A great weekend in Greece, at Costa Navarino

A few years ago, when I thought of Greece, I imagined traveling to Santorini or Mykonos… Until the day I saw two friends’ travel vlog on social media in the Peloponnese countryside. I had never heard of it before and it made me want to add this destination to my bucket list. Today, it has come true!

What if this year we made a stop in Greece, where the blue of the sky blends with the blue of the houses and the warm welcome of the locals?

To go where? To Costa Navarino!

It is in the heart of Messenia, in the southwest of Peloponnese in Greece, that a privileged and intimate destination lies, I name it, Costa Navarino.
Far from the clamor of places favored by tourists, lies this destination that is not only luxurious, but also Eco-friendly.
Designed and created by «Captain» Vassilis CONSTANTAKOPOULOS, this resort is built on 10 % of the lands in this region, with the % remaining 90 dedicated to the protection of endemic flora. And the crazy idea of making it an eco-friendly reserve doesn’t stop there: in fact, the waters surrounding Costa Navarino are home to several protected animal species, such as the sea turtle Caouane.

How to get to Costa Navarino?

I recommend booking your tickets with the Greek airline. AEGEAN Airlines, which was recently awarded a prize  » Best regional airline «  In Europe for the 8th time. For me, I had a very good experience on board; I managed to bring several suitcases on board and the food was simple but good.

You have two options to get to the Costa Navarino region:

• The first solution is to land in Athens and then rent a car (I found offers starting at 20 euros per day on the site of’ Autoescape, This is the simplest and most economical solution for you to get to the Costa Navarino region.)
• The second option is to land in Kalamata, which is only an hour’s drive from Costa Navarino. Unfortunately, this airport is only served in the summer by the Aegean airline with two flights per week from Paris and one flight per week from Lyon and Nantes.

Plan on an average budget of 200 euros for the return flight ticket per person.

Good deal: if one day you have one concern about cancellation or flight delay, Nowadays, there are sites like Flightright that allow you to receive between 250€ and 600€ in compensation per person. Always useful to know 🙂

 

Where to sleep in Costa Navarino?

I am very happy to introduce you to the 5* hotel: the WESTIN Resort Costa Navarino in which I had the chance to stay for 4 days.
Built entirely of stone in the style of the old houses of the region, this hotel will not give you that cold, impersonal effect that some luxury hotels can provide.
Most of their rooms allow you, thanks to their cozy terrace, to enjoy a perfect view of the sea, which is located near the hotel.

The price is very affordable; you need to budget accordingly. about 260 euros per night for a luxury room 40 m2 small room with breakfast included and about 350 euros for the room type I was staying in: the 40 m2 Prenium room with a overflow pool overlooking the sea, Breakfast included.

The huge positive point What I highlighted and that completely changed my hotel experience is the smartphone app that I invite you to try. to download by clicking here .

You know that I am part of the 2.0 generation and of course when I arrived at the hotel I immediately downloaded this app.

I will be very honest with you: This app has transformed my journey And I’m not exaggerating!

You know that since those many years of blogging I have had the opportunity to try out many establishments, but also to participate in trade shows for the tourism industry such as »Voyage en multimédia» or »IFTM Top Résa«. In these trade shows I was able to discover new technologies such as augmented reality, new applications and new ways of communicating. Although I am just a nurse with no training in tourism, I have always been a geek and everything related to new technologies fascinates me.

I couldn’t talk to you about my trip to Greece without talking about this app, because for the first time in my life I didn’t use any paper guide.

For the first time, I was able to live my journey according to my mood of the day As you can see above with the section  »I’m in the mood for … » And I’ll introduce you to the activities I’ve been able to try through this wonderful app.

• I’m in the mood for: Authentic experiences 

With my friends we chose the cooking class. We were welcomed in a small typical house of the region. The hostesses were absolutely charming in their traditional clothes.

We each took turns participating in the preparation of the meal and we sat down at the table in a very friendly atmosphere.

I highly recommend this experience; I have great memories of it!

We also had the opportunity to participate in the olive harvest and the presentation of traditional Greek costumes.

Here is the list of authentic experiences: tasting olive oil, wine masterclass, philosophical discussions, picnic, discovery of the vineyards

• I’m in the mood for : Swimming

Head to the Voidokilia beach. It is one of, if not the most beautiful beach in Messinia, and even of the Mediterranean coast. With its fine sand and light, one could believe that it came straight out of a postcard! Nestled behind dunes, Voidokilia beach is nevertheless a popular destination. Moreover, the Greek government has classified and protected the Voidokilia region.

It is one of the most beautiful beaches I have had the chance to see, along with those in Polynesia, Thailand, and New Caledonia.

The app offers 12 beaches around the hotel, the one nearest to it being 4km away

• I’m in the mood for : Sport 

Here are all the activities offered by the hotel: climbing, surfing, paddle boarding, yoga, kayaking, kite surfing, tennis, squash, mountain biking, hiking, and scuba diving.

There is also a golf course, which has become emblematic in Greece, and for good reason: it was designed by the two-time US Masters champion and Ryder Cup captain Bernhard Langer in association with European Golf Design.

The Westin Resort was elected «The best destination for families» in the Mediterranean, and according to Starwood & Resorts hotels in Europe, it is The ideal destination To enjoy the wildlife and flora together. The hotel offers several activities and games for your little ones, such as water slides, a leisure center with a basketball court, a bowling alley, arcade video games, a cinema, and table tennis!

• I’m in the mood for: Exploring history 

The region of Messinia is home to several picturesque villages that I invite you to discover during your stay. I had a little crush on the village of Pylos and the fortress of Methoni.

 

• I’m in the mood for : food ! 

I always save the best for last / hunger (optional). The hotel offers 20 bars and restaurants, all very beautiful and very good.

I was able to try the beach restaurant Barbouni, the Flame and the Da Luigi. My favorite is undoubtedly Barbouni, located right in front of the beach; the decor is sublime and you can enjoy the best Greek specialties.

I also loved the bar The Branco; we spent all our evenings there!

• Les Other benefits of the application: You can get geolocated anywhere in the hotel using the map, you can view the menus of the restaurants and book a table directly, you can view the agenda of the activities, you can book a spa treatment, book an activity in 2 clicks, check the weather, use the GPS to get to the points of interest

Je vous invite à visionner cette vidéo pour vous rendre compte de la beauté de l’hôtel et des paysages.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Xz93a5s80I

More information about the Westin Costa Navarino

Website // Facebook page // iOS application // Instagram account

* Stay was made possible thanks to a partnership with the Westin Costa Navarino hotel.

The content of this article only reflects my opinion; I maintain complete freedom in my statements, and my recommendations are always objective.