A selection of some of our favourite beaches.
Amoudi
This is the closest beach and one of our favourites. Less than ten minutes down the valley by car and never very busy. You can walk there, but it is quite a steep and long walk back to the village and you need to take plenty of water as there are no facilities en route.The beach is a popular nesting site for loggerhead turtles, Caretta Caretta, and their nests are monitored and protected by Archelon. The beach is backed by cliffs and a large cave that offers plenty of shade.
Kalamaki
From the same road out of the village and down the valley you can carry on round the coast to the south to come to Kalamaki, a shallow and sandy beach which makes it great for families. There are often one of two camper vans parked up in the summer, but otherwise rarely more than 20 people on the beach. Again, this is a beach without any facilities so make sure to take enough water. There are some great walks up the valley towards and beyond the small chapel you can see from the beach.
Tsapi
Less than half an hour away in the direction of Finikounda is Tsapi. A favourite spot for our family with its gently sloping sandy beach and two tavernas. There is a small campsite here too. Of the two tavernas, Maria’s is our favourite. Simple, fresh food and a friendly warm welcome every time. Fresh fish on the grill and traditional baked dishes from the oven, as well crowd-pleasing tsatsiki, calamari, whitebait ‘gavros’, fried saganaki and mountainous Greek salads ‘horiatiki salata’. Tsapi can get quite busy in mid August, but we’ve always manged to find plenty of space. A recent addition at Tsapi are sunbeds and umbrellas provided by the tavernas.
Memi and Zaga
Heading in the other direction on the way to Koroni is along stretch of beach, several miles long. It is known as Memi at the southern end and then Zaga close to Koroni castle. There are tavernas and cafes and plenty of sunbeds and umbrellas too. As with much of the coastline here, the beach is gently sloping and sandy. Close to Zaga is Koroni Surf Centre which offers windsurfing, kayak, SUP and bike rental.
Peroulia and Agia Triada
To the north of Koroni there is Agia Triada and then Peroulia beach. Both face east with magnificent views towards Mount Taygetos and the Taygetus range over on the Mani. The beaches are long with good sand and slope gently into the sea allowing for paddling and swimming. Agia Triada does not have many facilities and can be quieter, whereas Peroulia has a few good tavernas and bars with sunbeds and umbrellas and some simple hire facilities for SUPs, kayaks and pedal boats.