Gialova

Gialova (Greek Γιάλοβα) is a village on Navarino Bay in the south-western Peloponnese, Greece, about six kilometres north of Pylos.

Topography

The centre of the village consists of two short streets, one fronting the Bay and the other at right angles to it, leading to the main Pylos-Kiparissia road. Where the two streets meet there is a mole used by local fishing boats (and for car parking). Other houses in the village are found along the Pylos-Kiparissia road and on the hills behind it.

Industry

Signs of the area's former agricultural industry are evident in the two abandoned wine factories and the stone warehouses formerly used to store carob and lemons, which were exported by boats from the mole. Today the main industry is small-scale tourism. There are two campsites and one hotel (the Hotel Zoe) plus villas, apartments and rooms to rent.

The beach and the lagoon

A 1.5 kilometre long sandy beach, signposted "Golden Beach" but known as Divari (Greek διβάρι = hatchery) to local people, starts at Gialova and continues west to Old Navarino Castle. The beach is actually a narrow bar separating the sea waters of the Bay from the brackish waters of Gialova Lagoon, a Natura 2000 site of major importance. It is the only location in Europe where the African chameleon is found [http://www.transitionsabroad.com/publications/magazine/0105/volunteering_in_europe.shtml] .

External links

[http://www.pylos.net/eng/index.htm Webpage of Pylos and the surrounding area]

[http://www.worldphotolocations.com/location_report.phtml?location_id=1089710082286 Photos of Gialova lagoon]

[http://www.wikimapia.org/#y=36953321&x=21696110&z=14&l=1&m=a&v=2 Satellite picture with WikiMapia]

[http://www.voidokilia.com/ Voidokilia.com: the WebSite of Pylos-Voidokilia Area]