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The easy life in the Peloponnese
If you’re looking to relax in the sun, play on the beach and enjoy gorgeous local food, choose Kalamata for your perfect holiday. You just need to find someone who’ll feed you olives at your sun lounger.
For beach holidays, book flights to Kalamata, where you’ll find the coast to the west has resorts served by white sandy coastline. Stay in the east for fancy resorts nearer Athens. For a longer trip, drive down after partying in Athens for a serene resort stay near Kalamata, before wandering north. Pause for flaky feta pie en route in a coastal village, and take a ferry across to Zante from the town of Killini. The perfect Peloponnese sandwich.
Hotels in Western Peloponnese
Things to do in Kalamata and beyond
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Explore ancient wonders
Explore ancient wonders
This is Sparta: just east of Kalamata, visit the town of Sparti, once famous for its fearsome warriors. Venture north of Kalamata to visit Olympia, the ancient Greek city which hosted the historic Olympic games. Among the ruins you can visit the Temple of Zeus, and the stadium, where you can still make out the track and judges’ platform. For a true Greek epic, discover Ancient Mycenae, guarded by the Lion Gate and home to Agamemnon, who, according to legend, lead the Greeks into the Trojan War. At Diros you can explore one of the world’s best underground lakes.
Stock up on foodie souvenirs
Stock up on foodie souvenirs
This region of Greece is a gastronomic heartland. Fruit trees blush with apricots, oranges and lemons through the seasons. The region’s plump, meaty Kalamata olives are always hand-picked and make an exquisite extra virgin olive oil – an essential souvenir. For something stronger, the local vineyards in the Nemea region produce very drinkable wine. Look out for vegetables from the fertile Argos plain, including gorgeous aubergines and melons. Stews, filo pastry pies and feta salad abound on the menus. Try a rustic lagotó – pork cooked in a very garlicky sauce with breadcrumbs and vinegar.
Pad across pretty beaches
Pad across pretty beaches
The Peloponnese peninsula hangs down like a four-fingered cartoon hand from Athens, sporting huge quantities of relatively unexplored coastline on its fingers. The beaches around the Messinian Gulf, where Kalamata sits, are particularly pretty. Head straight to Voidokilia beach, one of the most beautiful in Greece. Its white dish of sand sits below a castle-topped hill. Just south of Kalamata, Stoupa has secluded beaches and fantastic tavernas, and Skoutari has even quieter shores – this area is a well-kept local secret.
Have a cocktail in Kalamata
Have a cocktail in Kalamata
Mountainous and relatively undiscovered, this area isn’t not known for its large array of nightlife, but you’ll still find some fun bars and clubs in Kalamata. There are cocktail bars, taverns and clubs along the seafront and in the centre of town. Try the Agali Beach Bar, a stylish space overlooking the bay. Hang out in Bocca with the cool crowd, where they make deliciously unique cocktails. If you travel further out toward Stoupa, head to To Steki – a brilliant café bar on the esplanade.
