We woke up to the sounds of the sea, just outside our door, with fishermen going out to fish, sailors getting their boats ready to sail, and lots of seabirds squawking. We went to go to a local beach after breakfast. At the end of the beach, we saw an old castle on the hill, so we hiked up to explore. The Old Navarino Castle is a 13th century Frankish fortress, within sight of Pylos. It occupies the site of the Athenian fort at the 425 BC Battle of Pylos. The castle sits atop a 660’ rock formation on the northern edge of the bay, flanked by sheer cliffs. It is believed the site has been occupied since classical times. Our three mile round trip hike was rewarded by an amazing view of the half moon shaped Voidokilia Beach.
After our hike, we drove just a few kilometers to see the ruins of the Palace of Nestor. The Palace of Nestor was an important center in Mycenaean times, and was described in Homer’s Odyssey and Iliad as Nestor’s kingdom of “sandy Pylos.” The palace featured in the story of the Trojan War. The site is the best preserved Mycenaean Greek palace discovered. It overlooks the whole area of Pylos, its bay, and the beaches. The palace was a two story building complex with various rooms and the first known bathtub. Most artifacts date from 1300 BC. The palace complex was destroyed by fire around 1200 BC. The fire glazed 1100 stone slabs keeping intact documentation of the construction, amounts spent, and revenues taken in.
We had a delicious lunch at a fish taverna overlooking the bay of Pylos. Next up... a Greek siesta!
