Messinia Peloponnese Greece

Messinia lies in the south west corner of the Peloponnese, the southern part of mainland Greece. The Peloponnese contains the majority of Greece's best archaeological sites including Olympia, Mycenae, Ancient Messini, Corinth, Mystra and Epidavros. The history of the Peloponnese does not stop with the antique times. There are many testaments to the eventful Middle Ages and a colourful Byzantine Renaissance.

Messinia offers some of the most stunning landscapes in Greece, from the barren crags of The Mani to the softer contours of Messinia. The dramatic Taygetos Mountains loom high above the city of Kalamata and extend east along the spine of the Messinian Mani peninsular. The spectacular scenery of The Mani is famed for it grey stone tower houses and it past history of savage family feuds ignited by trivial offences which raged for generations. However, nowadays the locals are welcoming and friendly, often offering visitors gifts of wine and oranges. The Messinian peninsular to the west of Kalamata in contrast has green fertile valleys and gentle rolling hills toped with well preserved fortresses such as those at Methoni, Pylos and Koroni, as well as an abundance of picturesque harbour towns with brightly paint fishing boats like the ones at Finkounda and Petalidi. The city of Kalamata heads the Messinian Bay and is an ideal location for visitors to explore the surrounding area of Messinia.

The Messinian region also enjoys some of the finest coastline and cleanest beaches that Greece has to offer. There is little development and the beaches are entirely unspoilt and natural. Even during the peak summer holiday season there are no more than a handful of people to be seen on them. In addition the winters are mild and a gentle breeze blows away the summer heat.

A world apart from the islands, simply stunning and sparsely inhabited Messinia is a bastion of disappearing Greek village life. The rustic villages are time-honoured and delightfully authentic. So it's easy to why Messinia is an ideal location to unwind and relax.