A few weeks ago, we discovered one of Greece’s worst-kept secrets, Costa Navarino. An unusual tourist destination in Greece based on ecology and family. We were enchanted by this magical place and wanted to share it with you.
Costa Navarino is located in the Messinian region of southwestern Peloponnese, Greece. It’s a choice destination committed to sustainable tourism, boasting breathtaking coastal landscapes – the most unspoilt in the Mediterranean – and a heritage shaped by 4,500 years of history. Costa Navarino’s philosophy is based on a strong desire to showcase Messinia while protecting its natural beauty and unique heritage, with only 10% of the total land area used for construction.
Costa Navarino is made up of a variety of sites, including 5-star hotels, luxury residences, conference centers, spa & thalasso, signature golf courses and numerous activities available all year round for the whole family.
Navarino Dunes
Set in 130 hectares of gentle hills, Navarino Dunes is a site of exceptional beauty. Nature is generous, and the clear, temperate waters of the Ionian Sea wash up on a kilometer-long beach of golden sand.
Navarino Dunes is home to The Romanos, a Luxury Collection Resort andThe Westin Resort Costa Navarino. Inspired by the architecture of the region’s traditional dwellings and rural houses, the facilities are low-rise and built with local materials and traditional decorative details to blend harmoniously into the surrounding landscape.
The Romanos, a Luxury Collection Resort, Costa Navarino
Set in the heart of olive groves overlooking the crystal-clear waters of the Ionian Sea, this 5-star hotel boasts 320 rooms and suites ranging from 43m² to 192m². Most ground-floor rooms have infinity pools. The superb Royal Villa Koroni occupies 660m² of elegant, luxurious space.
The Romanos, a Luxury Collection Resort offers a choice of restaurants, from Pero, featuring international cuisine, to Eleon, offering modern Greek cuisine, and individual barbecues where guests can enjoy the day’s produce in their own way. In comfortable bars with a relaxed atmosphere, such as the Anax Lounge, or on splendid terraces, guests can admire the olive groves and the Ionian Sea. Added to this is a wide choice of indoor and outdoor leisure activities offering guests a unique experience.
The Romanos, a Luxury Collection Resort, was awarded “Favorite Leisure Hotels: Europe, Asia Minor and Russia” by Condé Nast Traveller at the Readers’ Travel Awards 2013, 2012 & 2011 and recommended in the “Gold List 2012”. Royal Villa Koroni was awarded “Best Suite Interior Design of the Year” by the European Hotel Design Awards 2010.
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The Westin Resort, Costa Navarino
The hotel offers the ideal setting for unforgettable family vacations. Set in a charming landscape of gentle green hills, the 444 luxury rooms and suites, ranging from 40m² to 80m², are ideal for families. All rooms and suites offer breathtaking views of the sea, golf course and swimming pools. All have large, perfectly appointed balconies or terraces, while most ground-floor rooms have private infinity pools.
The 625m² Royal Villa Methoni offers exceptional space for large families or groups of friends. It offers the services of a butler, its own spa treatment room with hammam and an outdoor dining area with barbecue.
At the Westin Resort, Costa Navarino, guests can choose between several restaurants, offering international, ethnic and local cuisine. Guests can also enjoy their meals at the Lagoon restaurant, poolside, or at the American restaurant The Diner. Guests at the Westin Resort, Costa Navarino are spoilt for choice when it comes to enjoying the magnificent surrounding scenery, whether from the beach, the pools, the restaurants or the bars, all of which offer pleasant alternatives for relaxing.
An unlimited choice of activities awaits guests of all ages, from indoor and outdoor leisure activities to excursions in the region. Children’s fun is guaranteed with professionally supervised activities, leaving parents free to relax or enjoy the golf courses and spa.
Gastronomy
Each restaurant offers a unique culinary experience at Navarino Dunes. Nargile, a restaurant serving Lebanese specialties, and the Japanese bar and restaurant Inbi invite visitors on a gastronomic journey through the perfumes and flavors of the world.
Traditional Greek cuisine takes pride of place at the “Taverna” restaurant, which offers local cuisine with traditional homemade dishes, with the sole aim of preserving and promoting Messinian gastronomy.
At the “Enoteca” restaurant, guests have the opportunity to discover Greek customer wines. Throughout the restaurant, guests can enjoy dishes from the Omega diet, a cuisine that promotes Omega fatty acids.
The Eleon restaurant, serving contemporary Greek cuisine, has been expanded to include an outdoor area with grills, for those who enjoy barbecues.
At the Kayak boutique in the Agora, visitors can discover the authentic flavours of the famous Greek ice creams, which stand out for their original flavours and creations.
The emblematic dishes of Greek cuisine are available in several other restaurants. Special menus have been created for children, using local ingredients.
Da Luigi, the Italian restaurant on the Agora, offers a menu of traditional Italian flavors, using products sourced in Italy. The Flame restaurant, located in the Clubhouse of the Navarino Dunes golf course, offers a selection of beef from local producers, accompanied by herbs and vegetables from the restaurant’s own garden.
Guests wishing to enjoy the magnificent Navarino Dunes beach can sample delicious dishes and refreshments at the Barbouni beach restaurant.
Anazoe Spa
Spanning 4,000 m², the spa offers a full range of treatments inspired by ancient Greek techniques, as well as floating pools, cold treatment rooms, hammams and saunas diffusing aromatic herbal essential oils. In addition to gentle therapies, thalassotherapy and physiotherapy, the spa offers oleotherapy® treatments, discovered in Nestor’s Palace and dating back to the time of Homer.
House of Events
Equipped with state-of-the-art communication and conference equipment, this multifunctional, modular convention center. Called House of Events, it occupies a total surface area of 5,000m² and can accommodate up to 1,700 people. It includes a large reception hall (1,400m²), 11 meeting rooms ranging from 50m² to 200m², an exhibition hall and a vast atrium that opens onto the outside.
Kids Clubs “Cocoon” and “SandCastle ”
While parents relax, little ones can be left in complete confidence at Kids Club Cocoon (4 months to 3 years), while children and teenagers can discover SandCastle (4 to 12 years), a club specially designed for youngsters. A first in the Mediterranean, the SandCastle offers a wide range of sports and leisure activities, as well as a water park for their enjoyment. These kids’ clubs are managed by WWKC (Worldwide Kids Company).
Golf by Troon
The Dunes Course was designed by Bernhard Langer, former US Masters champion and Ryder Cup Captain, in association with European Golf Design. Set in a hilly landscape between sea and rivers, The Dunes Course is the first golf course designed by a great name in Greek golf. The 18-hole, par 71 course measures 6,018 meters from the back tees and just over 5,000 meters from the front tees, and features a full driving range and short-range practice area. The elegant clubhouse houses the
Flame restaurant, a members-only lounge and a boutique.
The Bay Course, designed by the legendary Robert Trent Jones Jr. and also managed by Troon Golf, opened in October 2011 at Navarino Bay, not far from Navarino Dunes. The course offers panoramic views of the sea and surrounding mountains, with two of its holes located close to the historic Navarino Bay, for an incredible golfing experience. A new resort will soon be added to this golf course.
Leisure & activities
The Agora, which replicates a traditional Greek village, boasts fine shopping addresses, an open-air cinema and a Greek amphitheatre. Guests will also find a wide choice of cafés, restaurants and bars: Kafenio, which revives an authentic Greek café; Souvlakerie, a traditional skewer grill; the Italian restaurant Da Luigi; the traditional Greek ice cream store Kayak and the bar The 3 Admirals.
For those who want to stay active, the choice of activities is almost unlimited. From rolling, green landscapes to clear, calm waters, outdoor sports at Navarino Outdoors include mountain activities, mountain biking, climbing on the Isola Proti, hiking among many other leisure activities and water sports such as water skiing and wakeboarding. Navarino Sea offers a wide choice of water sports such as surfing and diving, as well as cruises in a mild climate whatever the season. We were able to try out the sunset bike ride, which is a real highlight. We also recommend diving or snorkeling on the island of Protti.
The sports center offers a wide range of sporting activities, including climbing with an indoor wall, bowling, basketball and volleyball. The Navarino Racquet Academy offers table tennis, speedminton, squash, badminton and padel. The Navarino Racquet Academy also teaches children tennis and mini-tennis using innovative learning techniques.
As part of its ongoing commitment to promoting the Messinian region and sharing the stories of its rich heritage, Costa Navarino offers guests the chance to experience the authenticity of Messinia’s natural beauty and cultural richness, through traditional activities such as olive and grape harvesting, philosophical walks, cooking classes in local houses and encounters with local people – all part of a cultural heritage that has endured for millennia.
Sustainable development
Costa Navarino follows strict environmental protection and development management rules, taking into account the importance of the role of this preserved ecosystem in the creation of a product classed as sustainable tourism. Costa Navarino’s environmental management covers all aspects of environmental protection. Water renewal, control of energy expenditure, integrated solid and liquid waste recycling program: everything is put in place to help preserve local biodiversity and protect the ecosystems around Costa Navarino.
Navarino Environmental Observatory – NEO
A few years ago, Stockholm University, the Academy of Athens and TEMES joined forces to found the Navarino Environmental Observatory (NEO). NEO is dedicated to research and training on climate change and its impact on the natural environment in the Mediterranean basin. The NEO research station has rapidly become a dynamic hub for environmental and climate research, where scientists from all over the world can conduct research, exchange knowledge and ideas, and develop new tools and methods. Educational programs are closely linked to the research carried out in the region. NEO’s research activities cover topics of both global and regional interest.
Navarino Natura Hall
One of the most surprising and charming parts of the resort is undoubtedly this natural history museum. The unique, interactive exhibition center is the result of collaboration between the University of Stockholm, the Academy of Athens, the Hellenic Ornithological Society, the Hellenic Marine Environment Protection Association (HEMELPA) and the Navarino Foundation.
The center enables guests, visitors, university students, local schools and local residents to learn about the uniqueness and richness of Messinia’s natural environment and the daily work carried out by NEO. The center also raises awareness of environmental protection issues and encourages them to participate in the global effort against climate change by adopting simple preventive actions in their daily lives.
Navarino Residences
Navarion Residences represents a unique opportunity to acquire a seaside villa in an unspoilt region of the Mediterranean. At Costa Navarino, residents enjoy a unique blend of UNSECO World Heritage sites, 4,500 years of rich history and breathtaking coastal scenery. This unique real estate development in Greece offers villas for sale overlooking the Ionian Sea and the surrounding countryside. The basic project includes 45 villas of three different sizes, built on large plots of land with private swimming pools. The villas will be built according to the principles of bioclimatic architecture and local design elements, while incorporating the latest technical and technological innovations.
Future developments: Navarino Bay, Navarino Hills and Navarino Blue
As part of its ongoing development, Costa Navarino will soon be inaugurating Navarino Bay, with, for the first time in Europe, a mixed-use building nestled in the grounds. It already boasts an 18-hole golf course, The Bay Course, open to the public. Two additional sites, Navarino Hills and Navarino Blue, will be developed at a later date.
Getting there
Direct seasonal flights between Kalamata International Airport and several major European cities provide easy access to Costa Navarino. There are also domestic flights between Kalamata and Thessaloniki.
Costa Navarino is just 45 kilometers from Kalamata International Airport. The site is also accessible by road from Athens, 270 kilometers from Navarino Dunes.
For guests driving from Europe, ferries run regularly between Italy and the port of Patras.
Messinia is an undiscovered region with a rich past, as witnessed by the many palaces and tombs of the Mycenaean civilization, ancient temples, Byzantine churches and medieval castles in a verdant landscape that can be explored all year round thanks to a temperate climate. World Heritage sites such as the Temple of Apollo Epicurius, Olympia and Mystras are nearby, as are the ancient city of Messini, Nestor’s Palace and the medieval town of Monemvasia.
Costa Navarino is a new, futuristic destination, the flagship of modern Greece. This fast-growing tourist destination has what it takes to become the Mediterranean’s must-see destination.
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