Home»Travel Photography»2009 Greece

This gallery shows a trip made by Jayni and I to Greece in June 2009. The trip started with me on a business trip to Athens for a week followed by a week on vacation in a small village in the Peloponnese . The village we stayed in was near Pilos which is itself a very beautiful village. We stayed in Gialova which is tiny and about 6km from Pilos in the Thanos Village Apartments a really nice place run by Christos Karalis and his family.
It is situated on the bay of Navarino which is supposedly the place that the story the Guns of Navaronne is based on. Attractions in the area are the fantastic beaches, with Voidokilia beach being the most amazing.
VOIDOKILIA (Βοϊδοκοιλιά) Beach, Bay, Curve or Cove is not only one of the most beautiful beaches in Greece, but maybe also in the Mediterranean Sea.
The sheltered bay is referred to in Homer's Odyssey and archaeologists believe it was used by King Nestor as a port in ancient times.
The curve of Voidokilia seems to be traced with a compass like a giant Greek omega (the name means "cow's belly"), from the two rocky promontories that define the entrance of it. It is surrounded by a magnificent beach of light, fine sand, protected by the wind, and the crystalline beach invite one to go swimming.
Voidokilia is hidden behind sand dunes, which seem to be protecting its secret of magic beauty. The beach lies beneath the Old Frankish castle (Paliokastro) and the cave of King Nestor, the ancient King of Pylos, who according to legend, used this cave as a haven for his cattle. Taking the path up from Voidokilia to the Old Navarino castle you will enjoy the wonderful panorama that unfolds in front of you: the Divari lagoon of Gialova, Navarino Bay and the Peloponnesian hills covered with olive trees.

Another interesting site is the Kalamari waterfall. We cycled there in the blazing heat and hiked through some dense undergrowth to find it, but it was worth while.

The old Frankish castle up on Paleokastro hill provided great vistas of the area. It is guarded by hundreds of large spiders hanging in masses of webs, so if you are a arachnophobe you may want to give this place a miss. We thought it was wonderful.

Nestors cave is just below the castle on the side facing Voidokilia beach and made for interesting exploration.

The town of Pilos is very quaint and we spent a loverly day exploring it an enjoying a dinner of fresh fish.

Overall it was a great trip and I thoroughly recommend it if you like a quieter place off the beaten track.