Just over two years ago Beth, my mom, my sister, and I were in the process of planning our trip to France to visit my Aunt Kathy. Aunt Kathy had moved to the wine region of Saint-Émilion just outside of Bordeaux over 10 years ago. We were all excited to see her. Sadly just a couple of months before our trip Aunt Kathy tragically passed away very unexpectedly in March 2018.

This was very devastating as we were all extremely excited to see her and my mom lost her beloved sister. Aunt Kathy lived life to the beat of her own drum and was one of the most caring and loving people around. When she first moved to Europe our family would play where in the world is Aunt Kathy as she hadn’t quite picked a spot. She would send my mom and our extended family random emails or just pictures from wherever she was. One of the emails I remember, talked about how great the weather was and about flocks of flamingos. Our whole family would try to guess where she was in Europe. Eventually her travels through Europe landed her in Saint-Émilion permanently where she purchased an old vineyard with her husband. Once she settled in at her vineyard, Chateau Plaisance, many family members visited her throughout the years.

As for our journey we decided to keep our travels to France for that summer to honor Aunt Kathy. Her husband was more than welcoming and encouraged us to continue our trip. We spent the first couple of days in Paris before taking a high speed train to Libourne where Aunt Kathy’s husband picked us up. It was truly wonderful experience getting the local European culture, learning about how the chateau functions, and reminiscing about Aunt Kathy. We were able to visit many of Aunt Kathy’s favorite spots which were very emotional but great experiences.

Greece is known for having some of the most famous and incredible ruins anywhere in the world. Many people know about the Acropolis, Delphi, Olympia, and Sparta but not many people know about ancient Messene. Ancient Messene sits on the Peloponnese near Kalamata and is definitely worth the small detour. Despite not being well known, Messene is one of the more impressive ruins in all of Greece. Messene was built in 369 BC and was one of the most prominent cities at the time. The ruins are extremely well preserved as it is one of the few places where the city was not destroyed or built over.

The far distance from Athens makes this historical site not crowded at all. We were two of maybe 30 people in the entire city! Yes, the site is the size of a small city and does require some walking. The entrance to the ruins at Messene sits below a more modern small village and has a very low fee to enter. From the top of the modern village you get a great view of the entire ruins and has a couple of great restaurants. Nearby to the ruins is a small museum with some statues and other items excavated from the site.

While staying in Peloponnese, Greece our plan was to try to adventure to many of the beautiful towns and beaches. From the Westin Costa Navarino we thought a perfect day trip would be to Methoni which is only 35 minutes away. Methoni is a small town on the southwestern most tip of mainland Greece and has an incredible castle. From our research there was also the possibility of taking a boat to the nearby Sapientza Isle. We could barely find any information online about this boat. The best guidance we could find was to show up at the docks at 10:00 AM.

Getting a Boat to Sapientza Isle

For our day trip to Methoni we got up early to leave us plenty of time to try and find the boat to Sapientza. The drive took us around the Gialova Bay, through the nearby town of Pylos, and then to Methoni. As with many Greek coastal towns the best and easiest parking is near the docks. We parked for free right in front of the main dock.

When we arrived we didn’t see any boats on the main dock. At a nearby restaurant we asked about the boat and they said that the dock was the correct place. Sure enough right around 10 AM we saw a small boat pull up. We walked out to the dock and saw a German couple doing the same thing as us. They joined us on the boat to Sapientza.

The name of the boat charter was Balkan Cruises. In our research we could find very limited information online about them but we can assure you they exist. Our captain didn’t speak much English but we were able to negotiate a ride to the island and back for 15 Euros each. We hopped on the boat and were dropped off at the uninhabited island with our new German friends and no way of contacting anyone… We told the boat captain to pick us up around 1 PM. The possibility of being stranded did occur to us. We prayed that the Euros we owned him would be enough of an incentive to pick us up…

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.