PeloPonnese
M
ESSINIA
PeloPonnese
GET TING
T
HE
rE & AWAY
PeloPonnese
Ar
OuND
G
IALOVA
resort. We like the older hotel rooms with
the small front balconies, although they’re
potentially noisy if Zoe’s outdoor taverna
rocks on. The resort section is modern, but
the service can be a little chaotic.oElia MEDITErrANEAN €
(%27230 23503; http://www.elia-gialova.gr; mains €6-15;
hfeb-Oct; Wv) Gourmet Greek meets con-
temporary Mediterranean eatery. The out-
standing smoked pork and orzo pasta with
seafood is matched by the ambience, trendy
designer lights and flower boxes.oLa Cucina Italiana ITALIAN €€
(%27230 23301; mains €7-17; h6.30pm-late)
From the seasonal spaghetti vongole (with
clams) and chicken sautéed with oranges
and honey, to the ample servings of pizza
piccante, this Italian restaurant really deliv-
ers. The sea views from the upstairs terrace
are complemented by friendly service, and a
free glass of sparkling wine comes accompa-
nies the noteworthy desserts.8 Getting There & Away
There are four buses a day south to Pylos (€2, 15
minutes) and up to six daily north to Kyparissia
via Nestor’s Palace and Chora. A taxi between
Gialova and Pylos costs around €15.Around Gialova
oPaleokastro ruIN
The ruins of this ancient castle, built by the
Franks in the 13th century on the site of the
acropolis of Ancient Pylos, lie 5km west of Gi-
alova on rugged Koryphasion Hill, a formi-
dable natural defensive position overlooking
the northern entrance to Navarino Bay.
The castle (officially closed) can be ex-
plored with care; avoid falling down cisterns
hidden by overgrowth. The views from the
top are magnificent. The road out to the cas-
tle is signposted on the northern edge of the
village.
Follow signs to Paleokastro, where the
road ends in a little car park. From there
you’ll find two ways of reaching the castle:
the left-hand path (20 minutes) skirts Kory-
phasion Hill and gradually leads up to the
entrance. The other route (40 minutes) is
signposted ‘Nestor’s Cave’; the path skirts
the lagoon before leading towards Voidok-
ilia Beach through the sand dunes; a fork in
the path leads up towards the cave where
Hermes hid Apollo’s cattle, according to the
legend. From the cave, it’s a tough scrambleup to the castle’s crumbling battlements, re-
warded by views of the perfect crescent of
the beach below.Voidokilia Beach BEACH
This perfect, sandy crescent with clear wa-
ters is presumed to be Homer’s ‘sandy Pylos’,
where Telemachus was warmly welcomed
when he came to ask wise old King Nestor
the whereabouts of his long-lost father, Od-
ysseus, King of Ithaca.
Follow the signs to Paleokastro and walk
the lagoonside track labelled ‘Nestor’s Cave’
from the Paleokastro car park (20 minutes)
or approach by road from the village of
Petrohori, 6km north of Gialova off the road
to Chora.Nestor’s Palace ruIN
(%27630 31437) The best preserved of all My-
cenaean palaces lies 17km north of modern
Pylos. It is described in Homer’s Odyssey as
the court of the mythical hero Nestor, who
took part in the voyage of the Argonauts
and sent 90 ships to fight in the Trojan War.
Originally a two-storey building, the palace’s
walls stand 1m high, giving a good idea of
the layout of a Mycenaean palace complex.
At the time of writing, renovations of the
palace were ongoing.
The main palace, in the middle, was a
building of many rooms. The largest room,
the throne room, was where the king dealt
with state business. In its centre was a large,
circular hearth surrounded by four ornate
columns that supported a 1st-floor balcony.
Surrounding the throne is the sentry box,
pantry, waiting room, a vestibule and, most
fascinating, a bathroom with a terracotta
tub still in place where, according to leg-
end, Polycaste, Nestor’s youngest daughter,
bathed the hero Telemachus.
Some of the palace frescoes and some of
the Linear B script tablets – the first to be
discovered on the mainland – are housed in
the museum in the nearby village of Chora.Chora Archaeological Museum MuSEuM
(%27632 31358; adult €2; h8.30am-3pm Tue-
Sun) This little museum, 4km northeast of
Nestor’s Palace in the village of Chora, hous-
es finds from the palace site and other Myce-
naean weaponry, jewellery and pottery from
tombs around Messinia. The prize pieces
are the incomplete frescoes from the throne
rooms at Nestor’s Palace and the Linear B
tablets (the latter are copies).
Buses from Pylos to Kyparissia stop at
Chora. If driving, follow signs for Kalamata.