Pylos
Pylos
The beautiful seaside town of Pylos is on the southwest coast of Peloponnese, in a large bay known as Navarino Bay, as Navarino was the Italian name of Pylos. The bay is almost closed by the long and narrow islet of Sfaktiria and a smaller rock called Tsichli Baba. The town is built amphitheatrically so the rock formations are visible from nearly all buildings.
Pylos has a rich history dating back to the Mycenean period when it was the kingdom of Nestor (ruins of Nestor`s palace were found near Pylos and open for visitors). After that it was Byzantine, Frank, Venetian and Ottoman rule, as it was finally liberated in 1827 after a battle known as the Battle of Navarino. The presence of the conquerors is still felt in the neoclassical architecture of many buildings and the two castles of Pylos, Neokastro (new fortress) and Paleokastro (old fortress). The new fortress is in the south part of the town, on an elevation overlooking Pylos, its port and the entire bay of Navarino. The old fortress, also called Navarino castle is out of the town, in the north part of the bay and above the famous Voidokillia beach.
Today Pylos has about 2700 inhabitants. The small square is next to the harbor and all cafes, grill houses and tavernas are concentrated there. Boat trips around Sfaktiria and Navarino bay are organized daily. There are no beaches inside Pylos, except for a tiny spot of sand next to the harbor but in the area you can find many long sandy beaches like Gialova which is just 7 km away. Some of the interesting places to see near Pylos are Voidokillia beach and Gialova lagoon to the north, and Methoni castle to the south.
