THEATRE OF DREAMS IN COSTA NAVARINO
Costa Navarino is shaping up to be a paradise for golfers looking for a luxurious golf holiday.
Four beautiful hotels with four stunning golf courses – there is little more that the peripatetic golfer will want. Throw in the famous dry, sunny weather that Greece is known for, and you have a golf destination few in Europe can match.
A secluded cove in Messenia, Greece
THE PROPERTY
Costa Navarino is an expansive golf and hotel development that spans over 1,300 sq km – that’s nearly twice the size of Singapore. Located in the region of Messenia, Greece, it sits on an idyllic promontory that is characterised by stunning cliffs, hills, and beaches. The waters here are pristine, devoid of boat or ship traffic. The closest town is Pylos, a small, charming hamlet with a few supermarkets, bars, shops and restaurants.
W Costa Navarino
WHERE TO SLEEP
There are four main hotels at Costa Navarino, all design with variations on a theme of luxury. Families with kids in tow will be delighted at The Westin Resort Costa Navarino. It’s tagline “The ultimate family experience” says it all. A highly acclaimed holiday destination, The Westin here has received accolades like Conde Nast’s Traveler’s “Readers’ Choice Award”.
The 445-room property offers a variety of lodging types with suites and connecting rooms being ideal for guests with kids in tow. Its hillside location provides views of the Ionian Sea, and those staying on ground-floor units are just steps away from the beach.
Kids will have their days filled with great activities. The Sand Castle, which offers both recreational and educational activities as well as overnight stay options, is aimed at children aged four to seven and eight to 12, with specially devised programmes for each age group. At the Cocoon day nursery, toddlers from four months to three years old are creatively engaged under the supervision of qualified staff. Babysitting services are also provided on request. Division 16 is a vibrant meeting place with a 60s vibe where teens can freely express themselves in the bowling alley, the escape room, and at karaoke parties. Fun for the entire family is guaranteed at the immersive Aqua Park with three brand-new waterslides.
Royal Villa Methane at The Romanos
While the kids are at play, parents can indulge in some personal pampering at the award-winning Anazoe Spa. Signature spa treatments are based on techniques that combine Greek healing rituals and local resources with traditional European spa therapies. Natural ingredients are paramount here, with elements such as purifying olive leaves, refreshing Messinian citrus, herbs, flowers and sea salts finding their way into the treatments. The full gamut of spa offerings are on tap here, including unique ones like lymphatic massages, thalassotherapy and cocooning scrubs.
Couples looking for a more intimate setting may prefer The Romanos, Luxury Collection Resort. Premium rooms, suites and villas here range from 43 sq m to 192 sq m. And for that something special, the 630 sq m Royal villa and 660 sq m Royal Villa Koroni will make for a memorable stay. Guests who have rental cars have the privilege of parking spaces that are conveniently located next to the hotel. And as with all other properties at Costa Navarino, the stunning beach is just steps away regardless of which rooms you take.
As of April this year, a new adults-only pool enhances the resort offering, alongside a series of exclusive wine, champagne and whisky events. The resort’s Ionian Exclusive Suites and Villas collection will benefit this year from new, personalised experiences, curated to address each guest’s needs. All pool villas benefit from total privacy and direct beachfront access.
Aqua Park at the Westin Resort Costa Navarino
Restricted to guests over 12 years of age, the W Costa Navarino is the first W to open in Greece. And with all W properties, the vibe is understated chic, with lounge tunes playing softly in the background, and a plethora of beautiful people making their way in and out of the public areas. The resort’s design is inspired by the region’s traditional residences, with natural materials like stone, wood and reed finding their ways into enhancing the uber-cool surroundings. W Costa Navarino has 246 rooms ranging from two and three-bedroom villas with infinity private pools, to beautifully appointed doubles with views of the Bay of Navarino.
Mandarin Oriental Costa Navarino presents something special, and this year marks the hotel’s full season with the opening of five new three-bedroom villas and a five-bedroom Royal Villa. The latter spans 1095 sq m and accommodate up to 12 guests. The hotel exudes an air of exclusivity, even though it’s just steps from many of Costa Navarino’s many distractions and attractions. An expansive swimming pool abuts the long stretch of sandy beach, letting guests choose between the two while enjoying cocktails from the pool bar situated in between. The hotel has its own spa, with a 25m indoor pool that allows all-round views of the Navarino Bay. Add a fitness centre with a view to die for and you’ll not find many reasons to leave.
Ormos Beach Club at Mandarin Oriental Costa Navarino
THE GOLF
At many golf destination resorts around the world, the courses are typically secondary to the high quality of the accommodations and its related services and facilities. Not at Costa Navarino.
The four golf courses here are distinctly unique, each offering a different set of challenges, design and allure. You’d be hard-pressed to pick a favourite, and any golfer bringing their clubs will certainly need to play all four.
The Dunes was the first course built at Costa Navarino, and is located closest to the hotels. Designed by Masters Champion, Ryder Cup Captain and German legend Bernhard Langer, some of its holes can be seen from the rooms at The Romanos. Sea and river views adorn the links-inspired course, parts of which venture through olive and fruit groves. In season, golfers can pick from these trees and sample the literal fruits of the land. At 6581 yards from the back tees, the par-71 course is no slouch even if the fairways are ample and the greens large.
The International Olympic Academy Golf Course (IOAGC).
At 5164m from the back tees, the Robert Trent Jones Jr-designed Bay course is slightly shorter than the Dunes, but no less challenging or fun to play. Most of the tee boxes allow views of the historic Navarino Bay, and two of the holes play along the water. Holes at this course are loosely divided into three distinct landscapes. The Seaside holes are framed by a backdrop of the Bay, with the short, par-4 fourth being specifically memorable with the town of Pylos in the background.
Elevated tees characterise the Bay course’s Canyon holes and golfers need to navigate their tee shots through box canyons as the course moves inland. And in the Grove grouping, more than a thousand mature olive trees – some more than half a millennium old – guide you through
a mountain landscape that is finely juxtaposed against the Seaside and Canyon holes.
The Hills and the International Olympic Academy Golf (IOAGC) courses, both designed by two-time Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal, are the two newest courses at Costa Navarino. Set high above the coastline, both courses offer stupendous views of the surrounding hills and bay, the courses are distinguished by somewhat wide fairways, and well protected greens. Needless to say, Olazabal’s bunkering are key features that golfers cannot ignore when playing these two layouts.
The Hills Course with the views of the surrounding hills and bay.
There are a few tricky ravines to contend with at the Hills, with the long, 395m par-four eighth posing the sternest challenge of them all. Par-3s here are no pushovers, and the muscular 187m 15th demands that you take more club if you want to clear the swath of trees between the tee box and the green.
IOAGC is probably the longest course of the four. At 6366m in length, the par-72 layout can be a true test of golf. But Olazabal’s design is friendly to tee shots, although it can be penal when approach shots go astray. The course does allow alternatives to getting on the greens in regulation, and the allowance for golfers to plot their ways to bogey – and preventing lost balls – is a testament to the creativity of the legendary Spaniard.
Given the sprawling size of the property, Costa Navarino has two golf clubhouses for the four courses – both with full pro shops, locker facilities and top- notch bars and restaurants. The Dunes Clubhouse services the Dunes and Bay courses, while golfers at the Hills and IOAGC can use The Hills Clubhouse for pre and post-golf sustenance.
The Bay Course Clubhouse.
EAT & DRINK
No one goes hungry or thirsty at Costa Navarino. In fact, deciding on where to eat or drink can be difficult given the wide range of restaurants, cafés, bars and lounges located at each of the four hotels, and beyond.
One of the highlights at the W Costa Navarino must be the Parelia beach club where guests can dip in and out of the long sandy beach while hanging out at the Platia, the hotel’s deli food market. Breakfast served here is segregated into stations serving different kinds of food.
Da Luigi Restaurant at the marketplace or Agora near The Romanos hotel is a fine place for high quality Italian dishes like antipasti, freshly made pastas or oven-baked pizzas. If the weather is nice, an al fresco table in the piazza is the place to be while indulging in your favourites.
Navarino Agora offers shops and restaurants by a marina.
Barbouni is one lunch spot that you shouldn’t miss. Located right by the beach near The Romanos, the Mediterranean menu of freshly caught fish (barbouni is a type of fish popular in Greece), grilled meats and signature Grecian delights. The baked aubergine with tomato tapenade topping is a must-have. If anything, go to Barbouni for the ambience. With the mesmerizing “moving” ceiling design, and the sea at your footstep, there are few spots at Costa Navarino finer than this for lunch or a sunset dinner.
If you prefer to dine away from the hotels, there are many choices offering a wide variety of cuisines as well. At The Dunes Clubhouse, Flame Restaurant serves expertly cooked steak dishes. If you’re a large group, then the mix grill platter is just the thing to provide variety and quantity.
Down by the small marina at Navarino Agora, a collection of restaurants and shops next to the W Costa Navarino, Ouzeri by Papaioannou is a traditional café or ouzadika that serves Greek small plates that are integral to life in this country. Seafood dishes like marinated anchovies, mussels steamed with white wine sit beside items like grilled beef liver and pan-fried pork with lemon and potato cream to offer a glimpse into the Grecian palate. The octopus in wine with cherry tomatoes and fresh oregano is arguably the restaurants piece de resistance.
The Dunes was the first course built at Costa Navarino.
GETTING THERE
The quickest way to get to Costa Navarino is flying into the Kalamata Airport, a 50-minute drive away. Alternatively, you can take a leisurely, picturesque drive from Athens International Airport which will take about three and a half hours. There are several notable historic sites from Athens to Kalamata, and it is well worth it if you make stops to see them if you take this route.
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