The cultural and naturalistic beauties are really many. From the nearby castle of Koroni to that of Methoni, the fortress of Navarino, the beautiful archaeological complex of ancient Messini, the Nestor’s Palace or the Polylimnio waterfalls. For those who choose to venture further afield you can also go to visit the Ancient Olympia and the caves of Diros.

In Koroni you can also find boat visits also to the nearby islands of Skiza and Sapientza where you can take advantage of a short stop for snorkelling

Together with the fortress of nearby Methoni, Koroni was one of the oldest and longest-lasting Venetian colonies in the Peloponnese, also used as an outpost on the road to Crete: For this reason these two places were called, during the Middle Ages, “the eyes of the Serenissima “.

The castle of Koroni that dominates the village, built between 600 and 700 AD, was occupied alternately by the Venetians and the Turks from 1500 until 1828, when it was finally freed by the French.

In reality Koroni has ancient origins. The last Venetian fortification in fact rests on the remains of the previous Spartan building of Assine, built on the even older ones of the city of Rio, which Homer mentions among the seven Messene cities that participated in the Trojan war in the army sent by King Nestor.

Built by the Venetians in the early thirteenth century on a rocky promontory, the castle is among the largest in the Mediterranean. You will be amazed by the 14 arch stone bridge that connects the castle to the shore. The famous symbol of Venice, the lion of San Marco, dominates the door of the castle full of bas-reliefs, emblems, coats of arms and inscriptions and by the huge doors of the main gate, above the moat and the relics of two baths the Ottomans.

At the southern border of the castle stands a floating fortified islet. Bourtzi, as it is called, built by the Turks in the 16th century and used as a prison and place of execution and connected to the castle by a small stone road.

Even just reaching the old Fortress of Navarino is a suggestive experience. Not only for the fortress itself, but because you will have one of the most beautiful beaches in the world before you, Voidokilià Beach, also called the perfect Omega.

The construction dates back to the thirteenth century and had the function of protecting the bay of Navarino. The bay is historically known for having been the scene of two naval battles: the battle of Pylos (425 BC), where the Spartan army found a tragic end against the Athenians led by the strategist Demosthenes during the Peloponnesian war, and the battle of Navarino ( 1827), emblematic episode of the Greek war of independence from Turkish oppression.

Take your time to visit it in all its extensive extension. You will discover incredible panoramic glimpses of the bay between the countless towers and long perimeter walls.

Doric city-state founded by Epaminondas in 369 BC

The city-state, first friend of the Thebans and then allied to the Macedonians of Philip II, was one of the few to repeatedly oppose Sparta’s hegemony. In 191 BC it lost its autonomy by capitulating to the Achaeans. During the Roman period the city enjoyed a certain commercial prosperity.

Of the ancient city remains of the Hellenistic theater, the stadium, the temple dedicated to Artemis Limnatis and the fortified walls; the latter, built in the 4th century BC, represent one of the best examples of Greek military construction.

Of great presence is the monumental complex, consisting of a central courtyard, a double colonnade, a Doric temple, a large altar and meeting rooms.

On the hill of Epanò Englianos the ruins of Nestor’s palace look at the horizon full of olive trees and remember the wisdom and glory of their king, made immortal by Homer in the Odyssey. Ancient remains tell of the Mycenaean period when the Peloponnese was a rich and prosperous area of Greece, and the sovereign was a guest of exceptional generosity.

Today, one of the most important historical places in Messenia: it was discovered in 1939. Just 17 kilometers from the city of Pylos, archaeologists unearthed the remains of an ancient palace, built on the remains of previous structures, which coincides chronologically with the Homer’s tale. At the front of the structure is the famous archive of tablets written in linear B, the oldest form of Greek. The southern wing of Nestor’s palace retains the remains of the queen’s apartment where a terracotta bath tub was discovered – an element that also coincides with the Homeric narrative.

Renowned is the importance of Nestor’s palace and the strength of its king, who during the Trojan War sent the second largest military contingent with the “ninety black ships”.

A place worth visiting is located on the border between the provinces of Messinia and Ilia in western Peloponnese. This little paradise includes the canyon and waterfall of Neda. It is the only river in Greece with a female name. Neda was born near the village with the same name, on the southern slope of Mount Lykaion.

About 60 meters high, the waterfall, which plunges into the canyon, together with the rich vegetation that surrounds it – pines, wild figs, honeysuckles, laurels, willows and oaks – creates a truly fascinating and evocative landscape.

Olimpia is nestled in a valley located along the river Alfeo, in the Elis (north-western Peloponnese), near the town of Pisa (Greece).

The city had many buildings, some of which were used as a home by the athletes who participated in the games, called the Olympic games, which took place every four years in honor of Zeus. The first official games that gave prizes to its winners as privileges as heads of state.

In this place it was compiled for the first time in 776 BC. a list of winners: it can be inferred from this that it was the outcome of the first historically proven Olympics. The Olympics went through many historical events of antiquity until 393 AD. they were banned being considered pagan by the Christian Church.

After their rediscovery in the 18th century, the area was systematically excavated by archaeologists. The most important finds are set up in the Archaeological Museum of Olympia. In 1988, the Olympia archaeological site was added to the list of World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.

The suggestive stalagmite and stalagtite caves are a very intricate and dense network of natural tunnels, carved out of the water up to below sea level.

Legend has it that this cave system extends north to Sparta. Speleologists currently estimate its length in 14 km, of which 1.2 km accessible to visitors; the first 300 m are covered on foot, and then continue by boat.

Already inhabited in the Neolithic period, the caves were apparently abandoned following an earthquake in 4 BC. and they were not rediscovered until 1895, but their systematic exploration began only in 1949. The Dirós Caves are famous for the rich formations of stalactites and stalagmites, which have been given poetic names such as Palm Forest, Crystal Lily and The Three Wise Men. Some of these reach considerable dimensions, such as the famous throne room, the size of a football field.