Greece – Kalamata (En)
Kalamata is the capital of Messenia, in the Peloponnese; it is the largest city and offers plenty to see and do. You can enjoy its beaches, numerous tavernas and beach bars, shopping district, and Old Town—home to the castle, museums, and fantastic churches. It also boasts a farmers’ market, which we loved.
Where to stay
We stayed at Camping Fare (37.021118, 22.143731 lat, long), located right across from the beach and at the start of the seafront promenade. We paid 18 euros without electricity. Prices vary by pitch; larger pitches—like the one we had—cost more than the smaller ones designed for tents and campervans. The large pitches are situated in the centre and along the sides, with some offering shade from trees. The campsite has everything you need. There is an easily accessible water filling and dumping station next to the restrooms. Washing machines are super cheap—just 2 euros per load—and there is a drying area right next to them. There is also a dishwashing area equipped with refrigerators and electric stovetops for cooking; we made great use of the fridges. The bathrooms are excellent—clean and even playing music. They are stocked with toilet seats, toilet paper, soap, and a hairdryer. The showers have great water pressure and hot water. The campsite features a tavern and a children’s playground. The staff are very friendly and helpful with everything; they are available from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM. There is a supermarket right next to the campsite, and a Lidl is within easy walking or cycling distance. The town centre is a 20-minute walk away. While the Old Town is too far to walk to, you can catch a bus right outside the campsite entrance. Overall, it’s a fantastic campsite; you cross the road to reach the beach, where there are free sun loungers (you need to buy something—a bottle of water costs 50 cents).
What to see
The seafront promenade, lined with bars and restaurants, and the harbour, with its fishing boats. The promenade is incredibly lively, offering spectacular views of the Taygetos Mountains.
Following the advice we were given at the campsite, we went to see the park that houses old steam trains and a beautiful fountain in the centre.
On another day, we went to the old town, where we visited the city’s two most important churches. We loved the interior of the first one.
From there, we went to Kalamata Castle, which retains its medieval appearance. We didn’t pay the entrance fee, so we only saw it from the outside.
We wrapped up the morning by visiting the farmers’ market, which is held on Wednesdays and Saturdays. We went on a Wednesday and loved it. You can sample everything. They gave us watermelon—enough to last us a whole week—and we ended up buying a huge piece. We were also given tomatoes and a type of cured ham to taste; it was delicious. We ended up having a free lunch from all the samples we received, and we bought some watermelon, tomatoes, and a piece of cured ham.
What to do
Enjoy the beach from a sunbed while sipping freddos and cocktails and taking a dip with incredible mountain views. You’ll need water shoes to enter the water.
Eating at the beach bars. We ate at two different beach bars. At the first one, we had sardines and eggplants stuffed with tomato and feta cheese. The eggplants were delicious, and Ben has started making them the same way. At the other beach bar, we had sardines—which were even better than the ones at the first place—and delicious fries with oregano. Now Ben adds oregano to his fries, too.
Next stop: Marathopoli, a small fishing village known for its taverns, which you’ll see in the next blog post.
