Palaiokastro (Palaionavarino) castle, Peloponnese, Greece / Παλαιόκαστρο Πύλου

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This clip is part of our series on both the illustrious as well as the less-well known, but still fantastic, sites and sights of Greece.

On the north side of the historic bay of Navarino, which is famed for the naval battle of 1827 between the Turkish and allied (British, French, Russian) naval forces, and set in a fantastic natural environment, lies Palaiokastro, also known as Old Pylos Castle or Palaionavarino. At the south end of the bay is Neokastro (New Navarino Castle).

Built on the ancient acropolis of Pylos, the ruins of Palaiokastro are perched on a steep cliff above Nestor’s Cave on a peninsula between Navarino Bay and Gialova Lagoon. The latter is an area of great natural beauty that is part of Natura 2000. The sandy Voidokoila beach at the seaward end of the lagoon stretches below.

The medieval castle of Palaiokastro dates back to 1278, when it was probably built by the Frankish ruler of Thebes, Nicolas II of Saint Omer, who was also the Baron of Kalamata. He had married the widow of William de Villehardouin, Prince of Achaea, and traded her properties at Chlemoutsi and Kalamata for land in Messenia. There is also another theory that it was built by his nephew Nicolas III.

The making of this clip was a bit challenging due to unfavourable lighting, rain at times and the buffeting of the drone, at times, by high winds.