How to reach our villa? Villa Katharina is located in Messinia, at the South Western point of the Peleponnesos and is a 60 minute drive from the airport of Kalamata. Throughout the year you also have the option to fly to Athens. The modern airport of Athens is located just outside the city centre, and a new freeway connects the airport to our villa. It will take you approximately 3.5 hours to get there. It’s necessary to rent a car, and we recommend you to prebook your car online, as this will save you a lot of money. All big car rental companies are represented at the airports, and we can recommend Auto Europe. If you want to stay in our villa for a longer period, or if you plan to make a roundtrip on the peninsula, you could consider using your own car. In that case you should drive to Italy and take the ferry from Venice or Ancona to Patras, for example with Super fast Ferries. (21 hours). From Patras it will take you 3 hours by car to get to the villa. There are various connections with different Greek agencies. When booking our villa, a detailed itinerary is available on request. The direct environment Besides the beautiful view over the sea and sloping hills with vineyards and olive trees, you’ll find the village of Evangelismos in the direct surroundings of the villa. It takes you a couple of minutes by car, or you can choose going on foot through the olive trees and vineyards. Evangelismos has a few small shops and a cosy restaurant with terrace. The lively city of Finikounda with it’s many shops and restaurants is just a 10 minute drive away. The nearest supermarket is a 7 minute drive. The beaches are sandy (no pebbles!), and gently come down into the sea. Various beaches can be found 5 to 10 minutes from the villa (by car). Excursions within an hour of the villa Tsapi beach is an idyllical bay with a sandy beach and nice restaurants. It will take you half an hour to get there, and is on the way to Koroni. The unique city of Koroni has been appointed as the example of the Greek Mediterranean lifestyle by Unesco. Don’t forget to pay a visit to the small, but beautiful monastery. In Koroni you’ll find leftovers of a Venetian fortress, but to see an even more beautiful fortress you should pay a visit to Methoni, a 20 minute drive from the villa. At 30 minutes (by car) you’ll find the harbor city of Pylos with it’s charming square and many shops. The battle which led to the independence of Greece in 1827 was fought in the bay of Pylos. When you rent a boat, you can sail through the bay and enjoy the monuments. Some people say you can see the ship wrecks on the bottom of the sea, so far we haven’t found them yet! Pylos has several castles, one of which dates from the Turkish domination and is particularly impressive. If you drive from Pylos to Kalamata, after 15 minutes you’ll come across the lovely lakes and waterfalls of Polimnio. Follow the signs to the parking space, and continue your adventure on foot. If you’re adventurous, you can go diving or swimming in the lakes. At less than an hour drive you’ll find beautiful beaches in Gialova, Voidokilia and Romanos, you’ll feel like you’ve found paradise. The first golf resort in Greece, Costa Navarino, was opened here in 2010. Those who are interested in ancient Greece should visit the ruins of the palace of Nestor (1200) and the museum in Hora, as well as the old city of Mycene.