Messolonghi town
Messolonghi is a vivid, non-touristic city with friendly and welcoming people.
This economical and cultural capital of the Greek region Aitoloakarnania has over 15.000 inhabitants and is located in the centre of a delta area.
Overlooking the beautiful lagoon and the mountains, the city gives the ultimate holiday feeling.
Messolonghi is also known as the “Holy” city. It earned this name due to the heroic behaviour of the inhabitants during the independence fight against the Turkish occupiers in the 19th Century.
The various monuments and museums show the town’s rich (political) history.
The lagoon
The Messolonghi lagoon is one of the most important wetlands of Europe. These wetlands are home to more than 270 species of birds, amphibians, reptiles, swamp and sea turtles.
The wetlands and the seas are protected by the Ramsar Convention.
Along the famous 19th century road that reaches across the lagoon to the island of Tourlida, you will see the pelades, the fishermen’s wooden shacks built on stilts planted in the lagoon’s silty bottom, and the gaites, the elegantly constructed wooden boats with the stafnokari (square fishing nets made for shallow waters and strung between two poles). The best time of the day for fishermen, cyclists, photographers, lovers and lost poets in general is sunset; Messolongi is famous for this “start-of-evening” show.
The location of Messolonghi Marina in the heart of the lagoon is a very popular home port for sailing enthusiasts and boat fanatics who like sailing Greece and sailing the mediterranean.
BEACHES, NATURAL MUD & SALT SPA'S
Just minutes away from the Marina lays the best kept secrets from Europe: The natural mud and salt spa’s. Every season thousands of Greeks take a refreshing and healing mineral mud or salt bath. The seawater in the region has increased salinity due to the microclimate of the area. Swimming in this water causes significant relief to aching muscles and joints.
Several beaches are located close to the Messolonghi Marina. They can be reached on foot, by boat, bicycle or car.
One of the beautifull small beaches near the Patras Gulf is Tourlida Beach. You pass Tourlida when you enter the channel towards Messolongi and it is only a 10 minute bike ride from the marina.
