The Fortress of Methoni

We continue on our “castle route” of southern Peloponnese arriving at Methoni and its beautiful maritime fort. The small country is not really suitable for campervans, especially the large ones, but a stop is a must and  with a little patience you can find a decent spot to park. If you like exploring and hiking, you should not miss an early Christian cemetery that we ‘found’ on a hill just outside the town. It also could be a good starting point for a hike.

The fortress of Methoni, built by the Venetians in early 1200, is purely magic especially if you manage to wake up early and see it with the first light of day. Obviously the next step is to dive into the sea and enoy the serenity.This was why we preferred to stop for the night in the seaside parking lot  [36.81799,21.70798], although we knew that it could be a little noisy. We were rewarded by this spectacular view!

The entrance to the castle is free (no ticket yet!) but there are gates and opening hours/days (from Tuesday to Sunday from 8.00 – 15.00). The tour takes less than an hour.

There is also space for parking on the beach, but there are signs that prohibit camping so my advice is to avoid it in high season.

Following the directions of a local man, we went to visit an early Christian cemetery just outside the town. To get there you have to go with the camper to the church of Saint Onofrio [36.84076,21.71113], about three kilometers from Methoni. From there take the trail that climbs to the top of the hill, hoping that with some luck and a creative use of imagination you will find the right path. The cemetery [36.84277,21.70961] is reached in about twenty minutes. The site is fenced, but as usual, the enclosure was cut and you can enter.