Pylos
(Distance de Camping - 25Km)
Between two hills the amphitheatric town Pylos is known from the prehistoric period when it was the center of the kingdom of Nestor in Homeric ages. The traditional arches, the paved paths, the whitened houses with yards and flowers and the square with the cannons and the high shady platan make the visitor feel that it’s an island town.
Except its imposing landscape, its history is also an attraction of Pylos. The naval Battle of Navarino was fought in Navarino bay the success of which secured Greek independence. You can also visit by o boat from Pylos the rocky island Sfaktiria, where there are a lot of monuments. At Prophet Elias there are the ruins of the ancient fortified castle that bring back a tragic moment of the Peloponnesian War, when 420 Spartans encircled by Athenians in 425 BC resisted for many days, and those who survived, finally were given in.
In the south of the island there is the cenotaph of Tsamadus, Anagnostara and Sachini as well as the monument of philhellene Santaroza , who were died at the Battle of Sfaktiria during the War of Greek Independence. There is also the tomb od prince Paul Bonaparte, nephew of Napoleon, died on the frigate “Hellas” near Spetses. In the south of the island you can also visit the tomb of Meillet, French military officer of Maison, who died in a battle in Navarino bay.
At the endtrance of the natural bay of Pylos, the waters of Ionian sea reflect the modern castle of the town Neokastro, built by the Turks (1573) in order to fortify the town after their defeat in Naupactus. It is one of the well-conserved and the most fascinating castles in Greece. Restored by Maison in 1829, Niokastro is composed by a huge precinct with ramparts and embrasures and by an hexagonal shaped citadel with six ramparts. Inside the castle you can see the ruins of the gothic church of Transfiguration of Jesus, that was built by the Francs, and then turned into a mosque by the Turks and now serves as an Orthodox Church.