Where Homer Walks Beside The Sea
There is a particular hush that settles over the south-west Peloponnese in the early evening, when the light turns the colour of olive oil, and the Ionian Sea goes quiet. It is easy to believe, here in Messinia, that the heroes of Homer might still be walking the hills. For travellers with the time to savour it, few places in Greece feel so generous.
Costa Navarino sits on this sunlit edge of the Peloponnese. I came with my family, but the more I wandered, the more I thought of readers who have earned the luxury of slowness, with no flight to rush for and no itinerary to tick off. This is a place that rewards lingering.
Choosing Your Corner
Four five-star resorts share the landscape: the W Costa Navarino and the Mandarin Oriental at Navarino Bay, and The Romanos and The Westin at Navarino Dunes. Each has its own temperament, so it pays to choose with care.
W is the quietest, a peaceful retreat for adults. The Westin, with its water park, suits a lively gathering of grandchildren. We stayed at The Romanos and found it a graceful middle path. From there, it is an easy stroll through the Dunes Agora to The Westin, so a multigenerational holiday works well even when everyone wants something different.
The Agora feels like a Greek village square, with restaurants, cafés and shops around open spaces. On warm evenings, an open-air cinema shows black-and-white classics. We watched Roman Holiday beneath the stars, the perfect kind of Mediterranean indulgence.
There is comfort, too, in staying with a resort that sees itself as a trustee of the landscape rather than its owner. Bioclimatic architecture and landscape preservation shape the resorts. Even the golf courses use organic fertilisers and a grass that needs around 30% less water than usual varieties.
Costa Navarino, where eco-initiatives, including the use of grass for golf courses that requires less watering, are prioritised.
Costa Navarino: eco-initiatives, including the use of grass for golf courses that requires less watering, are prioritised.
Costa Navarino prioritises eco-initiatives, including the use of grass for golf courses that requires less watering.
Following Homer, at Your Own Pace
You cannot come to Greece and simply lie by the pool. Well, you can, but you would miss the best of it. The concierge will arrange transport and guided tours, so you can step into history without wrestling with maps, road signs or timetables.
Begin at the Palace of Nestor near Pylos, dating to around 1300 BC. It is one of Greece’s most significant Mycenaean sites, and the best place to start making sense of The Iliad and The Odyssey. Among the ruins, you learn about the Linear B tablets, some of the earliest written Greek; suddenly the old epics feel close enough to touch.
When you are ready for a longer day, Ancient Messene (369 BC) and Ancient Olympia (776 BC) show how the Greeks gave the world its theatre, art, athletics and philosophy. Ancient Olympia lies north of Messenia, so it is best treated as a full excursion with a guide. Closer to the resorts, there are Bronze Age vaulted tombs dating to around 1600 BC. Pylos’s Tsiklitiras Mansion holds artefacts from the Greek War of Independence, and there are castles, villages and museums to uncover. Kalamata’s old town and the serene Voulkanos Monastery each make a satisfying, unhurried morning.
Picture by Konstantinos Livadas / Pexels
Tables Worth Lingering Over
The restaurants span the globe, but I’d start with the Greek. Armyra serves the catch of the day and a Greek salad worth crossing a continent for. Finish with loukoumades or galaktoboureko. Da Luigi offers bruschetta and a fine cacio e pepe, while at Onuki you can enjoy sushi and a lychee martini as the sun sets over the Ionian. For a nightcap, 1827 pours wines from local vineyards, or handcrafted cocktails with live music on the terrace.
Days That Ask Nothing of You
Some days call for gentle movement, such as a kayak across to the wild sweep of Voidokilia Beach or a game of padel with friends. Others call for an olive grove massage or a long afternoon beside the Eleon pool.
Golfers have four signature 18-hole courses to explore, including The Hills and The Bay. Afterwards, Flame is a lovely place to end the day. You sit outdoors with the Dunes Course below and the mountains drawn dark on the horizon, and eat steak with vegetables gathered from the resort’s kitchen gardens.
My favourite experiences were the quiet ones. At an astronomy night, you gaze at a sky untroubled by city lights. At the olive harvest, you embrace a Messinian tradition, visit the local press, and finally taste the green, peppery oil still fresh from the stone. It tastes of the place itself.
Consider the Peloponnese for next summer, or better still for the shoulder season, when the light is soft, and the sites are calmer. Greece has watched the centuries pass without haste, and in Messinia, as the evening settles over the sea, you may find you have no wish to hurry either.
Romanos lobby
Sushi from Onuki Japanese restaurant
The Eleon pool
The 1827 lounge and bar
Da Luigi Italian restaurant
Costa Navarino, providing a blissful Mediterranean retreat
Traveller’s Notes
Where: Costa Navarino, Messinia, south-west Peloponnese, Greece. Kalamata is the nearest city, and many travellers fly via Athens.
Where to stay: The Romanos and The Westin (Navarino Dunes); W Costa Navarino and Mandarin Oriental (Navarino Bay). W welcomes guests aged 12 and over.
Pace yourself: Archaeological sites involve uneven ground and sun exposure. Ask the concierge about guided options, timings, and mobility access when booking.
Don’t miss: Palace of Nestor (Pylos), Ancient Messene, Ancient Olympia (a full-day excursion), Voulkanos Monastery, Voidokilia Beach.
Eat and drink: Armyra (Greek), Da Luigi (Italian), Onuki (Japanese), Flame (steakhouse), 1827 (lounge and bar).
Good to know: Olive harvesting and astronomy nights are seasonal, so ask when booking.
More information: https://www.costanavarino.com/
