was shaping up as one of our […]Read More »
