Day Trip to Ancient Messene - Ithomi from Kalamata

Day Trip to Ancient Messene - Ithomi from Kalamata

Join this 6-hour day trip from Kalamata to Ancient Messene. This ancient city is significant in terms of its size, form, and state of preservation, which still has much to offer visitors. This tour, led by your driver/guide, is ideal for those travelers coming into Kalamata by cruise ship or staying in the city and includes hotel or port pickup and drop-off.

Start out from your hotel and in less than an hour you will arrive under the hill of Ithomi, where Ancient Messene is located. Enjoy the full trees stunning scenery and learn about all the myths, traditions and secrets that areas will encounter.

First, stop is at the source of village Mauromati. Learn about the legend that reveals the name of the village - a myth that reaches back to the years of ancient Greeks’ mythology and is related to the upbringing of Zeus. The structures you'll first see are the city’s fortification wall and the only surviving entrance gate. They are standing there steadfast from 369 BCE. Stand in front of the Arcadian Gate to admire its splendor and allow the stones to take you back centuries ago, wondering how it feels like to be a Messenian warrior fighting to protect your family.

Wander through the same paths where Epaminondas once stepped, the famous general who founded the city on the ruins of Ancient Ithomi, which were the direct result of Spartans’ behaviors as conquerors. But that great man decided to stop the wars and continued exercising "democracy." Just above the ancient city, there's a coffee shop which will play host to you for about an hour before entering the main sight. There, you'll learn everything about the foundation of the city, its history and the continuously changing of conquers. Wander around within the ancient city at your leisure within the time allotted. Finally, see the small Archaeological Museum which you'll visit later.