When most people think of Greece they think of unspoiled gorgeous beaches on one of the many islands. However, one of the most beautiful in the country and maybe the entire Mediterranean Sea is not on an island but in the Peloponnese region. Voidokilia beach is famous for it’s crescent shaped beach with a spectacular blending of colors. It is literally postcard worthy and should be on anyone’s itinerary if they are in the Peloponnese region.

We were fortunate enough to spend a day at Voidokilia beach while we stayed at the Westin Costa Navarino. It was a short 15 minute drive for us to get there from the Westin. This was our favorite beach and hike we did in Greece. Our Greek trip included a stop in quaint Stoupa, hiking the waterfalls in Polylimnio waterfalls, and much more.

Not only is the beach beautiful from the shore but here is a great hike that provides an unparalleled view of the famous beach, access to ruins of the Navarino Castle, and even the option to explore Nestor’s Cave. We recommend to not only enjoy the water but get some exercise in by hiking up the nearby hill for the view of Voidokilia beach.

As part of our summer Greece trip we stayed five wonderful nights at the Westin Costa Navarino in the Peloponnese region. We drove here from Stoupa, Greece and stopped at the Polylimnio Waterfalls on the way. Both Stoupa and the waterfalls are highly recommended and have a different feel than the Westin. The Westin is a more typical resort but there is still a huge lack of tourists in the Peloponnese. We were one of the few tourists in this part of Greece and we saw maybe one other American.

The Westin Costa Navarino is part of the Marriott chain and it is possible to redeem points here. We were very fortunate to be able to book five nights all on the points in peak summer time. At the time we booked the hotel it was 35,000 points a night and because we booked five nights we got the last night free. On all Marriott award redemptions the fifth night is free. This was a great value of using points as the rooms can go for over $400 a night in the summer.

What to Do

Even if you aren’t able to use points, the Westin Costa Navarino is a truly great resort. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay here and we were able to enjoy some of the activities at the resort and nearby areas. The Westin is a great base for exploring this part of the Peloponnese. Just a few of the activities nearby include:

• Enjoy the beautiful property at Costa Navarino with hundreds of private pools, a water park, a gorgeous beach, and a golf course.
• Try one of the many restaurants at the property or take a short drive to the small town of Gialova for even better and more affordable options.
• Take a dip and hike around one of the prettiest beaches in the world at Voidokilia Beach.
• Drive south to explore other beaches and towns including Pylos, Methoni, and Koroni.
• Stop by the actual site of Palace of Nestor which is described described in Homer’s Odyssey and Iliad.
• Explore the ruins of Ancient Messene which consists of a whole city from the 3rd century BC.
• Hike the Polylimnio Waterfalls while enjoying the crisp cool waters.

We just spent a nice long weekend in Winter Park, Colorado to enjoy the fall colors, hike, and visit Rocky Mountain National Park to see the Elk rut! There are many great fall activities to enjoy within an hour of Winter Park, here are a few:

• Take the gondola up at the Winter Park Ski Resort, ride down the alpine slide, or take on the mini golf course.
• Grab some delicious food at nearby Winter Park (the town) or Fraser.
• Hike a couple of the nearby trails such as Jim’s Creek, St Louis Creek, or Broome Hut for the fall colors.
• Take a scenic drive to Hot Sulphur springs to see the aspens changing colors, drive through the scenic Byer’s Canyon, and take a dip in the hot springs.
• Stop by Grand Lake for the great views of the water and for some yummy food.
• Drive up to Rocky Mountain National Park to see the dramatic scenery and the Elk rut which happens only in the fall.

For our visit some of our family was also able to join and we all had a wonderful time. We stayed just across the street from the ski resort at a condo with a hot tub and great views. Fall is great time to come to Winter Park as accommodations prices are significantly cheaper than peak season and there are almost no other tourists. However, one thing that is not predictable is what the weather will be like in Colorado in the fall especially in the mountains. We were extremely fortunate to have sunny and 60 degree days the entire time during the beginning of October. To make it even better many of the aspen trees were peaking in color.

After spending a couple of glorious days in Stoupa, Greece we ventured towards our next stop in the Peloponnese. Our next stop was to stay at the wonderful Westin Costa Navarino which is a two hour drive from Stoupa. To break up the drive we did a minor detour to hike and swim at the Polylimnio Waterfalls. The waterfalls were more than just a detour and were one of our highlights of our 2019 European trip. One of the best parts is that the waterfalls are free for everyone, you just need to drive there.

The Polylimnio waterfalls consists of 15 beautiful teal lakes, many of which have waterfalls. This is hike is not like anything you have experienced before. It is like walking through a teal tea garden in paradise. The hike itself is short, but technical and intense at times. Bring good hiking sandals as you will want good traction and your feet will get wet as you hike. As we climbed up the waterfalls we decided to jump into two of the larger lakes. The water was freezing, but it was worth it!

As we are relatively new residents to Colorado, we have been trying to take advantage of the easy access to the mountains. Last weekend we decided to hike up James Peak which is just over an hour away from Denver metro. James Peak sits over 13,000 feet above sea level, hence the name a 13er. This was our second highest peak we have ascended in Colorado. We previously did Bierstadt which is over 14,000 feet above sea level.

The easiest access to James Peak is by driving to the St. Mary’s Glacier parking lot. St. Mary’s is an extremely popular spot as it provides quick access to some superb scenery without too much effort. Many tourists stop here to view the beautiful lake and the nearby snow glacier. Despite it’s popularity not many people hike above the glacier which is how you get to James Peak. If you start the James Peak hike from the St. Mary’s area you will need to bring $5 in cash or check as it is a private lot. Do not park along the road as you will get a ticket and block emergency vehicles.

We arrived around 7:30 AM to the St. Mary’s parking lot and there were maybe ten cars in the lot. The hike from the lot to the top of James Peak and back is between eight to ten miles. Unfortunately, our trusty Alltrails app did not accurately track the route but based on our how tired our legs were and other people’s reviews on Alltrails, we can safely say it is over eight miles and nearly 3,000 vertical feet. This was a tough but doable hike. Our dog, Spruce, absolutely loved it and was ready for even more. This was Spruce’s longest hike ever and he was a champ.