General Information & Reviews

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• General info • Useful links • Gallery (6) • Reviews (4)

Kyparissia Greece is a Messenian town located on the west coast of Peloponnese on the slopes of Mount Egaleo. It is the seat town in the district of Trifylia and can be found on the national highway between Pyrgos and Pylos. The town has been built amphitheatrically. The Upper Town (Old Town) is crossed by many narrow paths and has stone-built houses, while the Lower Town is actually a modern city with all tourist amenities.

The history of Kyparissia starts in prehistoric times. During the antiquity, it served as an important port for the residents of all the area of Messenia. In the Middle Ages, it provided shelter to many refugees from the Frank-occupied area of Arcadia. Hence it was given the name Arkadia (the accent in the last syllable).

A nice Byzantine castle overlooks the picturesque town of Kyparissia. It was probably built on the site of another fortress and it served to protect the area from enemies and pirates. This castle was occupied by the Venetians and the Turks until the Greeks get it again after the Greek War of Independence. Others sights of the area include nice churches, the archaeological site of Peristeria, picturesque villages and the Folklore Museum.

Kyparissia is blessed with a number of long and sandy beaches. The beach of Ai-Lagoudis is the most popular and the closest to the town center. Most accommodation options of Kyparissia are situated near Ai-Lagoudis. Beach bars and seaside cafes can also be found along the coast. For a tourist, Kyparissia offers a tranquil experience. The scenic beauty of a coastal region and the historical sights will offer you a refreshing holiday.

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Reviews

alison_k 02 Feb 2010

Lovely seashore

We didn't stay to Kyparissia more than three hours so I can't talk for sure about the area. It looked nice for me and coming from north (from Ancient Olympia), we saw some really welcoming beaches on the way.

We went to Kyparissia last summer on a beautiful tour around Peloponnese and we can only tell about the nice beach and the beautiful cafeterias right above the beach. The square was almost empty in a hot August noon and all people were at the beach.

A short palm avenue led to the shore and at first you are impressed by the size of this lovely sandy coast. The water was fairly deep but clean. In the evening, it got a bit windy and had big waves. My kids got scared, they are still young to play with the waves, so the next hour we had a nice ice-cream at the open cafe right on the sand.

I read in your site that it has a Castle, but frankly we didn't see any strong castle. The only left from the castle is a tower on a hill above the town.
haratr 21 Mar 2009

Fairs and festivals

I go to Kyparissia very frequently for the last 7 years. We have bought a summer house there and we usually visit once or twice a month. Guys, I am very happy to see that you have created a section about Kyparissia because I love this town. I think it is very nice and relaxing. Beaches are good and villages are nice for a stroll in the evening. The waterfront of Kyparissia has nice fish taverns, an organized camping and an aqualand. The authorities are building the port for many years now (mostly to serve cargo ships) and it hasn't finished yet. Events and fairs are organized in summer, such as a book fair in the beginning of September and an orka festival in early August. The locals produce mostly orka and watermelons.
ritapatzani33 29 Nov 2008

Would be nice for a weekend

Unfortunately, we spent only a few hours in Kyparissia, as we were passing by this nice town to go to Pilos. Kyparissia is indeed a lovely town, with a great waterfront. Along the waterfront, the locals have planted some nice palm trees to give an exotic vibe to the town. The beach looked great, although we didn't swim. We just had a coffee in a cafeteria by the seaside and continued our way. This summer, we are thinking about going for a weekend excursion there. I think a weekend is enough to see just the town and the surroundings.
vasilikiang 06 Oct 2008

Just lovely

Kyparissia is one of the most beautiful towns in Greece for me. Every time I go, I feel the wonderful aura of this small town around me. Fortunately, I have relatives there and I go quiet often. There aren't many sightseeing to see on Kyparissia, except for the Castle, which is almost ruined today. As there are no buses, all trasportations in and around Kyparissia are done with taxis. So, take a taxi to go to the Castle because the road is going up and it will get too tiring for you. Once there, relax and enjoy the view. Take a coffee at hand and start walking down to the city centre again, passing through the windy, narrow streets of Ano Poli. Ano Poli is the traditional part of the town, with stone houses, paved roads and lovely parks.

The beach of Kyparissia is actually a long and sandy coast with many cafeterias along it and clean, deep waters. These cafeterias turn into beach bars at night and gather many young people. They don't close till early in the morning. Have in mind that there is also a waterpark at the north side of the beach, close to the camping area. As for the villages around Kyparissia, I believe the most picturesque is Vrises. It is set on top of a mountain and gives great views to the bay above. Its streets though are pretty rough and you will need trainers to walk.

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