Touring the beautiful place of Messenia, Greece is said to be like travelling back in time. You will get to see the unspoilt and fresh nature, along with the ancient Greek structures and ruins of ancient Messenia. With all the wonderful tourist spots that Messenia has to offer, what specific places should you aim to go?
The Waterfalls
There are different waterfalls all over Messenia that you should visit, one of them being the Polilimnio Waterfalls located in the Municipality of Voufrada. The majestic waterfalls cascade to lovely and clear blue ponds where you can enjoy a swim. Because of the natural beauty of the place, many consider it to be Messenia’s hidden paradise. However, it can be a challenge to reach the waterfalls, requiring more or less a kilometre of walking from the parking lot (so be sure to wear comfortable shoes), although along the way you’ll pass by wooden bridges and lush vegetation which will make the long walk a pleasant trod. You’ll also get to see about fifteen lakes which boast of pristine waters and untouched forests.
The Beaches
There are many beautiful beaches in Messenia. In fact, the beaches of Messenia are the number one reason why many people visit the place in the first place. There is the Voidokilia Beach in Gialova, and another beach in Pylos called the Romanos Beach. There is another beach in Kardamili called the Alypa Beach. Some of the beaches are pretty much unpopulated, so you can enjoy a great and relaxing time at lounging in the sand and swimming in the clear, blue waters. Most of the beaches have great views of the ocean from the hills, and the jutting rocks and the green mountains form a fantastic backdrop against the turquoise waters of the sea.
Ancient Messenia
There are many ruins across Messenia which reflects the past glorious civilizations that thrived in Greece.
For example, there is the Ancient Pylos or Nestor’s Palace, which is one of the best preserved remnants of Ancient Messenia. It has a complex of buildings inside the fortress walls, and although it was destroyed it the 12th century BC there are still some structures which are intact and worth a visit. There are other castles in Messenia that shouldn’t be missed, like the Niokastro Castle and the nearby Palaiokastron, both located on the summit of a hill and the first one being the older of the two. Another castle is the Methoni Castle in Methoni which is located by the waters and makes the ruins a really idyllic spot. Aside from castles, there are also other ancient structures that are worth a visit, like Thrasymedes’ Tomb and the Peristeria Mycenean tomb. Plus there are countless of walls and watchtowers that abound in the place.
Messenia offers tourist varied landscapes, from cool blue beaches to lush green mountains, and in all of these you will find something interesting and worth seeing that reflect the ancient civilizations that thrived in Messenia, Greece.
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Photo by visitgreecegr on Flickr
