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.

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 part of our larger Greece trip we wanted to explore the Peloponnese and our first stop was to Stoupa, Greece for three nights. You may ask where is the Peloponnese? Or why we didn’t travel to the typical Greek islands like Mykonos, Santorini, or Crete? Well, I can’t tell you how the Greek islands are but I can say the Peloponnese and Stoupa, Greece were spectacular! It was honestly surprising how few tourists were in this part of Greece in the middle of summer. There are both historical and natural sites that would be crawling with people if it were anywhere else. Within the Peloponnese there is literally a whole ancient city from the 3^rd century BC with only 20 other people! Not to mention the amazing food that is also very affordable!

Beth and I just finished up another busy summer with tons of travel to see friends and family but we also managed to escape to Europe for a long vacation in Greece with stops in Munich, Germany and Amsterdam, Netherlands. Despite being a trip halfway across the world we managed to have a luxurious trip on the cheap because we were able to use miles and points.

The main focus of our trip was visiting Peloponnese, Greece which did not disappoint. We did not do your typical Greek itinerary which usually includes an Athens stop and then bouncing around the most popular islands like Mykonos, Santorini, or Crete. Honestly, we can’t say we missed anything about visiting those major tourist spots based on what some of our friends have described. Peloponnese is relatively unknown especially for us Americans but features everything you need for a perfect Greek vacation including crystal clue blue waters, sandy feet, boats, private pools, incredible and cheap food, ancient sites, medieval sites, waterfalls, mountains, incredible hiking through natural wonders, deserted islands, and not to mention few other tourists!

To get to Greece we had a stop in Amsterdam, Netherlands and managed to explore much of the city in two full days. Despite being a city (we are usually not ones for large cities) we really enjoyed wandering the canals in Amsterdam. We only had one full day in Munich, Germany but we managed to make the most of it and Beth even finished her first full beer!