The convent in the castle
Gardens, flowers and tidy paths among Venetian walls.
**A Venetian town on a slope beneath a castle, half of which is a working convent** โ at the eastern edge of the Messinian gulf, and the prettiest town in the region. It was **Venice's second eye** alongside Methoni, and fell with it in 1500. The castle crowns the headland, but **inside is a surprise**: a large part of it is occupied by a **working convent** with gardens, flowers and tidy paths โ so you walk among Venetian ruins and cultivated orchards at the same time. The town below is **climbing paved lanes** of white houses with wooden balconies and archways, dropping to a **small harbour** of waterside tavernas. โ To its south is **Zaga beach**: a long shallow stretch of sand, among the best in the Peloponnese. โ And the town is **very steep** with many steps.
Gardens, flowers and tidy paths among Venetian walls.
Paved alleys of white houses, wooden balconies and archways.
Long shallow sand south of the town with calm water.
Koroni, 24004 Messinia, Greece
**By distinguishing what is a public monument from what is somebody's home.** โ **The situation**: Koroni castle is **an open, free site**, but a large part of it is occupied by a **still-working convent** โ meaning that inside the walls are **a home, a farm and a church** used daily by people, not exhibits. โ **What to do**: **dress modestly** (shoulders and knees covered, everyone), **keep your voice down**, **stay on the open paths** and do not go through closed doors or into signed areas, **and pick nothing** from the gardens. โ **Never photograph the nuns**, and not inside the church without permission; the gardens, walls and view are normally fine. โ **On timing**: parts may be **closed during services or at midday** โ do not press. โ **The reward**: this is a rare combination โ you walk between **unrestored Venetian ruins** and **a cultivated, cared-for garden**, and the contrast is what makes the visit unlike any other castle in the region.
**Three different kinds โ choose by what you want rather than by fame.** โ **For the spectacle**: **Voidokilia**, unquestionably โ a perfectly rounded omega-shaped bay of white sand, among the most photographed beaches in Greece; โ but it has **almost no facilities**, access is by dirt road, **and the dunes behind it are protected**, so do not walk on them. โ **For families and children**: **Zaga** south of Koroni โ long sand, **very shallow**, calm water, umbrellas and tavernas; and **Methoni beach** beside the castle, shallow, serviced and free. โ **For length and convenience**: the long **Kalamata** town beaches โ fully serviced and walkable, โ but shingly and urban. โ **For quiet**: **Finikounta** and **Kalo Nero** โ longer and less crowded. โ **A general rule**: the Messinian gulf is **relatively sheltered from wind**, unlike the west coast open to the Ionian.
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