WORDS
ROBIN GAULDIE
PHOTOS
ALAMY
Peloponnese sun
01
Dish of the day
The purple-black
olives from the groves
surrounding Kalamata
are often regarded as
the world’s finest.
You’ll find them in
every taverna as a
must-order dish for
mezedes
,
the Greek
take on tapas. Their
oil is also an essential
ingredient in
everything on the
menu at To Limeni, on
Kalamata’s lively
marina, including fish,
lobster and octopus.
Go for their fresh,
grilled
melanourgia
,
the tastiest fish in
Greek waters.
tolimeni.gr
02
Old faithful
Founded some 2,400
years ago, ancient
Messini
,
25
km north of
Kalamata, is as
awesome as any of
Greece’s great
archaeological sites,
yet very few people
come here. Ramparts
hint at its former
grandeur, along with
the amphitheatre,
stadium and temple.
gargarou.com/html/
messini
03
Young pretender
About an hour from
the airport, at Costa
Navarino, you’ll find
Greece’s first great
signature golf courses:
the 18-hole seaside
Bay Course, designed
by Robert Trent Jones
Jr and opened in 2011,
and the 18-hole Dunes
Course, sculpted by
Bernhard Langer and
opened in 2010.
costanavarinogolf.com.
04
Do now
Expect fireworks,
marching bands and
solemn Orthodox
03
Kalamata is the gateway to the southern Greek
mainland’s fishing ports and white-crescent
beaches. Follow our seven tips for a perfect trip
02
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T H E
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K A L A M A T A
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T H E R E G U L A R S
