Kalogria Beach

Located to the south of the village of Kardamyli, Kalogria Beach – also known as Paralia Kalogrias and Zorba’s Beach – is a small, 150 meters long, and popular beach with light brown sand, nearby underwater springs, and nearby rocks. 

Although Kalogria Beach does not have lifeguards, it has a few other amenities including showers, volleyball courts, and rental facilities for sunbeds, watersports equipment, and beach umbrellas. 

Kalogria Beach offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, wildlife watching, fishing, volleyball, swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, racquetball, water biking, jet-skiing, wakeboarding, surf-skiing, paddleboarding, water-skiing, kayaking, canoeing, boating, and parasailing.  Kalogria Beach is ideal for beginner swimmers, snorkelers, kayakers, and paddleboarders because the water here is mostly calm, clear, and shallow.  If you are planning to swim, kayak, snorkel, scuba dive, or canoe near Kalogria Beach, we recommend being careful because the water here can have unpredictable rip currents.  In addition, the water here can be relatively colder than other nearby Peloponnese beaches because of the nearby underwater springs.

Kalogria Beach does not offer wheelchair access for visitors with disabilities.

Getting to Kalogria Beach is easy – this beach is easily accessible from the nearby village of Stoupa or the nearby city of Kalamata through a road named Eparchiaki Odos Kalamatas – Areopolis.  Signs near Eparchiaki Odos Kalamatas – Areopolis offer directions to Kalogria Beach. 

Parking near Kalogria Beach can be difficult – the free parking lot near this beach can get quickly filled up, especially during summers.  In addition to this parking lot, there are also a few free street parking spaces and a paid parking lot near the beach.

We recommend visiting Kalogria Beach early during summers because this beach can get quickly crowded during this season, particularly in the months of July and August.

As an interesting fact, eminent Greek writer Nikos Kazantzakis and his friend Alexis Zorbas used to live near this beach – Nikos Kazantzakis wrote his famous novel “Life and Times of Alexis Zorbas” based on his experiences with Zorbas here.  Also, there is a cave near the southern end of Kalogria Beach that is called “the cave of Kazantzakis” because the author Nikos Kazantzakis wrote his novels within this cave – if you want to explore this cave, you can easily access it by swimming or by boat.

There are many attractions near Kalogria Beach.  The Castle of Lefktro was built in the 13th century by the local Frankish rulers of southern Greece – while this castle is now in a completely derelict state, it offers an interesting insight into local history, along with amazing views of coastal Messinia.  Proastio is a nearby village that has many unique buildings with Byzantine and Post-Byzantine architecture including many beautiful churches, multiple towers, a fountain, and a bridge.  The nearby village of Pyrgos is another great attraction – this village offers many beautiful and historic churches that date back to the Byzantine and the Post-Byzantine era.  This village also offers amazing Mediterranean Sea views and the southern Greek shoreline.  Foneas Gorge (also called Noupanti Gorge) is a nearby gorge that offers a long and strenuous yet fun hiking experience for experienced hikers – this gorge has a vibrant rugged landscape, many caves, and many old buildings and you can see many kinds of birds while hiking here.  We recommend avoiding hiking in this gorge in winter because it can get waterlogged due to excess rain in this season.  If you are looking for another attraction near Kalogria Beach, the Leigh Fermor House is a beautiful house that was the former home of eminent writer, scholar, and soldier Patrick Leigh Fermor and his wife Joan – this historic house also has a beautiful Mediterranean-style garden.  This house is currently managed by the Benaki Museum of Athens and it is seasonally open for visits by the public.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Kalogria Beach.  Almyriki Tavern is a waterfront restaurant that serves delicious Greek cuisine, along with many other delicious dishes including seafood, pastas, barbecued meats, salads, and fries.  Liastres Taverna (also called Liastres Stoupa) is a restaurant that is seasonally open in the summers and it offers many amazing Greek dishes.  To Perasma serves excellent pizzas, souvlakis, burgers, pasta, lamb chops, and pork dishes.  If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Kalogria Beach, Paralos Beach Bar offers amazing breakfast dishes and light snacks, along with a variety of refreshing hot and cold beverages.

If you are looking for a hotel near Kalogria Beach, there are many great nearby options.  The upscale Zerveas Villasoffers accommodation in luxury villas that have pools and terraces.  Another great upscale hotel is the 4-Star Diapori Suites Hotel that offers many amenities including a lounge with a bar and a fireplace, a pool, and a poolside sundeck.  A more affordable hotel is Kalogria Beach Studios & Apartments that has a restaurant and a garden.  If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Kalogria Beach, the 3-Star Hotel Aphrodite offers many amenities including a pool, a patio with sunbeds, a poolside bar, and a hot tub.