Greece 12 - Peloponnese

PeloPonnese

M

ESSINIA

PeloPonnese

SLEEPING

& E

ATING

PeloPonnese

G I A L O V A

sunken Turkish ships are discernible in the
clear waters. The price depends on the num-
ber of passengers, but reckon on about €15
per person (minimum numbers apply).

4 Sleeping & Eating

There is a much better selection of restau-
rants clustered along the pedestrianised wa-
terfront in nearby Gialova, 8km north along
Navarino Bay.

oTina’s House B&B €
(%27230 23653; http://www.pylosrooms.com; d incl break-
fast €50; aW) A handful of stylish rooms in
a bluff-top location, unbeatable views of the
bay, a wonderfully friendly hostess and an ex-
cellent breakfast make this a superb, homey
choice. Bring your own wheels or be prepared
for a stiff uphill 15-minute walk from town.

Karalís Beach Hotel HOTEL €€
(%27230 23021; http://www.karalisbeach.gr; Paralia; d/
tr/f €75/85/160; aW) Pylos’ clear winner in
the hotel stakes is this intimate little place
with 14 compact, stylish rooms, all with wood
floors and decorated in tranquil creams.
Front rooms have balconies. You’ll like this
place for the setting alone – under the castle
walls, clinging to a cliff over the water.

Koukos TAVErNA €
(%27230 22950; mains €7.50-11; hlunch & dinner)
A plain, unpretentious, good old-fashioned
taverna with a loyal local clientele, serving
hearty portions of grills and oven-baked
dishes on a changing menu. It’s a short walk
up the hill above the port – ask for directions
in the plaza.

8 Getting There & Away

The KTEL Messinia bus station (% 27230

22230; http://www.ktelmessinias.gr) is on the inland

side of the central square. from the bus station,

there are services to Kalamata (€5, 1¾ hours,

four to seven daily); Kyparissia (€6.10, 1¼ hours,

two to four daily) via Nestor’s Palace (€2, 30

minutes) and Chora (€2, 35 minutes); Methoni

(€1.60, 20 minutes, three to four daily); and

Athens (€28, five hours, two daily). There’s one

connection a day for Patra departing Kyparissia.

Gialova Γιάλοβα

POP 280

The village of Gialova lies 8km north of

Pylos on the northeastern edge of Navari-

no Bay. There’s a fine sandy beach and safe

swimming in the sheltered waters of the bay.

The Gialova Lagoon is a prime birdwatching

site in winter.

4 Sleeping & Eating

Camping Erodios CAMPGrOuND €

(%27230 23269; http://www.erodioss.gr; camp sites per

adult/tent/car €7/5/4, 2-/4-bed cabins €65/75;

W) Neat as a pin, this campground has a

good stretch of beach on Navarino Bay and

great facilities. It’s northwest of the village

on the road leading out to the Gialova La-

goon and Paleokastro.

Zoe Resort HOTEL €€

(%27230 22025; http://www.zoeresort.com; r incl break-

fast from €70, apt from €90; paWs) This

once-small family-run place on the seafront

near the pier has morphed into an appealing

BIRDWATCHING & THE GIALOVA LAGOON

The best, and most accessible, birdwatching site in the Peloponnese is the Gialova Lagoon.

Between September and March the lagoon is home to up to 20,000 assorted waterbirds,

while many others pause on their spring migration between Africa and Eastern Europe.

The Hellenic Ornithological Society has recorded here 265 of around 400 species

found in Greece, including 79 protected species, 10 species of duck and eight types of

heron. Waders descend in their thousands, along with flamingos and glossy ibises. Birds

of prey include the internationally threatened imperial eagle, plus ospreys, peregrine

falcons and harriers. Birds aside, 28 types of mammal and 26 species of reptile also call

the lagoon’s environs home.

The lagoon and associated wetlands cover 700 hectares at the northern end of Nava-

rino Bay, separated from the bay by a narrow spit of land leading out to Koryphasion Hill.

They are fed by two freshwater streams that flow into the reed beds on the northern and

eastern flanks of the lagoon and empty into Navarino Bay, below Koryphasion Hill.

The wetlands and surrounding coastal habitats were declared a protected area in

1997. The old pump house has been converted into an information centre staffed by
      volunteers in summer and is the starting point for a walking trail that guides visitors
      through a range of habitats.