Vounaria

Vounaria is a coastal village in the prefecture of Messinia and is located southwest, built on an arcuate series of lush hills. From these hills, the knolls, the village took its name. It is said that at the place where lies today Vounaria, were built the ancient Kolonides, while at the top of the mountain in Vounaria was the ancient temple of Poseidon.

What gives special beauty to the village of Vounaria is the traditional color. The houses are almost all made of brick with balconies and roof tiles. The village church, the Church of the Annunciation, is built of stone, in Byzantine style.

From Vounaria you can go to the crowded Peroulia beach and the less known and secluded one Kolonides beach.

On  March 25, 1821, during the Revolution of 1821, took place near Vounaria a battle between the Greeks and the Turks, which ended with a great victory of the Greek Revolutionaries, one of the first victories of the Struggle for Liberation.

Vounaria has a population of 226 residents, who are engaged in traditional agricultural crops, production of oil and raisins, and tourism. They are also known in the field of handicrafts for their skills in pottery, which according to local tradition of the wider area was introduced by the founder of ancient Kolonides, Kolainos. From Vounaria came the poet John Kamvysis.