Kalamata is famous as the Gateway to Exo Mani (which in turn is the gateway to Mesa Mani). The airport, railway terminus, major sea port, and bus station make it a transportation hub to all the surrounding area, and a good portion of the southern Peleponese. It has ferry service regularly in the summer to various islands, such as Crete. In addition to the "official" transportation options, there are locals that make a living being unofficial taxi services, and it is possible to get transportation anywhere in the area, and often ad hoc tours to places off the main tourist routes. I am unaware of any town in the southern Peleponese that has more transportation options.

It has hotels ranging from hovels in more questionable parts of town, to four-star hotels by the seaside. It is a great jumping off place for the rest of the southern Peleponnesos, and for the Messinian bay in particular. At one time British Airplane spotters were treated to special accomodations in Kalamata by the local military, but this practice has stopped last I heard.

Kalamatian Olives are featured in finer restaurants around the world, but it has other culinary distinctions. The area to the south has various honeys that have been praised by travelers back to the French Morea expeditions of the 1700's.

For those with musical interests, I'll point out that the traditional "Kalamatianos" dance is, of course, named after Kalamata, and well known all over Greece. It is one of the few areas in Greece where you will find native folk songs in, for example, 7/8 time. In the region to the south of town there is also a tradition of funeral dirges that is unique in all of Greece, and has been covered by complete books in both English and Greek.

South: it has the wonders of the Mani only a short drive away. The internationally famous caves at Pyrgos Dyros are located south of Areopolis, and attract tourists from all over the world. The beaches at Stoupa and Kardamili are popular with British and European tourists, and well worth seeing. The southernmost point of the European mainland is about 50km south of Kalamata, and the town of Vathia with its massive stone towers is near there. The region to the south is famous for the stone towered villages that make such striking pictures.

East: it has the town of Mistra just over the hill, and well worth seeing (Near Sparta, which is unfortunately not worth seeing.) The route between Kalamata and Sparta is some of the most exciting mountain terrain in southern Greece.

West: Koroni (with its imposing castle) is a local bus ride away. If you go to Koroni from Kalamata, I recomend the Taverna in Ag. Andreus (Called "Petron"? Run by a published Greek Poet!) as a good place to eat as one of the only taverna with someone that speaks english on the route.) The remains of the castle at Methoni is well worth seeing also, and appears on postcards sold all over greece. One can easily spend the better part of the day exploring the ruins of the old walled city. (Make sure you take the causeway out to the island at the end of the walled city.) Farther west you have Pylos, site of the most famous naval battles of the Greek war of independence and King Nestor's cave from Homer's Iliad.

North: a drive gets you to Olympia, site of the original Olympics, and even closer is the site of Ancient Messinia. The area also has some of the best remaining narrow-gauge railway lines in the world. For the train enthusiasts, there are truly remarkable examples of stone bridgework on the lines.

As the first town you enter as you leave Mani, it had the honor of being the town first reconquered during the Greek war of independence. It was some time after the Maniots recaptured it that the rest of Greece decided to join the Maniot rebellion and overthrow the Turkish occupying army. The place the rebelion started (Now called Areopolis [The "war god's city"]) is a short drive south of town.

Kalamata itself boasts a Venetian Castle, and a railway museum, and all the modern conveniences (including two internet cafes). There is also an archeology museum. The castle of Kalamata is famous in the area, and for 10's of Kilometers in any direction.

The determined Maniotiphile Nahatz Alekeas used Kalamata as the staging area for his famous mid 1970's expeditions to study the nearby kalderimia. You can still find people in Kalamata that can tell personal stories of these expeditions.

The distinctive manner of speech of the area is such that the phrase "To speak like a Kalamatian" is heard all over Greece. The men of Kalamata are also known all over Greece for their tendency to try to find gainful employment for unemployed women.

Those into Classical Greece will be interested in the fact that many of the nearby towns around Kalamata were specifically listed in Homer's "Iliad", and the area was written about by the ancient writers Pausanias and Strabo. The area is no less worth writing about today. The town is surrounded by various sites of the Messinian wars with Sparta. The entire Messinian Bay (which Kalamata looks out over) is rich in the stories of Aristomenis battling the Spartans, and many other local heroes.

Aegina
Agios sostis/lithakia
Alykes
Antiparos
Argolis
Arta
Athens
Cape sounion
Cephalonia
Chios
Corfu
Corinth
Delos
Delphi
Dodona
Drama
Eleusis
Epidaurus
Epirus
Florina
Halkidiki
Hania
Hersonnissos
Hydra
Ierapetra
Ios
Iraklion
Iraklion
Ithaca
Kalamata
Kalambaka
Kardamili
Kardamili
Karpathos
Katerini
Kavala
Kefalonia
Keratsini
Kilkis
Knossos
Kos
Kozanh
Lamia
Larissa
Levkas
Lindos
Marathon
Milos
Mistra
Mycenae
Mykonos
Mytilini
Nauplia
Naxos
Olympia
Paleochora
Paros
Patmos
Patras
Paxi
Pella
Philippi
Pilion
Piraeus
Poros
Rethimno
Rhodes City
Samos
Santorini
Skala Kalloni
Skiathos
Skopelos
Skyros
Stoupa
Stoupa
Thessaloniki
Thiva
Tilos
Tinos
Tolo
Tsilivi
Xanthi
Zakynthos City