Messinia lies in the south west corner of the Peloponnese, the southern part of mainland Greece. The Peloponnese is now divided from mainland Greece by the Corinth Canal which is as straight as a die with white walls 80m high, barely 25m apart and 8m deep. The Peloponnese gives rise to centuries of human achievement amidst diverse natural beauty.  It 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 and along the coast dozens of Frankish, Venetian and Ottoman citadels crown the hilltops to protect the ever coveted land. The Peloponnese also offers some of the most stunning landscapes, from the barren crags of the Mani and softer contours of Messinia to the forested peaks and flower-blanketed pastures of Arcadia. There are an abundance of dramatic mountains with fertile plains between them where Mediterranean vegetation, olives, vines, cereals, and fruit trees grow.  

The Messinian region 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.

The giant Taygetos Mountains loom high above the city of Kalamata and extend east along the spine of the Messinian Mani peninsular. The dramatic 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, as well as an abundance of picturesque harbour town with brightly paint fishing boats.  The city of Kalamata heads the Messini Bay and is an ideal location for visitors to explore the surrounding area of Messinia.

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.