Costa Navarino is a new Mediterranean destination in the unspoiled Greek region of Messinia. With new resorts, signature golf courses and activities a-plenty this project may well propel Greece back to the top ranks of the sports tourism destination league.

No one can doubt Greece’s pedigree as a sporting destination can they? The history books will tell you that the Olympics originated in Ancient Greece - with the first Games being held in the city of Olympia in 776BC. And then in 2004 the Olympics was ‘welcomed home’ when Athens hosted the modern Summer Games.

Five years on from the Athens spectacle, Greece’s sports travel portfolio is once again under the spotlight with the news of a destination being constructed on the Mediterranean – Costa Navarino.

Navarino Bay, in the region of Messinia, is being transformed from a quiet coastal location to a destination that boast hotels, world-class golf courses managed by Troon Golf, spas, state-of-the-art conference facilities and a list of sporting activities of offer to rival that of any destination in Europe.

Hospitality brands include two Starwood properties - The Romanos, a Luxury Collection Resort, and The Westin Resort, which will open when Costa Navarino’s first phase is completed in May 2010. Then in 2011 the Banyan Tree Resort will open. Also next year, two golf courses – The Bay Course (designed by Robert Trent Jones Jnr) and The Dunes Course (designed by former Ryder Cup captain Bernhard Langer) - will welcome their first players to the tee.

Costa Navarino managing director Achilles V Constantakopoulos said: “Sport is very important for us, as is the outdoor experience. We really want to be a year-round destination.

“In the first phase, we will have two golf courses [The Bay Course and Dunes Course], but the goal is to have seven golf courses in the future. Mountain biking and cycling will also be a big thing for us. We have a varied landscape - with lagoons and mountains - which is perfect for outdoor sports. We have many routes for cyclists and will be preparing themes for them. We will also be creating maps and GPS routes for cyclists.”

The Mediterranean has long been the perfect getaway for professional sports teams and athletes to enjoy warm-weather training breaks – and not missing out on a niche sector,

Constantakopoulos revealed there will be a football pitch and facilities for professional teams. He also spoke of one of the other main attractions for tourists – water sports. He added: “The Bay is really large and could host many water sports events. It has the wind – but it would also be fantastic for beginners. It is a closed bay and this is quite rare.

“The destination will also have a bowling alley, billiards, basketball, squash and tennis courts. Water parks will also be built, with the slides carved naturally into the hills.”

Sport is obviously a huge selling point, but one of the biggest factors is that Costa Navarino will be the first 100 per cent emission-free resort in the world, with solar panels hidden in the mountains and only surface water to be used.

Leonidas Tsibouris, general manager of Costa Navarino, said: “It’s a very sustainable project – and an important aspect of this are the golf courses.

“The water management for the courses is environmentally friendly and this is a first. Two reservoirs have been fully integrated into the landscape of the mountain, which takes two per cent of excess water in the winter months from the local rivers before it flows into the sea. That’s enough to care for the golf courses and all the green areas on the resort without a single drop of rain.”

About Costa Navarino:
• TEMES S.A. is the developer of Costa Navarino, its flagship development
• The total investment stands at more than one billion euros, land purchase excluded
• It will be Greece’s first mixed-use resort and on completion will contain 11 luxury hotels managed by various internationally renowned brands
• Starwood Hotels & Resorts will open the first two resorts in 2010 in the Navarino Dunes area: a Westin and a Luxury Collection Hotel - The Romanos (the lobby, pictured right)
• The Banyan Tree Resort will open in 2011, which will have a villa pool concept
• The hotels will be environmentally-friendly, self-sustaining resorts
• There will be a total of 3,000 hotel rooms, luxury villas and other residences
• Home to seven signature golf courses
• Other facilities include spas and special areas for teenagers and children
• A marina will host 350/400 boats
• Featuring more than 150 kilometres of coastline, this province contains Greece’s longest stretch of sea, hidden lagoons, untouched mountains and tender valleys

Costa Navarino’s golfing options: Navarino Dunes
• Designed by Bernhard Langer in association with European Golf Design
• 18-hole, par-72 over 6,200 metres
• The course incorporates some links-style features on areas closest to the sea, with tall dunes dividing some of the holes adjacent to the golden sandy beach
• Parts of the course venture close to a protected forest and into olive and fruit plantations
• Full-service group and tournament activities, including scoring and tournament services for 10-120 players

The Bay Course
• Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jnr
• 18-hole, par-71 course over 5,760 metres dining and banquet space
• Golfers will experience four different seaside greens
• Driving range and putting green
• Team-building golf packages can be tailor-made regardless of playing ability

Location:
• The development is taking place in the region of Messinia in the south west Peloponnese
• The Navarino Bay site will be 140 hectares stretching along a 2km west-facing seafront
• Navarino Bay is one of the largest natural harbours in the Mediterranean

Getting there:
• Kalamata International Airport is 45km drive away
• It will be less than three hours from Athens by road upon completion in the near future of a highway already under construction.
• There will be seasonal direct flights to Kalamata International Airport from select destinations abroad
• A private shuttle service will be available to/from Athens International Airport
• The port of Kalamata can serve cruise ships and the marina of Pylos can cater for private yachts

More information:
Costa Navarino www.costanavarino.com

The Romanos, a Luxury Collection Resort, Costa Navarino - see here

The Westin Resort, Costa Navarino - see here

The Banyan Tree Resort www.banyantree.com