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Attractions

Pylos is a charming town in the southwestern part of Peloponnese. It was built in 1828 by the expeditionary corps of the General Maison. In the center it has a square called Trion Navarhon (Three Admirals), having also a monument with the same name, that was completed in 1933. Left and right of  it, there are two cannons; a Venetian and a Turkish one.
 
In the Antonopouleio Museum of Pylos, on the road to Methoni, you can admire part of the collection of the French Rene Puaux as well as exhibits from the Ancient Mycenaean, Hellenistic and Roman Periods.
On the coastal road you can see the abandoned home of the Pylian Olympic Medal awarded, Kostis Tsiklitiras [Mansion Tsiklitiras], an athlete legend until now. Soon this impressive building will become the Library-Art Gallery of the Municipality of Pylos.

Pylos is in excellent geographical location while its port is one of the largest and safest ports in the world, with a length of 4800m and 3600m width. [The Port] The depth of the sea reaches 50m. To the west, in front of the port is the island of Sfaktiria. South of Sfaktiria is located the small island of Pylos also known as Tsichli-Baba or Fanari. There, in 1890 the French Republic built a monument for the French who were killed in the Battle of Navarino. Between Tsichli-Baba and Sfaktiria are the Koutsoynes, the two rocks sharp reminiscent which are reminding [Memorial] the moment when Aris, in April 26, 1825 during the siege of Niokastro by Ibrahim, on the ship of Admiral Tsamadou, managed to escape in the night through this passage, after causing huge damage to the Turk-Egyptian fleet.

On the south side of Sfakteria, in 1959 was built a monument for the Greek who were killed in the battle of Sfaktiria which has over it the names of Tsamadou, Sahinis and Anagnostara. [Memorial]  Further in the north is the tomb of Paul Bonaparte, Napoleon’s nephew, who was killed in 1827 by the detonation of a weapon, on the warship Hellas. His corps was buried, eventually, in Sfaktiria in 1832 after having remained for five years in a barrel of rum. North, up the coast, is the monument of count Santarosa, a philellenist, who was killed in the battle of Sfaktiria on In April 26, 1825. The monument was built in 1926 by the Italian state.

Further on the north is the monument of the Russians killed in the Battle of Navarino, which was constructed in 1872 by queen Olga and was completed in 1960. Next to it is the Russian style chapel of Ag.Nikolaos, a donation of the emigrants from the town Petrozavontse. In its northern part, Sfaktiria has the pass of Sykia, a sea lane with a maximum width of 150m which is no longer the entrance to the harbor, when the Turks sank destroyed ships that were left there from the naval battle of Nafpakto in 1571.

Inside the port there is the small Island of Chelonaki. On this island is the monument of the British killed in the battle of Navarino, which was built by the Greek state.

In the north part of Pylos, on the Ionian Sea, the amazing beauty of Voidokoilia Bay with its beach and from above the Paleokastro (The Old Castle) offers the majestic views of the Ionian Sea and Voidokilia. The Paliokastro played an important role in all the events that took place in Pylos, but after the enclosing of the pass of Sykia by the Turks, played a minimal role because than started the building of Niokastro in the south of the harbor.
The Niokastro, built on the rocks, at the south entrance of the harbor, began its construction in 1572 by the Turks. [Niokastro] The visitor can see the Acropolis of the castle, the Temple of Metamorphosis Sotiros and the collection of the French Rene Paux,a philellenist, which is at the left of the today’s entrance of the castle, a building made of stone, known as the command post of Maizon. In the five years between 1982-1987, Niokastro was renovated throughout its entire area and came into operation, inside the castle, the Hellenic Center for Underwater Archeology of Pylos.
In the castle there was no water and works had to be made that would ensure the continued water provision of the castle. [Kamares] Tanks were built into the castle and two reservoirs that were meeting at the Kamares place and providing water to the fort through pipelines were placed. Apart from the Kamares, there are parts of aqueducts in the region of Cheimarou Xeria and in Ag.Constantine, near the village Handrinos, all, on the way to Kalamata.

The lagoon Divari, in north of Pylos, between the village Gialova and the bay of Voidokoilia is quite interesting both in an ecological and an archaeological manner. The area of 6000 acres is an important bird migratory location and hosts the Caretta-Caretta turtle and the African Chamaileonta.

On the way from Choras to Pylos, 15km from Pylos, on the Epano Egklianos, next to the road, is the Palace of Nestora, with splendid views of the bay of Navarino and Voidokilia. [Lagoon] Three central groups are spread out in the plateau, on an area that covers half the palace.

The buildings are divided as follows: The official housing, the wine warehouses, the storage cabinets and the laboratories. Its brilliance made it equivalent of Mycenae. It is the best-preserved Mycenean palace and differs from the others by the fact that it has cyclopean walls around it.