Messing about in Messini!!!
An early morning flight followed by a short, twenty minute transfer through countryside abounding with vineyards and olive groves brought us to our destination in time for lunch. Messini Beachclub is to be found in a fairly secluded position on a wide bay with a long, sandy beach, against the stunning backdrop of the Taygetus Mountains. The recently opened, low rise hotel is ultra modern style, an abundance of concrete with splashes of bright colours offering minimalist furnishings reflecting its Swedish design. Rooms can be in the main hotel or villas in the grounds.
The hotel is exclusively for Neilson guests and offers a plethora of activities with all necessary instruction from beginner, right through to intermediate and advanced classes. To obtain the most from your time at the beachclub, attendance at the introductory welcome meeting is a must!
The beach is a perfect spot for all types of water sports. The early morning calm is great for water skiing and wakeboarding, with the wind generally building towards the afternoon to keep the sailors and windsurfers happy! Kayaking and stand up paddle boarding are also available as is scuba diving, the latter as an extra. Excellent instruction in all is included, if required, with the possibility to obtain RYA certification in dinghy sailing and windsurfing. Alternatively, it is possible to just take out the kit you would like with the added bonus that you return it to the beach for someone else to de-rig!
In addition to the watersports facilities, there are five tennis courts (again with a full range of instruction) and a choice of road and mountain bikes. Organised rides are available, ranging from short, sociable trips for a drink to longer, more technical rides. Bikes are also available for free riding to explore and visit neighbouring villages.
There is also a comprehensive fitness programme ranging from yoga and pilates to Zumba and boxercise together with beach volleyball. I can also thoroughly recommend the stretch and relax at the end of the day!!
Buffet style breakfasts and lunches are included together with four dinners. Perfect! This provides the opportunity to sample the local cuisine in the excellent value tavernas within walking distance, although meals can be obtained in resort on these evenings. There are also ‘social tables’ at mealtimes which provide another great opportunity for making friends, especially if you are travelling solo.
Messini Beachclub is an amazing place for families with children. There are specialist kids clubs from ages 4 months to 17 years. Activities, for all ages, include sailing, windsurfing, tennis, kayaking, ski boat rides and even paint the nanny (or manny)!! Children can dip in and out of club but once experienced, stay, as they hate the thought of missing anything! Clubs generally run between 09.30 and 05.30 but two days a week they commence just after lunch and continue as ‘sleep club’ until 11pm to allow parents the chance to explore the local area on an non inclusive night.
If you can stay awake after a full day’s activities, there is low key entertainment such as a quiz night, staff show or an evening with the resident singing guitarist. There is also a fully equipped spa offering a wide range of treatments together with a resident sports physio and, if all the above is not enough, there is a small gym!
However, it is perfectly acceptable to laze around the pool or the beach and get to grips with that book you have always been meaning to read! No pressure to do anything apart from enjoy! You can also spend a very entertaining afternoon on the beach as people try to get to grips with dinghy’s, windsurfers and SUPs!!
There is something for everyone at a beachclub. Couples of all ages, families with children and solo travellers.
However, all the above would not be possible without the amazing staff who cannot do enough to help and to make your stay truly memorable!
There are beachclubs throughout Greece and Turkey, all offering the same style of facilities but all slightly different with some being more suited to certain sports than others. I have experienced many of these so please do not hesitate to get in touch so that I can assist you in your choice and help you to have a fantastic beachclub experience.