Sea Κayaking in the Navarino Bay

Time and meeting point

9:30 at Pylos' marina.

Trip duration with breaks

4-5 hours

Difficulty and Conditions of participation

Easy activity
Suitable for all / Beginners, families and kids

Includes

  • Full Sea Kayak equipment: boat, paddle, life jacket, spray-skirt, waterproof jacket
  • Extra equipment: waterproof bags and cases, pumps and paddle-float
  • Snorkeling equipment (masks & snorkels)
  • Land based safety and instructional briefing
  • Water based Sea Kayaking paddling instructions
  • Qualified BC 3-5 Star sea kayak leader who also holds first aid certificate.
  • Trip planning- Sightseeing
  • Picnic with freshly baked bread fruits and vegetables, homemade olive oil, and cheese
  • Waterproof camera and photographs from the trip
  • Liability insurance
  • All taxes

Don’t forget to bring

  • Bottle of water (1,5 litre per person)
  • Any specific medication you are on
  • Hat or cup
  • T-shirt (short or long sleeve)
  • Sunscreen
  • Towel
  • Change of clothes
  • Swimsuit
  • Sea shoes or flip flops or sandals (Avoid bulky shoes)

Bookings

By booking an activity and paying the full amount, it is given that you agree with the terms & conditions.

Cancellations

For Cancellation for 30 days or more from the activity start date, 100% of your payment will be refunded.
For Cancellation for 30 days or less from the activity start date, 50% of your payment will be refunded.
For Cancellation for 10 days or less before the activity start date, we do not offer any kind of refund, with no exceptions.
If you are unable to join the activity, you can pass your spot to another person (you have to inform us about their name, e-mail and phone number).
In activities with limited participation positions there is a priority order. For this reason consider on your early booking.

The area

Navarino bay is a natural harbor and an ideal spot for Sea Kayaking trips. Across Gialova and Pylos the island of Sphacteria stands as a wave breaker, protecting the bay from winds of Ionian Sea forming an idyllic landscape covered with a veil of tranquility. A landscape of incredible natural beauty, with impressive rock formations, sea caves, warm, crystal clear, waters and golden sandy beaches where sea turtles often return to lay their eggs. Two medieval castles guard the bay, recalling the famous naval battle of Navarino, one of the most important events of the modern Greek history.

The Trip

Sea kayaking in Navarino Bay one of our most popular trips offering you the experience of remoteness with a visit to the island of Sphacteria. You will explore beautiful rock formations and sea caves, relax on a hidden cove with a deserted beach and hopefully spot some migrant birds sea turtles or seals. Our trip begins from the marina of Pylos. Before departure, we brief you on trip details, kayak paddling techniques and safety measures. Soon we will be paddling by the town of Pylos and the castle of Niokastro heading towards the Tsihli Baba, an imposing monolithic islet with an impressive rock arch formed at its northern tip. Weather permitting, we circumnavigate the islet, visit a few of its sea caves and paddle through its tunnels and arches. Our next stop will be the one and only accessible from the sea beach of the island of Sphacteria. During our stop there will be enough time to swim, snorkel, sunbathe, rest and enjoy a picnic with freshly baked bread organic, garden grown fruits and vegetables, homemade olive oil, and cheese. Once the lunch stop is over we paddle back to the starting point to end an adventurous day spent in the tranquility of the Navarino Bay.

Location

Pylos

Pylos (UK: /ˈpaɪlɒs/, US: /-loʊs/; Greek: Πύλος), historically also known under its Italian name Navarino, is a town and a former municipality in Messenia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Pylos-Nestoras, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit. It was the capital of the former Pylia Province. It is the main harbour on the Bay of Navarino. Nearby villages include Gialova, Pyla, Elaiofyto, Schinolakka, and Palaionero.

Pylos has a long history, having been inhabited since Neolithic times. It was a significant kingdom in Mycenaean Greece, with remains of the so-called "Palace of Nestor" excavated nearby, named after Nestor, the king of Pylos in Homer's Iliad. In Classical times, the site was uninhabited, but became the site of the Battle of Pylos in 425 BC, during the Peloponnesian War. Pylos is scarcely mentioned thereafter until the 13th century, when it became part of the Frankish Principality of Achaea. Increasingly known by its French name of Port-de-Jonc or its Italian name Navarino, in the 1280s the Franks built the Old Navarino castle on the site. Pylos came under the control of the Republic of Venice from 1417 until 1500, when it was conquered by the Ottoman Empire. The Ottomans used Pylos and its bay as a naval base, and built the New Navarino fortress there. The area remained under Ottoman control, with the exception of a brief period of renewed Venetian rule in 1685–1715 and a Russian occupation in 1770–71, until the outbreak of the Greek War of Independence in 1821. Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt recovered it for the Ottomans in 1825, but the defeat of the Turco-Egyptian fleet in the 1827 Battle of Navarino forced Ibrahim to withdraw from the Peloponnese and confirmed Greek independence.