Navarino Bay from the water
Launch from Divari at 9:30, trace the cliffs of Sphacteria, and swim in a cove only reachable by paddle.
Navarino Bay is the almost-closed lagoon south of Gialova — a four-kilometre crescent shielded from the Ionian by the long limestone spine of Sphacteria Island. From Divari Beach, where the sand shelves gently and the water stays warm into October, the whole bay opens west toward the fort of Paleokastro on the northern headland and the town of Pylos to the south.
Sphacteria itself is the surprise. Uninhabited, cliff-walled on the seaward side, its caves and the stone arch at Tsihli Baba islet are only reachable by kayak — the tour boats from Pylos harbour don’t come this close in. In spring the cliffs are loud with nesting birds; on the sheltered eastern side, loggerhead turtles still lay eggs on the sand.
Morning is the session to book. The bay is glass until about eleven, when the wind funnels in from the north entrance and the return leg turns into work.
How the morning runs
Exact times shift with the season; your guide will confirm when you book.
- 0109:30
Kit-up at Divari Beach
Meet at Divari, sign the waiver, and get fitted for a single or double Prijon with rudder, spray-deck and buoyancy aid. The launch is off the sand — no jetty, no drama.
- 0210:00
Cross to Sphacteria
Paddle west across the bay toward the imposing eastern cliffs of Sphacteria Island. The water here is calm in the morning and clear enough to read the shadow of every fish through.
- 0310:45
Sea caves and the stone arch
Trace the coast to the sea caves and the natural stone arch at Tsihli Baba islet — the moment the day turns from paddle to expedition. We nose the boats through where the water lets us.
- 0411:30
Swim stop and picnic
Beach on a small cove only reachable by kayak. Freshly baked bread, garden vegetables, koroneiki oil, local cheese and seasonal fruit — eaten sitting on the sand.
- 0512:45
Back along the shore to Divari
Return with the fort of Paleokastro on the headland to your right. And if the wind has picked up, we hug the eastern shore where it's sheltered.
Before you book
- A minimum number of 2 participants is required for this activity to take place.
- Previous experience is not required.
- Knowing how to swim is compulsory for this activity.
- Relatively good physical condition is needed.
- Parental accompaniment is required for minors to take part in this activity.
- A written waiver form is compulsory to be filled in before taking part in this activity.
- Super stable and easy to paddle, single or double kayaks, with a rudder.
- Full Sea Kayak equipment: paddle, life jacket, spray-deck, waterproof jacket, waterproof bags.
- Land and water-based Sea Kayaking paddling instructions.
- British Canoeing (BC) certified Sea Kayak leaders, holding a first-aid certificate.
- Eco-friendly cultural and educational guiding.
- Picnic lunch with freshly baked bread, handpicked vegetables, extra virgin olive oil dips, local cheese, and fruits of the season.
- Photographs from the trip.
- All taxes.
- Water (please bring your own full bottle of water).
- Transfer to the meeting point.
- Tip or gratuity.
- Private trips available.
- Discounts available for families and kids.
- Hotel pick-up/drop-off upon request.
Before you go
- Bottle of water (A reusable bottle helps in minimizing plastic waste)
- Hat
- Short or long sleeve t-shirt
- Sunscreen
- Towel
- Swimwear or shorts
- Change of dry clothes (to be used after the activity)
- Sea shoes, flip flops, or sandals (Avoid bulky shoes and socks)
- Medication you may need
The bay in pictures
Questions we get asked
Divari is a fifteen-minute drive from Pylos and about the same from Gialova. There’s no regular bus — a taxi from either village is the usual way in. If you’re staying in Pylos or Costa Navarino, tell us at booking and we’ll help arrange the transfer.
Sit-in Prijon kayaks with rudder and spray-deck, single or double. The spray-deck keeps you dry on the crossing and makes the boat easier to handle if the wind picks up on the return leg.
Most of our paddlers haven’t. The sit-on-top kayaks we use are wide and very stable — if you can swim and hold a paddle, you can do this trip. Before we leave the harbour, your guide spends fifteen minutes on technique and the safety brief. By the first headland you’ll have the basics.
Swimwear under quick-dry shorts and a t-shirt is the basic kit. Add a hat, sunglasses with a retainer strap, and reef-safe sunscreen. Skip running shoes and socks — they get soggy and cold. Sea shoes, sport sandals, or flip-flops are right. In April and October, bring a thin fleece or synthetic base layer; the water is colder than it looks. We provide dry bags for phones and wallets.
Yes — it’s one of the trips we run most often with families. The kayaks are stable enough for a parent and child to paddle as a tandem, and the route is sheltered and easy to break up with swim stops. Children eight and over can paddle their own single kayak; younger kids ride in the front of a tandem. We offer family rates on request.
Five years old, paddling tandem with a parent. Children eight and over can take their own single kayak. We pace family trips to suit the youngest paddler, with frequent swim and snack stops.
Local paddlers certified by British Canoeing as Sea Kayak Leaders, all carrying current first-aid certificates. They grew up on this coast — they read the wind and the swell before they read the forecast, and they know which cove the seals use in May.
Yes. Halfway through the paddle we land at a quiet beach for a picnic — freshly baked bread, organic vegetables and fruit from local gardens, our own olive oil, and Messinian cheese. It is a proper stop, not a snack on the kayak.
We watch the forecast for two days before each trip. If the wind or swell makes the coast unsafe, we either move the paddle to a different day in your stay, or refund in full — your choice. Light rain on flat water is not a problem; we still go.
How we run this trip lightly
We paddle in groups of no more than fourteen and land only on beaches that aren't turtle-nesting sites in season. The picnic is packed in reusable dry-bags — bread from the bakery in Gialova, vegetables from the guide's own garden, oil from a Messinian koroneiki press. Nothing single-use goes onto Sphacteria.
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