Our final week in Greece was one to savour.

We set sail from Kalamata to Pylos in the Western Peloponnese, joined by our good friends Phil and Naomi.

Highlights of the week:

Crew put to work!
Our creative friends earned their passage sewing - we needed sun covers adapting to protect our stern line reels. Super job guys, thank you! 


Drinks, Bays & Pouláki
We enjoyed nights in quiet anchorages, chilled evenings ashore and some breezy sails aboard Pouláki, our trusty tender.  

Sapientza Lighthouse
Perched on the uninhabited island of Sapientza, just off the southern tip of the westernmost “finger” of the Peloponnese, this lonely lighthouse was commissioned by the British during Queen Victoria’s reign and built in 1880. Strategically positioned near key shipping routes linking the eastern Mediterranean with the Adriatic and beyond, it served Britain’s broader interest in safeguarding maritime trade across its empire. For British ships bound for India via the Suez Canal, or engaged in commercial routes between Gibraltar, Malta, and the Levant, the safe passage around Cape Akritas was crucial. It stands as a symbol of maritime cooperation between Britain and Greece in the age of the Empire.

A weathered stone path, once trodden by lighthouse keepers, still leads up from our anchorage to the sadly dilapidated remains. Though no longer manned, the lighthouse is now solar-powered and continues to cast its light for passing sailors. 

Methoni Fortress
We anchored beneath the imposing bastions of Methoni’s Venetian fortress — one of the best-preserved examples in Greece.

Built by the Venetians in the 13th century, it guarded a key Venetian maritme trade route between Europe and the East as well as serving as a military stronghold and naval base. We wandered through vast stone courtyards, battlements, and the distinctive octagonal Bourtzi tower, once used as a prison. Its scale is impressive even today. 

Nestor’s Cave
Our final stop was a long-awaited visit of mine to Nestor’s Cave. A hot walk led us past a protected wetland lagoon, through coastal sand dunes to a tucked-away cove where the cave overlooks the Ionian.

in Homer’s Odyssey, this is where the wise and gracious King Nestor of Pylos is said to have stabled his cattle — not his final resting place, as is often assumed. It’s a quiet wind swept spot with a deep sense of history.



With our Greek adventures winding down, we said our goodbyes and turned our attention to provisioning Pérdika for the next leg - a three day sail across the Ionian to Sicily.