Changing face of the Peloponnese: backdrop to The Odyssey braces for tourism surge

Tracing a journey across the Peloponnese, taking as its starting point the locations of Christopher Nolan’s new film.

As the region faces mounting tourism and development pressures, the environment is becoming ever more fragile under the strain of recurring wildfires and demand for natural resources, particularly water

Voidokilia Bay, in the southwestern Peloponnese, has a crescent-shaped beach framed by two historical headlands: a Mycenaean tomb on one side and a medieval fortress on the other.

Last spring, its crystal-clear waters became a highly secured Hollywood set for The Odyssey, Christopher Nolan’s upcoming film starring Matt Damon and Zendaya.

The region of Messenia, with its Ottoman castles and wild coastlines, was chosen to evoke the epic nature of myth.

View of the Ottoman fortress of Methoni from the Venetian castle