Though very few tourists make it to the southeast corner of the Peloponessos it is not because it lacks beautiful beaches, charming port villages and impressive Venetian fortresses. It has all of these and much more. The closest most tourists come to this area is by eating the famous olives from Kalamata. When an earthquake hit this town in 1986 more then 10,000 homes were destroyed but surprisingly many of its older buildings and the impressive 13th century castle still stands guard over the city. But Kalamata, despite the familiarity of it's name and the charm of the people is not a prime reason to visit the region, though if you are taking the train from either side of the Peleponissos, this is the last stop. After an hour or so in Kalamata your time is better spent in the little port town of Koroni with its lovely Zaga beach and its castle, or the fishing village of Finikounda, popular as one of the best windsurfing destinations in Greece, with a string of fine beaches, restaurants, hotels and campsites. The town of Methoni has a vast 13th century fortress surrounded on three sides by the sea and the fourth by a moat. Inside the fortress is an entire medieval town and you can literally spend hours wandering around.

The town of Pylos, one of the most attractive coastal villages in Greece was the site of the battle of Navarino which was not even supposed to be a battle but became the turning point in Greece's war of Independence when the British, French and Russian fleets under Admiral Codrington 'accidentally' sank 53 ships of Ibrahim Pashas combined Turkish, Egyptian and Tunisian fleets. Though meant to be a warning for the Turkish ships to leave the bay the end result is that those ships are still there to this day and can be seen in the clear waters. Though an embarrassment for Britain the end result of this misunderstanding was that the Peloponessos was liberated and the Peleponessos became the nation of modern Greece. The town itself has a central square down by the waterfront and most life revolves around it. There are two castles; one on each side of the bay and nearby is the Mycenean Palace of Nestor one of the best preserved of all Mycenean palaces. Many of the frescos and artefacts found here are now in the archaeological museum in nearby Chora.

To the east of Kalamata is the Messinian Mani with its clean pebble beaches, wooded slopes and rugged peaks, beautiful villages with cobbled streets and flower filled gardens and courtyards, castles, Byzantine churches and towers. There are campsites along the coast as well close to some of the nicest beaches in Greece. The villages of Stoupa and Karadmyli at the end of the Vyros Gorge is in the shadow of Mount Taygetos on the gulf of Messinia and is known for the wonderful trekking trails that enable those of sound health and strong legs to explore the area in the way it was meant to be explored.

Descriptions courtesy of Matt Barrett at www.greecetravel.com