Friday 2 May 2025 - Methoni

On our last visit to this area we had to rush past Methoni without stopping, but this time we were determined to visit, so we only had to cover 8 miles before we anchored in the bay outside of the town.

The town dates back to ancient times and is mentioned in the Illiad (294 BC). It is also referenced in byzantine times and was later captured by the Venetians in  1125. It was used as a stopping point for this going on the Crusades in the 13th century, and has been fought over may times. The town is dominated by a huge castle, which was effectively a walled city, with plenty of space inside for the inhabitants to live. The remaining medieval fortification occupies the whole area of the cape and the southwestern coast to the small islet that has also been fortified with an octagonal tower and is protected by the sea on its three sides. Its north part, the one that looks to land, is covered by a heavily fortified acropolis. A deep moat separates the castle from the land and communication was achieved by a wooden bridge. The Venetians built on the ancient battlements and added on and repaired it during both periods that they occupied the castle. 

The Bourtzi, at the seaward tip of the cape is dated back to the period after 1500 and has been used in various instances as a prison. It has a two-floor octagonal tower. The tower finishes in a round dome. On the lower floor there was a cistern and the whole works, and is dated during the first period that the Turks occupied the fortress.

The west part of the walls is not as well constructed as the others. It was here that during the Second World War, after an explosion, parts of well constructed stones from the ancient walls of Methoni were found. In the interior of the walls, ruins of Turkish military establishments are preserved.

Approaching from the north or west

The east side from our anchorage






The Bourtzi


Looking inshore from the Bourtzi


Looking towards the sheltered anchorage




The size of the place is enormous, probably bigger than the area taken up by Windsor Castle.

Distance today -         8 Miles

Distance this year - 490 miles 

Steve (and Tricia) 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

29 & 30 September 2025 - Bar and Bari

Image
The alarm was switched off this morning, we were trying to get as much rest as possible before leaving. When we did stir, the preparations began in earnest, with some shopping and a rather disappointing trip to the marina office.  We were hoping that they would let us stay on our berth until the evening, when we planed to leave, but they were adamant that the rules said that if we stayed after 2:00, we had to pay for another night.  Of course we did not want to do this, and had hoped that there would be some flexibility or the ability to turn a blind eye, as the marina was not full. Alas no. So we went to the Harbour Master to check the boat out of Montenegro, then out for lunch, before pulling off the dock at about 1:45. Initially we went and anchored in the bay, but there was no protection from the swell and it was uncomfortable and not conducive to sleeping. After trying to rest, we concluded that we might as well get on with it, and sail through the whole of the hours of d...
Read more

22 October 2025 - Vieste - (updated)

Image
Another day of motoring, taking us to Vieste on the tip of the "spur" of Italy. First, however we had to negotiate the fishing boats.  This corner must be a prime spot for fishing as up to 15 fishing boats were visible in site. They move in unpredictable fashion, starting and stopping, presumably to deploy and recover their nets.  We kept our distance as there is nothing good that comes from getting entangled in their nets. We noticed that one of the fishing boats was called Kevin.  It's a perfectly normal name, but it seemed rather odd for an Italian fishing boat. Another sign of the abundance of fish in this area was our first sighting of dolphins since we arrived in the Med in August.  This was a pod of at least 10, and we were treated to seeing 2 spectacular leaps completely clear of the water. The scenery of this region is very beautiful and there are towns hidden in the folds of the land. The town of Perschici, from the sea.  Too shallow for us to stop the...
Read more

25 & 26 September 2025 - Bar and Podgarica

Image
After some days of being constantly on the move, we feel the need for a break, and the chance to restock the food supplies. We also need to prepare for our crossing to Italy, and be ready to leave when the boatyard are ready to receive us.  In case you need directions, this sign post points to various locations around the world, and gives their distance. Bar is offering good access to shops and markets, and we spent Thursday morning walking to a large farmers market, with a wonderful choice of locally produced fruit and vegetables. On Friday we decided to visit the capital of Montenegro, Porgarica. This entailed a one hour train ride in each direction, through the mountains and on a long bridge which spans Lake Shkodra. A fter  World War II , Podgorica was first designated as the capital of Montenegro in 1946. At that time, it was renamed Titograd in honour of  Josip Broz Tito , the leader of  Yugoslavia . It served as the capital of the  Socialist Republic of M...
Read more