Greece Vacation, Part 4 – Costa Navarino, Peloponnese

In this post I will introduce our next stop in Peloponnese peninsula in our Greece vacation. Take a look at my previous Greece Vacation posts for the full story if you are planning to visit Athens or somewhere else in Greece.

In my previous post I talked about our visit in a beautiful seaside town called Nafplio in the Peloponnese peninsula of Greece. From Nafplio we continued driving to our next destination called Costa Navarino.

East Coast of Peloponnese

There were few mountains on our way so through several turns and tunnels we drove up and then back down on the other side. Shortly after we reached the coast it was time for the sun to set. We still had some ways to go but we stopped to see the sunset over the ocean. Very beautiful view! Also the place were we stopped had a street full of shops and restaurants. It was good we had a chance to visit a convenience store before heading to our hotel.

Last few miles of our drive proved to be the most difficult! There were no signs for “Westin Resort” anywhere. There was a gated community with signs for “Romano’s Resort” but no Westin. We drove around through some narrow streets trying to find a gate for Westin. After driving around for a while and checking out map we went back to the Romano’s gate; it ended up being the right place after all. It was very weird they don’t have signs for Westin if they share the same compound.

The Westin Costa Navarino Resort

The reason for us to visit Costa Navarino was that there was one of the few SPG hotels in the mainland Greece. I used my SPG points to get a free room in the Westin Resort Costa Navarino for three nights. You can read about how I got those points in my Corporate Pilot’s Guide for Hotel Benefits post.

Check In to the Hotel

Driving in trough the main gate we were given instructions for parking. From parking it was a short walk to the reception. On the way to the lobby we left our luggage to a bellhop service that was based outside. Check in was fast. I had paid the room already by my points but they still needed my credit card for any incidental expenses during our stay. Our room had been upgraded to a suite, which was nice because I had requested for an upgrade in advance! 🙂

The resort area was very big and we had to take a golf cart ride to our building. On the way our driver pointed us where everything was. Our room had another parking area closer where we parked our car the next day.

Pools and the Gym

I believe they had three different outdoor pools. They were big and one of them was heated. They also had a heated indoor pool, hot tub, and a sauna. Separate saunas for men and women.

The fitness center was well equipped with many different machines and free weights.

The Beach

Outside the hotel there was a very nice beach with chairs provided. Unfortunately the water was quite cold early November so we didn’t swim much. But it was very nice to sit at the beach watching the sunset!

Restaurants

Plenty of food was available at the resort. They had a Greek food, Italian food, a Steakhouse, Seafood Buffet, etc. Some of the restaurants were closed in November, but we still enjoyed all the food we ate in the resort. The Italian restaurant and the Seafood buffet were especially excellent. They Steakhouse was located at the Golf Club and after looking at the prices in the menu we decided to eat elsewhere… It was very a expensive steakhouse!

There were some restaurants within a short driving distance from the hotel. If you are in the area and want to have some authentic Greek food I would highly recommend the Katerina’s Tavern Restaurant nearby.

Other Resort Activities

The resort offered plenty of activities to just about everyone. In November most people seemed to come there for golfing as it was one of the main activities in the resort. But they also had tennis courts, kids playground and a carting track. I believe they also arrange watersports, cooking classes and other activities on request. On busy season I think they have schedules of different activities.

Things to do near Costa Navarino

We visited this area in Greece because the Westin Resort happened to be there and we wanted to relax by the beach for couple of days. But because in November the weather was just a bit too cold for laying in the beach all day we decided to explore the surrounding areas also.

Old Navarino Castle

About 15 minute drive from the hotel there was ruins of an old castle on top of a hill. It was called the Old Navarino Castle. There were two ways to climb up there. We climbed up from the north side of the hill and it wasn’t easy.  There were steep steps made from stone part of the way but some parts were just gravel or otherwise rough terrain.

Top of the Hill

Once we reached the top we had a little picnic up there and took some photos. Absolutely beautiful views from there! Best part was probably the fact that there was nobody else there! It was interesting to see the ruins also. Some of the walls were still quite well preserved although other than that there was not much to see.

It was a much easier to hike down from the south side of the hill. From the south it would be easier to hike up also as the trail is shallow but long.

View of the Voidokilia Beach from Old Navarino Castle. Costa Navarino, Greece. 

Overall Visit to Costa Navarino in Peloponnese, Greece

The whole area was very quiet during our visit. We didn’t see many people anywhere except in the hotel restaurants. While we spent most of our time relaxing by the pool I think most of the resort visitors were there for golf.

Overall we enjoyed our time the Westin Resort Costa Navarino and I would give a five star review for the hotel anytime! Hopefully I can visit there again sometime! Only downside was that because of the season many places in the area were closed so it is better to visit there summer time.

Thank you for reading! If you liked this post please leave a comment below!

~Funky Traveler Vesa