On January 1st, 2011, there was a drastic overhaul, referred to as the Kallikratis plan, of Greece’s administrative system. The former system consisted of 13 regions, 54 prefectures and 1,033 municipalities and communities. It was replaced by seven decentralized administrations, 13 regions and 325 municipalities. One of these regional units is the charming and unbelievably scenic Messenia, Greece. Located in the southwestern Peloponnese, Messenia’s biggest city is the riverside Kalamata.
Firmly etched into history like the ruins of Rome, Kalamata harkens back to Homer, who mentions Pharai, an ancient city located around where the historic Villehardouin castle stands today. Previously, it was believed that during this time frame, the region was covered by the sea, but after proto-Greek and archaic period remains were unearthed at Akovitka, this was disproven.
Many residents own land, even if it’s on the smaller side, where they can grow everything from cucumbers to squash to tomatoes. Though Greece has had its economic and budgetary woes recently, Kalamata remained relatively stable despite some uncertainty regarding their reliance on tourism.
The other towns in Messenia are quite small, dropping from the 54,000 in Kalamata to an average of around of about 4-5,000. Though these smaller areas are not without their allure, Filiatra has a replica, albeit smaller, of the Eiffel Tower, Kyparissa has a fortress built during the Frankish period, and Gargalianoi is surrounded by grapevines and olive trees.
Though the islands of Mykonos and Santorini are typically the areas of Greece tourists seek out, Messenia has many access areas to the gorgeous and tranquil beaches beside the Ionian Sea. Most of its vacationers are Greek, so if you wanted to really engage in the culture of Greece, you just might want to consider venturing off the beaten path.
Check out our awesome lightbox full of great pictures of Messenia!
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