Marathopoli

Before I was there, I never heard of Marathopoli. I suspect most people at hive and elsewhere are probably like me. It is an absolutely charming, off the beaten path village in southern Peloponnese. It is a small coastal village in Messinia on the Peloponnese Peninsula (look at the map below for location). It is a quiet fishing village, with its economy centered on fishing, olive production, and tourism. Its proximity to Proti Island and Pylos has made it a growing destination for travelers seeking unspoiled coastal beauty.

I was there to look at rocks mostly :) However, since we are not poor students anymore, we tend to do this stuff in style. Mostly a lot of geology was done by renting a restaurant named Korali Fish Tavern, which has a nice patio by the rocky beach overlooking Proti island across the Aegean Sea.

We spend hours talking during dinner, and came back the following morning for multiple hours of talking again. Yes, geologists like to talk (read 'argue') a lot!.

I remember standing here for 2 hours straight and we we argued about the geology of the western Peloponnese!

We essentially traversed the peninsula from west to east, spending each night at small villages and spending the following day looking at rocks. Marathopoli was part of Pylos Peninsula in this cross section. There was a little bit of geology and then lunch at a fish restaurant!

I don't know about you, but this is what I call a high life. This is heaven for me. I can do the all year long! But unfortunately I can't :), but I do enough, so I shouldn't complain.

After lunch we drove toward Sfaktiria, which is an island just off the coast of Pylos.

I am sure you see the Sea Arch withing the Limestone. Those rocks are Gavrovo Carbonates that we were studying during this trip. Sfaktiria, also known as Sphacteria, is a small, uninhabited island located at the entrance to Navarino Bay near Pylos. I was told a story that Sfaktiria was involved in the Peloponnesian War (431–404 BCE). In 425 BCE, during a battle between Athens and Sparta, Athenian forces under General Demosthenes besieged the island, trapping approximately 400 Spartan hoplites. After a 72-day siege, the Spartans surrendered—an unusual event given their reputation for fighting to the death—due to starvation and lack of reinforcements. So not fight till death and the battle of Thermopylae featured in the story of 300!

Today, Sfaktiria is a destination for boat excursions from Pylos or Gialova. It is just spectacular here. I can't wait to go back!