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Messinia around Navarino Greek House.

Twenty articles on Voidokilia, Pylos, the Palace of Nestor, the olives and the festivals of this part of the Peloponnese: what to see, when to come, what to eat and how to get around.

Things to see and do

Navarino Castle: the fortress above Voidokilia

You can only get up there on foot, and from the top it all makes sense: the bay, the lagoon, the open sea. An hour's walk that is worth the whole day.

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Things to see and do

The Palace of Nestor: the Odyssey and the Linear B tablets

The best-preserved Mycenaean palace in mainland Greece is eleven kilometres from the house, and it changed the history of Bronze Age studies.

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Things to see and do

Pylos and Niokastro: the fortress on Navarino Bay

A square shaded by plane trees, the harbour and an Ottoman fortress watching over the mouth of the bay. Half a day out, twenty minutes from the house.

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Things to see and do

Methoni and Koroni: the two Venetian castles of Messinia

They were called “the eyes of the Republic”: two seaside fortresses half an hour and just over an hour's drive away, perfect for a day trip.

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Things to see and do

Ancient Messene and Kalamata: inland Messinia

An almost intact ancient city an hour and a half away and the regional capital just over an hour away: two very different days out on the other side of the region.

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Festivals and events

October in Pylos: commemorating the Battle of Navarino

Every October the town remembers the 1827 naval battle fought in the bay in front of it. A different kind of weekend, out of season.

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Festivals and events

Orthodox Easter in Messinia: the most heartfelt festival of the year

More than Christmas, more than mid-August: Greek Easter is when the villages fill up and the countryside smells of spit-roasted lamb.

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Festivals and events

The olive harvest: the autumn that changes Messinia

From October to January, nets spread under the trees and mills working through the night: the time when this countryside is at its best.

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Festivals and events

15 August in Greece: Dekapentavgoustos and the panigiria

The feast of the Dormition of the Virgin is the high point of the Greek summer: church services, village festivals, music and long tables that go on late into the night.

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Flavours

What to eat in Messinia: tavernas, fish and home cooking

Meze, salad, grilled fish and oven-baked dishes: how a Greek taverna really works and what is worth looking out for around here.

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Flavours

Kalamata oil and olives: the green gold of Messinia

Koroneiki for oil, Kalamata for the table: two products that carry the name of this region halfway around the world.

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When to come

When to visit Messinia: a month-by-month guide

A warm sea until October, a green spring, a mild winter: how to choose the right time depending on what you want to do.

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When to come

Summer in Vromonéri: how to plan your day

Beach early, shade in the hottest hours, the village in the evening: the rhythm the Greek summer is meant to be lived at.

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When to come

Messinia out of season: spring and autumn without the crowds

Empty beaches, archaeological sites all to yourself and villages that go back to being villages. Why the shoulder seasons are the best time to come.

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Practical guides

How to get to Vromonéri: by air, sea or road

Fly to Kalamata, fly to Athens or take the ferry from Italy with your car: the three ways to reach Messinia, with the pros and cons of each.

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Practical guides

Getting around Messinia: roads, distances and a few tips

Country roads, hairpin bends heading inland and short but slow distances: how driving really works in this part of the Peloponnese.

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Practical guides

What to pack for Messinia

Closed shoes for the fortresses, high-factor protection for beaches without shade, a light jacket for the evening: the list of what you really need.

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The area

Gialova Lagoon: the southernmost wetland in the Balkans

Over two hundred and fifty bird species and a chameleon that, in Europe, lives only here: what makes the lagoon behind Voidokilia so special.

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The area

Marathopoli and Proti Island: the fishing village

Five kilometres from the house: boats pulled up on the shore, tavernas by the water and an uninhabited island closing off the horizon.

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