Kalamata is a beautiful city, rich in heritage and culture, possessing a vibrant business environment which includes agricultural production such as olive oil, world famous food goods such as pasteli, and a host of industrial goods.
Kalamata combines the beauty of the Taigetos mountain range with the salty breezy freshness of the Messinian gulf. It is a perfect colorful postcard melage of mountainous green and deep blue.
As a historical note, Kalamata was the first Greek city that was freed from the Ottoman yoke in the Hellenic War of Independence (Kolokotronis : Memoirs of the Greek War of Independence).
On March 23 1821, 3000 armed Maniates under Petros Mavromihalis invaded and liberated Kalamata after issuing a declaration of war.
In commemoration of this event Kalamata has erected a statue of Mavromihalis, General Kolokotronis and Papaflessas (the Devil Priest or Satan Papas as he was known amongst the Ottomans) along with the issued war declaration in the central square (plateia) of the city.
The city is well equipped with fine restaurants that cater to exquisite tastes, fast food places mainly targeted at students, and a set of very fine hotels either by the beach or within the city.
Notable is the daily availability of fresh seafood which is usually fished within the Messinian gulf and finds its way to the local restaurants each morning.
The nightlife due to the extensive student population and the hosted technological institute is impressive and includes of a variety of bars and cafes all offering an assortment of refreshments at student rates.
The modern superhighway that connects Corinth to Tripoli and the eventual extension that will connect Tripoli Arcadia to Kalamata Messinia means that it will only take about three hours for a traveler to reach Kalamata by car from central Athens, assuming no bottlenecks.
Bottlenecks can be avoided by using the Attiki superhighway and omitting the central city roads.
Kalamata is usually used as a spring board for treks inward towards the Mani as well as the remaining Peloponnese. Kalamata is a necessary hub for famous destinations such as Stoupa, Githion, Areopolis, and Monemvasia.
Travellers from abroad usually either fly directly to Kalamata, or fly initially to the Athens International Airport and then transit either by plane, bus or railway to Kalamata and then onward into the Taigetos mountain range.
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