Ancient Greece is not far away. Take a daytrip to the old town of Pylos (including another Venetian Castle), Nestors Cave and Castle, Ancient Olympia and Ancient Messenia.
Waterfalls
A must do is the climb along the Polilimnio waterfalls. Polilimnio means ´lots of lakes´, and that is eaxctly what this waterfall is about. At the parking spot you find a little shop (only open during summertime), from there you walk down to the small river. Once at the river you follow it up, crossing the water several times. The route is most beautiful and almost fairy tale-like during spring. It can be crowded at Sundays when also local people come and visit. Bring some snacks, water and your swimsuit! The water is extremely cold, but taking a dip at one of the pools has to be part of your hike and can be very refreshing at hot days. If you don´t like to swim, take some time to spot the turtles and frogs that live here. You find the Polilimnio waterfalls along the Pylos – Kalamata route.
Another nice trail is the Kalamari – Stenosia Waterfalls, starting in Gialova, taking the turn to Schinolakka. Also this trail follows a river. It starts out with a nice waterfall (also best during spring time) and offers a route up through the forest, crossing the small river several times. It ends at Stenosia, after 6 km. Both trails can be walked with kids, they will love the adventure of climbing rocks and finding the path. Elderly people might experience the routes as challenging.
