About the Area
Koroni
Villa Alexandros lies 2km from Koroni, an attractive Medieval harbour town, with a historical castle and peaceful monastery, stepped streets and old houses with fabulous ornate balconies. Koroni has 2 banks, a post office, a medical centre, pharmacy, dentist, hairdressers, plus a good selection of cafés, tavernas, and shops. The excellent, long, sandy beach of Zaga is located just over the headland from the Castle. You can find watersports on this beach. There is a farmers market here every Sunday morning.
Harakopio
Nearby is the agricultural village of of Harakopio (2.5km) which has two bakeries, a couple of tavernas, a handful of traditional kafeneon/cafes and several general stores plus a post office, doctors, 2 chemists, dentist, 3 hairdressers and other shops. The village also has a market every Sunday morning.
Local beaches
From Villa Alexandros there is a path that winds down through olive groves to the sea at the quiet Lachanou beach (1km). Round the headland is the lovely Agia Triada beach. A short drive away, you can reach Perulia (3km), which has a taverna / café, and in the other direction the long sandy stretch of Zaga/Memi (2.5km). There are many other beaches nearby which can be reached either on foot or by car, and lots more fabulous beaches around the coast of Messinia.
Finikounda
The resort of Finikounda (18km) with its picturesque fishing harbour, selection of tavernas, shops and cafes has three excellent sandy beaches, watersports and boat trips.
Methoni
The sleepy town of Methoni (28km) on the west coast of the peninsular, has a huge castle and to explore, lovely old houses and a laid back atmosphere.
Pylos
Pretty Pylos, about an hour drive from Koroni, scenically situated in the bay of Navarone (scene of the 1827 battle of Navarino) has a large central square full of cafes shaded by two huge plane trees. There’s a good selection of shops around the square and in the backstreets. Pylos also has a large castle, located just outside the town. Boat trips operate around the bay and boat hire is available.
Yialova
The seaside resort of Yialova is a 15 minute drive north of Pylos. Here you will find a sandy beach backed with tavernas and the Yialova nature reserve lagoon/wetlands. Paleocastro (the old castle of Pylos) and the very beautiful Voidokilia bay lie just beyond Yialova.
Archeological sites
There are several archeological sites within driving distance of Koroni, most notably: Ancient Messini which is just over an hour’s drive to the north; the Byzantine City of Mystras which is around a 2.5 hour drive through the mountains above Kalamata; Nestors Palace - a small site located to the north of Pylos, and Ancient Olympia, which is around a 2.5 hour drive up the west coast of the Peloponnese.