Hidden between mountains and trees somewhere in the Peloponnese there is a lake and waterfall complex, known as the Blue Lagoon of Messinia.
In the heart of the Peloponnese, the exotic Polylimnio surprises visitors. It’s an unexpectedly dreamy place near the village Haravgi, around 34 km from Kalamata. Even though it’s not visible from the street, access there is easy. Head from Kalamata to Pylos, until you reach Haravgi. There you need to leave your vehicle and walk on the trail that leads to Polylimnio. To reach the gorge you need to walk between dense vegetation and cross wooden bridges. It takes around 20 minutes to complete, while some spots are a bit tough but definitely worth it.
Polylimnio is so beautiful due to the ruggedness of the area. The uneven ground among the rocks and trees creates waterfalls and the 15 lakes. All of them are so beautiful they seem like a movie set. Kadoula, with the 25-metre waterfall was named that due to its shape that resembles a heart (kardoula in Greek means small heart). Mavrolimna is anything but black (mavro is black in Greek), half its green waters are under the shade of trees, while Mavri Limna – not to be confused with Mavrolimna – has its own little waterfall.
The Italos – the first you come across as you enter Polylimnio – and Tiheros lakes make one wonder what stories are behind their names (Italos is Italian, and Tiheros is lucky). While the Panagos and Stathoula lakes bring Panagos Grammatikopoulos and Stathoula Theriou to mind, who drowned in their waters – the latter with her children – trying to escape the army of Ibrahim.
As for lake Kadi? Well, this one is the most well-known, and with good reason. It’s about 300 m², and on one side there is a majestic waterfall, that doesn’t stir the bright green waters that take their colour from the surrounding trees and plants.
The view of Polylimnio from above is superb, since the earth forms a long deep gorge with running waters at the bottom. However, the experience of walking through the gorge is something completely magical. A lot of people speak of heaven on earth when talking about this place. Indeed, in this hidden gem of Messinia you can enjoy diving off the rocks, bathing under the waterfalls and walking by the creek, next to the blue-green waters that Tzane bridge goes over, and that then flow into the Messinian Gulf. The area is full of smaller gorges bursting with vegetation, ideal for hiking and exploring.
Even though Polylimnio as a destination was late to be discovered, nowadays it’s an organised destination. Even before you get on the trail you’ll find a canteen at the parking overlooking the lakes. It attracts visitors who come to admire the nature, either in groups or individually, and there are more infrastructures like markers and signage, kiosks and picnic tables, as well as iron steps and pales at places that are inaccessible. The only disadvantage of this destination is the difficulty of parts of the trails. Generally, the trail is considered easy to intermediate in terms of difficulty but crossing and exploring a three-kilometre gorge requires care. Avoid wearing open toed shoes and choose sneakers. It’s not suitable for small children.
Finally, experienced nature lovers, climbers and swimmers visit Polylimnio even during the winter. However, during the winter months the water level rises, as do the humidity levels something that makes the rocks more dangerous. To avoid danger, it’s best to visit during one of the other seasons.
