Voidokilia is a legendary beach and one of the loveliest in the Mediterranean, with white sand and cool blue waters. It stands out on any map for its nearly perfect arch shape.

Voidokilia offers no amenities such as parasols and a beach bar. You reach the beach via a dirt road from Petrochori or a footpath from Divari through the Gialova Lagoon. The beach has had the same name since Homeric times and in his epic poems, the ancient chronicler refers to it as Voufrada (with “vouf” being the ancient word for “vodi,” which means ox in Greek; thus Voidokilia means ox belly and the beach is named such because of its rounded shape). This may well be the beach where Telemachus landed his ship when returning from Ithaca in search of information regarding the fate of Odysseus from the king of Pylos, Nestor.

After a magical swim, take the small path right by the beach up to the top of the northern hill of Voidokilia. There is a vaulted tomb on the hill, which Pausanias attributes to Thrasymedes, the son of Nestor. It is built on the ruins of an Early Helladic structure and there are more burial sites in the area. The site was excavated in the 1950s by Spyros Marinatos, and while it is enclosed behind a fence, you can still catch a glimpse of the tomb from afar. If you walk to the other side of the enclosure, you will be rewarded with a stunning panoramic view of Voidokilia from above.

Voidokilia Beach can be reached by road from Pylos, via Gialova and Petrochori. It is about 8 km from Pylos. Pylos is 50 km from Kalamata.