A Palatial Paradise in The Peloponnese: The Romanos Resort

With over two hundred Greek islands to choose from, it is no wonder that these scattered gems across the Mediterranean, Aegean and Ionian seas are having a moment. However, there is still much (if not more) to be said about mainland Greece, specifically the southernmost tip – the Peloponnese, a storied peninsula connected by the Isthmus of Corinth and once home to Europe’s first major civilisation, the Mycenaeans.

The mountainous landscape softened by fragrant olive groves and the humming of cicadas remains very much unchanged from ancient times, whilst remnants of this archaic past have not only been retained but revived in the spirit, architecture, and design of The Romanos, a Luxury Collection Resort in Messinia with almost as many recent accolades as mythological stories in its foundations. The warmth from the Ionian sunset radiates from the golden stone walls of the hotel’s impressive open-air reception area, with tall Grecian columns forming what can only be likened to a palatial courtyard, complete with chandelier, running water features, and chaises longues facing the sea. Billowing white floor-to-ceiling drapery frames each view between the columns of verdant cypress and poplar trees casting their dappled shadows towards the cerulean waters beyond. Welcomed with the hospitality Greece has always been so renowned for, I was made to feel immediately at home in my villa overlooking the same timeless landscape from the height of my balcony or the mirrored waters of my infinity pool, as though I were a guest in the palace of an ancient Greek king.

Smooth paved pathways divide semi-secret gardens of exotic flowers and fountains overflowing with cool water reflected in the coloured tiles of emerald green and blue. Wandering through these oases, stone is suddenly met with sand underfoot, with all paths eventually leading to the sea in the resort’s luscious labyrinth. The neutral palette of the beachfront Barbouni restaurant blends beautifully into the pristine white sandy coastline, with an open-top awning which cascades into individual sheets of beige canvas to create the rippling effect of the gentle tidal lapping of waves on the shore, or of a spiralling anemone on a coral reef. The seafood menu is laid-back dining at its best, with freshly caught produce served on a stylish wooden pontoon raised above the beach, as though guests are passengers on board a private ship, with the canvas-like material of sails fluttering in the coastal breeze.

Image courtesy of CNN Travel

It is the myriad of restaurants which sets this resort apart, offering almost every cuisine under the sun served against an equally tasteful backdrop of a classic Greek agora. This is the hub of the hotel, with terracotta orange facades opening out onto a marketplace of boutique dining spaces, stalls, and cocktail bars. Each area has its own distinct atmosphere and personality, from a shishi Moroccan enclave with belly dancers and fire-breathers, to an outrageously chic Japanese fusion restaurant with glowing lamps floating from blossoming bamboo decorations and interactive light installations dancing in the perfectly still water features of the Zen garden surrounding the tables. Almost every restaurant has the option of alfresco dining to soak up the last of the Mediterranean sun, with the best dinner time view at Flame Restaurant, a short golf-cart ride away from the central part of the resort. Seated on a low-walled terrace at dusk surrounded by overhanging flora, the resort’s signature restaurant offers uninterrupted views of the rustic grounds and the outlines of mountains in the distance, rolling into the Ionian horizon of endless sea and sky. Save this spot for your last evening, and be sure to arrive just as the sun is setting.

If there is one good reason to ever leave The Romanos, it is to take a short boat trip across to the nearby Voidokilia Beach, spectacularly shaped like the Greek letter omega in a semi-circular bay of sand dunes and turquoise waters. Hidden above this protected lagoon lies Nestor’s Cave, once belonging to the legendary King of Pylos, forever shrouded in Homeric myth and thought to have been frequented by Apollo himself. Swimming from our boat to shore, I hiked up the dunes barefooted, with the sun at its highest point in the midday sky, coming across the ruins of a thirteenth century Frankish castle amidst a rocky outcrop of desert-like vegetation. The panoramic vista across Messinia was worth the climb, heightened by the dramatic drop towards the impossibly blue water. I sat in this special spot for some time as the sun gradually dried my hair, still wet from my swim, imagining with a smile of satisfaction my many predecessors, both ancient and contemporary, who have shared this same perspective of outstanding natural beauty and history from one of Greece’s most castaway corners.