Koroni

Koroni stands on the western shore of the Messenian Gulf, near the tip of the middle 'finger' of the southern Peloponnese and about an hour's drive south-west of Kalamata. It is a photogenic seaside town of tiled roofs, stepped lanes and cascading bougainvillea, built up a headland beneath a great Venetian castle and reaching down to a sheltered fishing harbour lined with cafes and tavernas.

With Methoni across the peninsula, Koroni formed the second of Venice's two 'eyes of the Republic', the pair of fortified harbours that controlled the maritime route between the Adriatic and the eastern Mediterranean. The Castle of Koroni was raised by the Venetians in the 13th century and reworked by the Ottomans in the 16th, and unlike many Greek fortresses it is still very much alive: within its walls sits the working Convent of Timios Prodromos, its nuns tending gardens, chapels and terraces with sweeping views over the gulf. Wandering up through the town to the castle gate, past whitewashed houses and small courtyards, is the essential Koroni experience.

Just beyond the headland lies Zaga Beach, a long stretch of pale sand and clear, shallow water that is among the best on this coast. Closer to town, smaller coves and the harbour front give easy swimming and a front-row seat for the evening volta, when locals and visitors drift between the waterside tables.

Koroni rewards an unhurried stay. Days settle into a rhythm of a morning swim, a slow lunch of fresh fish by the water, a climb to the castle in the cooler hours and a long dinner as the lights come on around the harbour. The surrounding Messenian countryside, thick with olive groves that produce some of Greece's finest oil, is worth a drive, and Methoni, Pylos and Kalamata are all within reach for day trips.

The town is at its best from late spring to early autumn. July and August bring Greek and Italian holidaymakers and a cheerful buzz; May, June and September offer warm seas with more room to breathe. It suits travellers after character and calm rather than resorts or nightlife.