Costa Navarino, The Peloponnese

Tucked away in an unspoilt corner of the south-west Peloponnese is the beautiful resort of Costa Navarino. The location is everything you would expect (and more) from authentic Greece; olive groves as far as the eye can see, pristine beaches, crystal-clear waters and authentic tavernas where locals wile away the afternoon sipping strong coffee and playing backgammon.

My short and sweet weekend was spent at the Romanos Hotel, part of the Starwood Hotel Group, which is the perfect getaway for peace and tranquillity. Arriving at 22:00 my warm welcome was accompanied by a cool towel and chilled mango juice, whilst my luggage was whisked off by golf buggy to my room, leaving me to check-in. On spotting the private plunge-pool and day-bed on my private terrace, I made a mental note of where I would be spending the following afternoon!

The property adjoins the Westin, another 5* property sharing exceptional leisure facilities (‘Navarino Outdoors’ located on-site, offers countless hiking, bike and nature trails), a children’s club and many rooms and suites with their own private pools. Choose to take mountain bikes along Voidokilia beach and up in to the surrounding hills or perhaps opt for some 'spa time'. The Anazoe Spa menu is quite something and it is no easy feat selecting which practice of massage to choose! To complement the treatments there are mineral pools, relaxation lounges and the ‘Heat Experience Water Ritual’, which take my word for it, would be perfection after an afternoon of golf or Nordic walking!

My last evening was spent at one of the hotels’ 15 dining options, where we were treated to our own personal chef. A Mezze platter was followed by barbecued veal steaks and lobster tails all washed down with a customary Ouzo and crisp white wine. A perfect end to a perfect weekend.

Thanks to the upcoming introduction of direct flights to Kalamata with EasyJet and British Airways, accessing this region of Greece is made far simpler (one-hour transfer as opposed to three and a half from Athens.) The beauty of this property is that you can do as much (or as little) as you wish, all whilst enjoying a true flavour of untouched Greece. For those looking for more than just a resort hotel, trips to the nearby Byzantine town of Pylos and the ancient site of Olympia can be arranged. As the cheerful check-out staff wished me a pleasant journey home and “hoped to see me again soon”. I was thinking exactly the same thing.