Pylos
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| Pylos Port of Entry
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 Chart of Navarino Bay |
Pylos (Πύλος ) or Pilos or Navarino or Neokastro is a fairly modern town located in the deep bay of Navarino where there was a very famous naval battle of the British, French, and Russians against the Ottomans in 1827. This battle devastated the Ottoman fleet and led to Greek independence since the Turkish-Egyptian troops were totally cut-off and at the mercy of the Greek rebels.
Modern Pylos is at the S of of Navarino bay but the the famous Pylos, the capital of Nestor, the Homeric hero, was located to the N of the bay.
Charts
- BA
- 189 Nisos Sapiénza to Nisos Paxoi
- Imray-Tetra
- G15 Southern Peloponnisos
- NIMA
- 54301 Kalamai and Approaches
- Greek
- 212 Othonoi I. to Amvrakikos Gulf
Weather
See Ionian Sea.
Passages
Islands
Communication
- Greek Coast Guard - VHF channel 12
- Olympia Radio - VHF channels 27, 83, & 86
Also see World Cruiser's Nets.
Danger: The only safe way of entering the bay of Navarino is from the S of the long island Sfaktiria.
Entrance
Yachts entering Greece for the first time or checking out, should report to the Coast Guard (Limenarchio). They will direct them, if appropriate, to Customs, and Passport Police. All are nearby in the commercial harbor.
Procedures here are lax.--Istioploos 
14:32, 5 June 2008 (MDT)
Berthing
Pylos, Commercial Harbor
Pylos, Commercial Harbor [[Pylos#Pylos, Commercial Harbor|Pylos, Commercial Harbor]] (Πύλος) 36°54.920'N, 021°41.790'E There are anchoring several possibilities within the bay: In the "marina" (free!), the commercial harbor, and anchoring off in N of the bay.
The commercial harbor of Pylos, is not only crowded with commercial vessels but it has a very uncomfortable swell. It is to be avoided.
Note that the southern end of Navarino Bay has a rocky seabed and is thus poor anchoring. The north end is sandy.
Marinas & Yacht Clubs
- Pylos Marina - free, but no facilities
Anchorages
There are several places one can anchor at the N end of the bay. The shelter is good but anchoring can present problems. The south end of the bay has a rocky seabed.
Amenities
| Facilities | |
|---|---|
| Water | There is a faucet near the marina entrance, but not very convenient. There is also an outlet at the commercial harbor (call +30 2723 22 127) |
| Electricity | N/A (Not Available) |
| Toilets | N/A |
| Showers | N/A |
| Laundry | The dry cleaner uphill from the NW corner of the square does laundry but they take at least one day |
| Garbage | There are bins around the marina and commercial harbor |
| Supplies | |
| Fuel | Mini tankers deliver to the marina. Call +30 27230 22 107 (speaks English) or another tanker on +30 27230 22 287 |
| Bottled gas | Fortis, next to the super market in the main square sels Camping Gaz |
| Chandlers |
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| Services | |
| Repairs | Only for the outboard |
| Internet | In internet cafés |
| Mobile connectivity | Good 3G signal |
| Vehicle rentals |
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Provisioning
There is a small supermarket at the main square.
Eating out
Good food at 1930 and O Koúkos.
Transportation
There are regular buses to Kalamata from where one can fly to Athens.
Tourism
 Bronze Statuette in Pylos Museum |
 Neocastro |
The most important place here is to visit the excavation site of Nestor's Palace in Englianos. The ongoing excavation is described in detail in the excavation reports in The Pylos Regional Archaeological Project. In the early stages of this excavation by the American archaeologist C.W. Blegen many clay tablets were found. These tablets were written in a script (also found in Crete and other Mycenaean sites) that was labeled "linear B". The script was deciphered by the brilliant work of Michael Ventris and John Chadwick and was found to be the earliest form of Greek. Many of the findings from the excavation are in the the Pylos Museum in the town.
A nice walk from the town is Neokastro, the Ottoman castle of Pylos. It is fairly large and well preserved. Within the castle there is an interesting historical and folkloric exhibit. Well worth a visit. There is an entrance charge.
At the north end of the bay there are several items of interest. One can anchor off, or even go by dinghy from Pylos. Once ashore, cross the small bridge. You then have two options: you can take the path to the left which winds up to the castle. It is marked as 'closed' because of some danger of the castle walls or arches collapsing. Or you can take the path to the right, which goes alongside the shallow lagoon to the beautiful horseshoe bay of Voïdokilia - crystal clear shallow turquoise waters which are a popular swimming destination for the locals. Note that this path is also 'closed' owing to dangers from a landslide on one short stretch of it. Easily scrambled over.
If you take the path up to the castle (wear hiking shoes or boots), you can walk the walls with beautiful views across the bay, and across Voïdokilia. At the north end of the castle, scramble through a hole in the wall, and down a steep path (which does have some steel handholds and railings on parts). This will lead you past a huge cave on the right, and then down through the sand dunes to the shores of Voïdokilia bay.
Around the south end of the bay are several war monuments. These are the main destinations of the tourist bay tours. One is on the small island in the middle. The others are on the two islands guarding the entrance to the bay. All of them have small docks to which you can tie up your dinghy.
On the NE corner of the bay is the small town of Yialova with a very shallow quay and a tiny museum. Plus of course seasonal restaurants and a pleasant sandy beach.
Friends
Contact details of "Cruiser's Friends" that can be contacted for local information or assistance.
Forums
List links to discussion threads on partnering forums. (see link for requirements)
Links
- Pylos at the Wikipedia
- Pylos at the Wikivoyage
- Nestor's Palace
- Sphacteria at the Wikipedia
References
See Greece.
Comments
We welcome users' contributions to the Wiki. Please click on Comments to view other users' comments, add your own personal experiences or recommend any changes to this page following your visit.
Verified by
Date of member's last visit to Pylos and this page's details validated:
- June 2001 --Istioploos
Travels with S/Y Thetis
- March 2010 --Pete R Spoke to both fuel tankers and are open all year round.
- June 2013 --LifePart2
| This is a usable page of the cruising guide. However, please contribute if you can to help it grow further. Click on Comments to add your personal notes on this page or to discuss its contents. Alternatively, if you feel confident to edit the page, click on the edit tab at the top and enter your changes directly. |
 Contributors to this page |
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Names: Istioploos, Lighthouse, Pete R, LifePart2 |
