Active Kids Means Happy Kids: A Family Guide to Costa Navarino

Situated in Messinia, in the southwest Peloponnese, the sprawling luxury resort destination of Costa Navarino is ideal for families looking for adventure in Greece’s great outdoors.

Blessed with outstanding natural beauty and a rich history, Costa Navarino greets travelers with dramatic cliffs, azure seas and fertile land overflowing with nourishing fruits of the earth. From mountain biking and soccer to cooking classes and ancient castles, youngsters can pick up new skills and delve into the myths of ancient Greece.

Here are some ways to keep the entire family entertained and educated during a stay at The Westin Resort, Costa Navarino or The Romanos, a Luxury Collection Resort.

Mountain Biking for the Views

Teens can fulfill their need for speed and open space with cross-country biking up hilly trails, across flat expanses and around a rare wetland habitat. Equip yourself with two wheels at your resort’s bike station or book a guided tour and get ready to work up a healthy sweat.

At Gialova Lagoon, depending on the time of year, you may spot migrating birds such as the little egret, glossy ibis or marsh sandpiper. Viewing impossibly beautiful omega-shaped Voidokilia Beach from above will forever remain etched in your memory.

Learn to Whip Up a Delicious Local Spread

Messinians are wonderful cooks and take enormous pride in their traditional cuisine, at the heart of which lies the signature black Kalamata olive and the piquant olive oil it produces.

Local women lead cooking classes at a village home in which they share family recipes, like egg-based kagiana and sweet diples, handed down from generation to generation. Kids are more than welcome to join in the preparations, which involve flavorful farm produce and conclude with a celebratory feast. If you’re lucky, the ladies might break into a song or two.

Raise a Green Thumb

Here’s a chance for the kids to play with their food — and for good reason. Youngsters aged 4 to 11 can discover the delightful flora that abounds in Messinia, as well as plant vegetable and herb seeds in their very own garden at Costa Navarino’s Young Gardners program.

Give kids the opportunity to connect with Mother Nature and gather various seasonal fruit and vegetables, which they will use to create dishes with the assistance of a chef.

Conquer a Castle and Pirate Island

Take a hike to the medieval seaside Castle of Methoni, which features a natural harbor. One of Greece’s most significant fortresses, Methoni was a bustling commercial port between the 13th and 15th centuries during Venetian rule. The tiny islet of Sapientza sits opposite Methoni and is famed for its heart shape, visible only from above, and crystalline waters, which are lined with shipwrecks. Boat trips to the island are organized regularly.

Swing Big on the Tennis Courts

Year-round sunshine and warm temperatures make Costa Navarino a natural fit for your kids to perfect their tennis serve.  Some of the best coaches in the world are teaching at the first European location for a Mouratoglou Tennis Center, and offer personalized lessons to your littles on the center’s 16 thoughtfully designed courts.

Players of all ages and levels can benefit from an extended playing season and coaches help players develop their physical, technical and tactical skills via private or group lessons, tennis clinics and camps.

Train Like the Big Names Do at Football (Soccer) Camp

For young soccer fans, the perfect day would involve lacing up a pair of cleats and taking to the field with one of the biggest clubs in European football.

Make it a reality for your wide-eyed, budding player at Costa Navarino’s FC Bayern football camp, where kids can learn some of the tactics and techniques that have placed the players for the renowned German club at the top of their game. Ask your resort’s concierge for more details.

A Dip Below the Surface

Introduce the kids to snorkeling in the tepid, tranquil waters of the Ionian Sea, where visibility is excellent, and go in search of undersea life. If you’re lucky, you may spot dolphins out at sea or encounter the Caretta-caretta, an endangered Mediterranean sea turtle species that nests at specific locations in Messinia. Snorkeling excursions are available by boat and from the shore.

Tennis Time

Spills and Thrills at the Aqua Park

Navarino Dunes is home to an Aqua Park featuring waterslides, a play pool with fun installations, and a playground with ropes and climbing frames, which will keep kids of all ages amused for hours. Hang out poolside on a sun lounger and watch the little ones splish-splash about in safety.

Treat Your Palate to a Farm-to-Table Experience

Sample the Costa Navarino farm-to-table experience, where the whole family can get hands-on with nutritious Messinian produce, sought after the world over for its superb quality, that you’ll gather from the vegetable garden.

You’ll be schooled on the unique types of vegetables grown in this part of the country. Then, all you need to do is take a seat at a table amid twisted olive trees for an al fresco meal prepared just for you.