• How to get there
• Accomodation
• Traditional products-Markets
• Setting off from Kalamata

Reaching Kalamata is easy. The Messinia capital is 238 kilometers from Athens and accessible by all means of transport. There is a regular Athens-Kalamata coach service, with frequent departures from the KTEL inter-city bus service in Athens at the Kifissos station. The Kalamata KTEL station also runs regular services to the villages of Messeinia and other towns in the Peloponnese. Kalamata is also connected to Thessaloniki by air with three weekly flights (Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays). By sea, there is a connection with Crete (Kasteli in Hania) and Kythera. From the Peloponnisou train station in Athens and running via Patras, there are daily train routes to Kalamata, while the local railway network also stops at various Messinia towns and villages. Kalamata’s modern marina allows for the mooring of [ read the chapter » ]

Hotels

ELITE Ναβαρίνου 2 (27210 22434)
ΕΛΙΤ Ναβαρίνου 2 (27210 25016)
REX Αριστομένους (2627210 94440)
ΦΑΡΑΙ ΠΑΛΛΑΣ Ναβαρίνου & Ρ.Φεραίου (27210 94420-4)
ΑΚΤΗ ΤΑΫΓΕΤΟΣ Μαντινεία (27210 92000)
MESSINIAN BAY Παραλία Βέργας (27210 41001)
ΦΙΛΟΞΕΝΙΑ Τέρμα Ναβαρίνου (27210 84213)
ΦΩΤΕΙΝΗ Βέργα (27210 93494-6)
ΤΑΫΓΕΤΟΣ Αλαγονία (27210 99236)
ΝΕΔΩΝ Ναβαρίνου 153 (27210 26811)
ΠΑΝΟΡΑΜΑ Βέργα (27210 41066)
ΓΑΛΑΞΙΑΣ Κολοκοτρώνη [ read the chapter » ]

Kalamata produces some of the best foods and products in Greece. First of all, its extra virgin oil (P.D.O “Kalamata”), as well as its virgin olive oil and the Kalamata olives are renowned for the quality. Excellent quality figs and tasty raisins dried naturally and consumed throughout the year are also produced in this area. Visitors may also taste wine, ouzo and other spirits produced by some of the oldest distilleries in Greece. A type of salty cheese known as sfela cheese, the perfect companion of the traditional lalaghia, is almost exclusively produced here. As far as sweets are concerned, don’t forget to taste the pasteli made of honey and sesame, the sweet compotes and the diples covered with honey. As a souvenir of Kalamata, don’t forget to buy its world famous silk handkerchiefs and scarves, or other woven souvenirs.

TOWN HALL 27213 60700
KEP 27213 61750
POLICE 27210 44600
TOURIST POLICE 27210 44681
FIRE DEPARTMENT 199
HOSPITAL 27210 46000
AMBULANCE 166
UNIVERSITY 27210 65114-6
TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY 27210 [ read the chapter » ]

There are many interesting destinations in the broader area around Kalamata that are ideal for simple R&R or vacationing, which combine natural beauty and an age-old history.

The towns and villages of Messenian Mani, on the fringes of the Messenian Gulf east of Kalamata are well worth trying. Stoupa (45 km from Kalamata) is a coastal village with long sandy beaches and a magnet for tourists, especially in the summer months. One of the most important landmarks here is the home of the celebrated Greek writer Nikos Kazantzakis, where he wrote Alexis Zorbas. Kardamyli (37 km from Kalamata), a pretty and picturesque little town, has stone houses and striking towers that serve as residences.

The nearby Vyros Ravine used to connect Kardamyli to Sparta in antiquity.

West of Kalamata there are more attractions to visit, including the town of Koroni, Methoni and Pylos. [ read the chapter » ]