MagicalMessinia


As mainland Messinia gears up to host next month’s Abta Convention, Lina Molloholli looks at how to sell a crowd-free Greek getaway


DESTINATIONS PELOPONNESE | GREECE & CYPRUS


t travelweekly.co.uk


hough the Greek islands often steal the show, mountainous Messinia in the southeastern Peloponnese proves Greece’s mainland can be just as alluring. Its mix of olive groves that


stretch as far as the eye can see, and medieval castles overlooking sparkling bays, will be back in the spotlight this year as flagship development Costa Navarino plays host to the Abta Convention. It’s easy to reach too, with direct flights to Kalamata from London on British Airways, Jet2.com, easyJet and Ryanair, plus more regional links with Jet2.com adding capacity from Birmingham, Bristol and Manchester this summer. The growth reflects rising interest in the region: the Greek National Tourism Organisation reports 59,011 travellers were due to fly from the UK to Kalamata in March-October this year, a 25% increase from 2023. There are better links by road as well, with a highway built in


2017 from Kalamata to Athens meaning clients coming by car or coach from the capital can be there in less than three hours. Sunvil director Dudley der Parthog says: “Messinia is a secret


no longer, with flights from a number of UK regional airports, but development remains limited and the resort villages are small. The area has everything our clients look for: pretty fishing villages such as Finikounda or Agios Nikolaos, miles of sandy beach and history nearly everywhere you look – a journey through the centuries from Homeric legend to Byzantine chapels and Venetian castles.”


WHAT TO SEE Horseshoe-shaped Voidokilia Beach is a highlight for its white-sand dunes and pool-like waters. Gialova Lagoon, which backs onto the dunes, is a protected wetland with more than 270 bird species, including flamingos and herons. Here, travellers might spot the


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PICTURE: Shutterstock/Ververidis Vasilis


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