This half day Kalamata shore trip visits Ancient Messene, one of the best preserved cities of the classical and Hellenistic periods in Greece and one of the largest in size. Also included is a photo stop at the Arcadian Gate.
After meeting your guide, you start the drive to Ancient Messene. First you stop for photos at the Arcadian Gate, which once connected Messene with Arcadia. This monumental fortification was built with huge limestone slabs and remains one of the city's most impressive structures. It is circular with two entrances, an inner and an outer, where you'll stop for photos.
Your next stop is the archaeological site itself. Ancient Messene was refounded in 369 BC by the Theban general Epaminondas after his victory over Sparta at the Battle of Leuctra, built to house the Messenian people who had lived for centuries under Spartan rule. During your visit you'll see the site's main monuments, including the theatre, the Ekklesiasterion, a small assembly hall sometimes described as the city's ancient parliament building, and the unusually large Agora, the city's marketplace. You'll also see the Asclepeion, a large temple complex dedicated to the god of healing, Asclepius, whose founding in 214 BC is thought to mark the city's transition to democratic rule.
One of the site's notable finds is a round church with an impressive mosaic. You visit both the archaeological site and its museum, and if time allows, you can enjoy a coffee break overlooking the ruins of the ancient city. At the end of the tour, you return to Kalamata.
Review Location- Kalamata 
