COSTA NAVARINO SIGHTSEEING OLYMPIA

Its earliest history shrouded in the mists of time, Messinia’s cultural past reveals a rich tapestry of kings and queens, honor and tradition, war and friendship. Costa Navarino provides the ideal base from which to discover a fascinating history that goes back 4,500 years. Neolithic settlements, Mycenaean palaces, Classical temples, Byzantine churches and medieval castles are all within easy reach, both in Messinia as well as in the broader area of the Peloponnese.

Olympia This is where the Olympic Games took place every four years for over 1100 years, until their abolition by Emperor Theodosius I in AD 393. The Olympic flame is still lit here for the modern Games. Thanks to the destruction ordered by Theodosius II in AD 420 and various subsequent earthquakes, little remains of the magnificent temples and athletic facilities, but enough exists to give you a hint of the sanctuary’s former glory. It is one of Greece’s most evocative ancient sites.