We continue along deserted roads and past blue bays across the two western fingers of the Peloponnese. A small sign in the middle of nowhere offers a modest cup of coffee. A delicatessen, unknown even to Google Maps, situated right by the country road north-west of Itylo, surprises us with its selection of over 3,000 affordable local delicacies.
Our destination for the day is Finindouka, a village that’s still quite peaceful on the western finger of the Peloponnese. The campsite is situated right on a private beach, criss-crossed by a small river, complete with parasols and sun loungers. After a good four weeks on the road, we bid farewell to the sea here.
The winding old town boasts lovely little tavernas serving good food. Nearby are the steep slopes of Pylos and Navarino Bay. Unfortunately, the wind isn’t strong enough for kitesurfing anymore. The beaches in the northern part of Navarino Bay are quite nice and uncrowded. The western part of the bay is marred by a luxury resort with a helipad and golf course, which stretches along almost a kilometre of private beach.
Voidivokilia Bay is said to be one of the most beautiful beaches in Greece. It is under strict nature conservation. Two yachts are moored there. The hustle and bustle seems to be too much for the sea turtles, which are actually laying their eggs here and now. We don’t see a single nest on the crowded beach.
The absolute highlight of our visit here is the beautiful Kalamaris waterfall, situated near Navarino Bay. Although you can get there without a four-wheel drive, the track is certainly one of the tougher ones. At the end, you walk for 20 minutes through olive groves, a shady bamboo forest and across the stream to the waterfall.
Even in the height of summer, plenty of water cascades down the Kalamaris waterfall, which is a good 20 metres high. Late morning offers the best light. Few visitors often mean an unobstructed view. It gets busier from midday onwards.
The next morning, we leave the south coast. We continue along country roads through the fruit orchards of the west coast. In the harbour of Kyparissia, fishermen’s by-catch and leftovers from a taverna mean that sea turtles can often be spotted. The Smurf is happy. So are we. A little further north lies the still-quite-secluded, turquoise-blue beach of Elia. This is where the turtles still lay their eggs, in hundreds of nests.
Our destination for the day is Olympia. A thunderstorm brings a welcome drop in temperature from over 30 degrees. Just a few years ago, the entrance fee to the site, with its two museums, was a modest six euros. Now it stands at a hefty €20. To put it bluntly, in the Smurf’s words: “Boring! Everything’s in ruins here.”
The only things still partially standing after two major earthquakes in the third and sixth centuries are the thermal baths built by the Romans all over the place. Incidentally, it was also the Romans who put an end to the ancient Olympic Games by declaring them a “pagan cult”. Perhaps we could give that some thought too. A bit more trendy, of course. I suggest “terrorism”…
Frank Woelky, born in 1973. Kitesurfer since 1998. Since 2006, I have been combining kitesurfing and web design on trips lasting several months off the beaten track.