Things to do in Kalamata

Kalamata is the second city of the Peloponnese and, for a visitor, mostly a base: it has the airport, the hotels and the road connections for a region with a great deal in it. That is not a criticism, and it is worth saying at the top so the rest of this page is read correctly. Almost everything in the southwest is within an hour of here.

The city is two parts, and they are unusually separate. The seafront is a four-kilometre run of beach, marina and promenade, lined with cafes and busy every evening: this is where the city relaxes. The old town is a couple of kilometres inland and is the historic centre. Understanding that split before you arrive saves an afternoon of wondering where the town is.

The old town, which is where the sights are. The castle on its hill; the church of the Holy Apostles, where the Greek revolution was declared in 1821; a Byzantine museum; and the covered market, which is the best in the region and the place to understand what Messenia grows. That last one is not a filler entry: a working market is a better introduction to a farming region than any museum.

Why the two halves feel different in age. The 1986 earthquake destroyed much of the old fabric. That is the explanation for what otherwise reads as a modern city with a historic quarter bolted on, and it is worth knowing rather than guessing at.

The olives, and what they are. Kalamata olives are the protected variety grown here, large, almond-shaped and dark, and the oil from the surrounding groves is among the best in Greece. Both are sold plainly in the market rather than as souvenirs, which is the difference between a food town and a gift-shop town.

The silk, which nobody expects. The city has a silk tradition and a museum in a restored mansion covering it, alongside the region’s other trades. It is a short visit and it explains a piece of local history that has nothing to do with olives.

What Kalamata is really the base for, all within about an hour. The Mani and Kardamyli south along the coast; Koroni and Methoni, the Venetian castle ports, to the southwest. Pylos and the Palace of Nestor sit beyond them, which is how a week of driving comes out of one bed.

How to use it. Sleep here, drive out, come back to the seafront in the evening. That is the shape that works, and it is why a city with a modest sight-list is on this site at all. Our Kalamata guide has the practicalities, the beaches cover the front and the coast, and where to stay covers the two halves.