Stoupa Beach

Located in the village of Stoupa, Stoupa Beach – also sometimes known as Paralia Stoupas and Paralia Stoupa – is a popular, arc-shaped, 400 meter-long beach with light brown sand, rocks at its northern end, and nearby multiple underground freshwater springs.  A stream occasionally flows through Stoupa Beach and once this stream passes the beach, it flows into the Mediterranean Sea.

Stoupa Beach has many amenities including lifeguards, showers, changing rooms, benches, and rental facilities for sunbeds, beach umbrellas, and watersports equipment.

Stoupa Beach offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, fishing, wildlife watching, swimming, paddleboarding, kayaking, canoeing, boating, snorkeling, surf-skiing, and jet-skiing.  Stoupa Beach is ideal for beginner swimmers, kayakers, canoers, and paddleboarders because the water here is mostly calm and shallow.  In addition, the water’s clarity also makes Stoupa Beach popular with snorkelers – the northern portion of the beach is ideal with snorkelers.  If you are planning to swim, kayak, snorkel, or paddleboard near Stoupa Beach, we recommend being careful because the water here can have unpredictable rip currents.

If you are planning to fish near Stoupa Beach, please follow the local fishing regulations.  If you like taking pictures with beautiful views, Stoupa Beach offers excellent Instagram-worthy views of Stoupa’s coastline and the Mediterranean Sea, particularly during sunset.  The northern portion of Stoupa Beach is ideal for visitors looking for a quieter beach experience because it has slightly fewer visitors as compared to other portions of the beach.  If you like biking, there is a coastal bike trail near the beach that offers a fun biking experience.

Getting to Stoupa Beach is easy – this beach is easily accessible from the regional capital city of Kalamata through a road named Eparchiaki Odos Kalamatas – Areopolis.  Parking near Stoupa Beach can be difficult because there are only a few free street parking spaces near Stoupa Beach.  In addition, please note that parking near Stoupa Beach is also seasonally prohibited.  We recommend visiting Stoupa Bach early during summers because this beach can get quickly crowded in this season.

There are many attractions near Stoupa Beach.  If you like shopping, the village of Stoupa has a variety of interesting shopping stores.  The Historical and Folklore Museum "Androuvista" is another attraction that is a 20-minute drive away and it has many interesting exhibits that offer information about the vibrant local culture and history.  The “Old Town” area of the nearby town of Kardamyli has many beautiful historic buildings including an 18th century church, a chapel dedicated to Saint Theodore, and a famous early 19th century tower named the Mourtzinos Tower – in addition, this area also has a museum.  The Tower of Dourakis (also called Dourakis Tower) is a beautiful late 18th-century tower that is 17 minutes away by car from Stoupa Beach and has interesting local architectural influences.  If you are looking for another attraction near Stoupa Beach, 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.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Stoupa Beach.  Stoupa Restaurant is an oceanfront restaurant that serves outstanding Mediterranean and Greek cuisine including breakfast dishes, beef stifado, moussaka, salads, panna cotta, and baklava.  Psaras (also known as Ψαράς in Greek) is a popular restaurant that serves a variety of delicious Greek and local Cretan dishes including seafood, poultry dishes, souvlaki, pastitsio, rabbit in orange sauce, and mousaka.  Akrogiali (also called Akrogiali Stoupa) is an oceanfront restaurant that serves amazing seafood, Mediterranean cuisine, barbecued pork, local Greek dishes, and salads.  Melissa Taverna has a vibrant and modern decor and it serves delicious Mediterranean and local Greek dishes including pastas, lamb, roast pork, seafood, and soups.  If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Stoupa Beach, To Perasma serves excellent pizzas, souvlakis, burgers, pastas, lamb chops, and pork dishes.

If you are looking for a hotel near Stoupa Beach, there are many great nearby options.  Katikies Manis is an upscale hotel that offers a garden with a barbecue and open-air sitting area.  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 the 3-Star Anaxo Resort that offers multiple bars and a pool with sunbeds.  If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Stoupa Beach, the 3-Star Hotel Aphrodite offers accommodation in apartments and studios that have many amenities including a pool, a patio with sunbeds, a poolside bar, and a hot tub.