Pylos

The city of Pylos is 8km from Methoni (10 mins by car/bus) and is one of the most beautiful old towns in the Peloponnese. The white houses rise up the hillside from the harbour sheltered from the open sea by Navarino Bay and the island of Sphacteria, the island where the Athenians finally defeated the Spartans in 425bc.The central square is shaded by enormous Plane trees, and the locals spend much of the summer drinking coffee or ouzo at their favourite cafés. Boat trips around the bay point out the main sights of interest.

The Battle of Navarino Bay

An Allied force was sent in July 1827 to secure an end of military operations in Greece after the Ottomans adopted a ‘scorched earth’ policy in the Peloponnese to crush the Greek rebellion; starving the population and shipping civilians off to slavery in Egypt. The contradictory treaty authorised the allied commanders to “take all measures that circumstances may suggest” whilst forbidding them from taking sides in the conflict.
On 13 October Vice-Admiral Codrington , a hero of The Battle Of Trafalgar with 44 years experience, was joined off Navarino by his allies, a French squadron and a Russian squadron.

On 18 October Codrington decided to enter Navarino bay and anchor his ships face-to-face with the Ottoman/Egyptian fleet. Burning villages were visible from the Allied ships and the Messinians were close to mass starvation.

As his ship anchored in the middle of the Ottoman line, Codrington ordered a brass band to play on deck to convey his peaceful intentions. However, the entire crew was at battle stations. Meanwhile the Allied vessels moved into position, under orders to open fire only if they were attacked. Despite this, the stalemate didn’t last long and within a short time, there was a full-scale battle.

The Allies’ superior firepower was decisive. Within four hours the Ottoman fleet had been destroyed. Of the entire armada of  78 vessels, only 8 remained seaworthy.

As the guns fell silent in Navarino Bay, news of the outcome raced over the Peloponnese and to the rest of Greece. In village after village, church bells started pealing continuously as night fell. As people rushed into village squares, they were greeted by the news that the Ottoman Sultan and his hated vassal Ibrahim Pasha no longer had a Mediterranean fleet. Wild rejoicing broke out. Huge bonfires were lit on the mountaintops of the Peloponnese and Mt Parnassos in central Greece. Church bells all over Greece continued tolling for three days and nights.