Just a breath from Kalamata stands mount Kalathi, a mountain visible from any side of the city. You can see it sometimes clear, sometimes lost in the clouds. It is very rare for a mountain of such height to be sited so close to the sea and the city. On its slopes picturesque villages smothered in green and even higher on its summit, forests of fir and pine trees and a stunning view to the Messinian Bay and the city of Kalamata.

We begin our hiking trip from the cosmopolitan suburb of Kalamata the village of Kato Verga by following the cobbled path ascending west to the village of Ano Verga. A historic village perched on the mountainside with a plethora of old stone houses, narrow alleys and springs with crystal waters.