What to pack for Messinia

Packing for Messinia is easy, as long as you remember one thing: here you do not just spend your time on the beach. Between fortresses to climb on foot, sprawling archaeological sites and country roads, half of your luggage is for what you do away from the sea.

Shoes, the most important item

You need at least two pairs. A light pair for the beach and the village, and a closed pair with soles that grip. The second is not excessive caution: the path up to Navarino Castle is on smooth rock, you spend hours walking on gravel at Ancient Messene, and the fortresses of Methoni and Niokastro have uneven paving. In flip-flops, quite simply, you will not manage.

Sun and heat

From June to September the sun is strong and the most beautiful beaches in the area have no natural shade. High-factor sun cream, a hat and sunglasses are essential, and it is worth adding a light long-sleeved T-shirt for the worst hours, especially for children.

A water bottle or a reusable bottle solves the problem of water on excursions: at archaeological sites there are few places to get refreshments, and they are not always open.

Evenings and the shoulder seasons

Even in high summer, a breeze can pick up on the coast after sunset: a light sweatshirt or a long-sleeved shirt comes in handy most evenings, especially if you are dining outdoors by the sea. In spring and autumn they become essential, along with a light rain jacket.

For visits to churches and monasteries (Koroni Castle has one inside its walls), it is a good idea to have something that covers your shoulders and knees: it is a matter of respect and the norm throughout Greece.

What you do not need to bring

Umbrellas, sun loungers and beach gear are available to guests at the house: they are bulky and there is no point loading them into the car or onto a plane. The kitchen is fully equipped with appliances and tableware, so you do not need to bring anything for cooking, and there is a washing machine in the house, which means you can halve the clothes you pack, even for long stays.

You do not need a plug adaptor if you are coming from continental Europe: Greece uses the same standard.

Travel first-aid kit

It is worth bringing the essentials: any medicines you take regularly, in their original packaging, something for minor ailments, plasters and disinfectant for the scrapes that walking on rock regularly produces. There are pharmacies in the main towns, but not in the villages, and they keep shop hours.

If you are travelling from the European Union, the European Health Insurance Card is the document to keep in your pocket: it gives you access to public healthcare on the same terms as residents. It does not replace travel insurance, but it is the starting point.

Electronics and small items

A couple of things that seem unnecessary but are not: a torch or a head torch, useful in the countryside where there is no street lighting, and a multi-socket adaptor, because in any house the sockets are never where you need them and there are always more devices to charge than you expected.

Finally, a pair of binoculars turns a visit to Gialova Lagoon from “a nice walk” into “the morning I remember best”. They take up no space, and they are the thing people most often regret not packing.

If you are travelling with children

The items that really make a difference are few but important. Water shoes, because not all the coves in the area have a sandy bottom; a UV-protective T-shirt, which solves the problem of sunburnt shoulders better than any cream; and something for shade on the beach, since there is none on the wild beaches.

Otherwise, Messinia is an easy place for families: the shallow, clear water at many beaches lets you relax, and the supermarkets in the main towns have everything you need for little ones without any trouble.