Kalamata is the second city of the Peloponnese and, since the A7 motorway was completed, one of the easiest long drives in Greece.
Diagram by Greece Trips. Free to reuse with credit - CC BY 4.0.
The ways
By car, about two and a half to three hours on the A7 via Corinth and Tripoli. It is tolled, it is fast, and it replaced a road that used to take twice as long.
By bus, KTEL direct from Athens, comfortable and roughly the same time plus stops.
By air, a short flight to Kalamata (KLX), which also takes direct summer charters from northern Europe, and which is the airport that serves the whole Messinia resort coast.
Not by train. The old Peloponnese line is suspended. See trains in Greece.
Why go
Kalamata itself is a working city with a long seafront, a good market, an old town under a castle, and the olives. It is pleasant rather than a sight.
What it opens up is the point:
- The Messinian coast: Koroni and Methoni with their Venetian sea castles, Pylos on its great bay, and Voidokilia, the crescent beach behind a lagoon.
- The Mani, immediately south: tower villages, stone, and the Diros caves.
- Kardamyli, half an hour down the coast, and the best base in the region.
- Ancient Messene, north of the city, one of the largest and least-visited classical sites in Greece.
- Sparta and Mystras an hour east over the Taygetos mountains, on a spectacular road.
Practical notes
- You want a car here more than almost anywhere in Greece. The point of Kalamata is what is around it.
- The Taygetos crossing to Sparta is a real mountain road: slow, beautiful, and not to be attempted in a hurry.
- Summer is hot inland. The coast is fine; ancient Messene at midday in August is not.
- Tolls on the A7 are frequent and add up. Keep coins or a card handy.
Last checked August 2026. Road, bus and flight details change - see our editorial policy.
Common questions
How long does it take to drive from Athens to Kalamata?
About two and a half to three hours on the A7 motorway via Corinth and Tripoli.
Is there a train from Athens to Kalamata?
No. The Peloponnese railway is largely suspended, so the route is by road or by air.
Does Kalamata have an airport?
Yes. It has domestic flights from Athens and direct summer charters from northern Europe, and it serves the whole Messinia coast.
What is near Kalamata?
The Mani immediately south, Kardamyli half an hour away, the Messinian castles at Koroni and Methoni, Voidokilia beach, and Mystras an hour east.
Do you need a car in Kalamata?
Yes, effectively. The city is a base, and everything worth the trip is spread along the coast and into the mountains around it.
Next
Read Kalamata, the Mani, or the Peloponnese road trip.