ByLaurie Werner ByLaurie Werner, Contributor. Voidokilia Beach, one of the beaches of Costa Navarino. There are many places within Greece to rent a palatial villa surrounded by stunning and often waterfront scenery. But one location also gives guests the chance to sightsee ancient ruins, play golf, take a tennis lesson at the academy of Serena Williams’ former coach, gain basketball skills in an NBA program, practice football moves under the guidance of an FC Bayern coach and sample different cuisines in a multitude of restaurants. That’s what Costa Navarino offers and this year there are more chances to experience it all with an expanded villa inventory, including for the first time in an exclusive section bordering the beach. The setting of Mandarin Oriental Costa Navarino. Even with all of that, I have to admit that I had misgivings about it when I chose to check in there a while back rather than a typically breezy small hotel on one of the islands. This development is on the mainland, in Messinia in the southwest Peloponnese, and it’s big, 2500 acres divided into four separate areas which also contain four five star hotels: Mandarin Oriental Costa Navarino; W Costa Navarino, The Westin Resort Costa Navarino and The Romanos, a Luxury Collection Resort, Costa Navarino. It seemed like it could be just a mega development without any Greek charm. But the sheer wealth of options won me over as did the setting: the turquoise bays of the Ionian Sea dotted with islets of rugged green hills and beaches. Typical villa architecture. A typical villa interior. The 27 villas to rent are spacious, ranging from 1,615 square feet with three bedrooms to the six bedroom 5,813 square foot Villa Santova available to rent starting in June. They’re also sleek, modern, whitewashed with local stone and furnished with contemporary design. The requisite lap pools are part of the layout and the views are of olive groves or the bays. A sampling of menu items in the restaurant Berytus in the Navarino Agora. While in residence, guests can take advantage of over 40 restaurants clustered at the hotels or in the central Agora marketplace with cuisines ranging from the obvious seafood centric and Greek to Peruvian, steak, Middle Eastern, Japanese and Spanish. Guest Michelin starred chefs from around the world will also be on property as part of the Mandarin Oriental’s “Stirring Stars” events; Michelin starred Chef Alexandros Tsiotinis of the Athens restaurant CTC Urban Gastronomy is also opening a new restaurant this season: Paráfrasi by CTC located between The Romanos, a Luxury Collection Resort and The Westin Resort Costa Navarino. Those who want to learn to replicate the local cuisine can also take a cooking class in a Messinian home or engage in other authentic activities such as local olive oil and wine tastings. The Mouratoglou Tennis Center. The options for sports activities are numerous. Tennis fans can perfect their skills with coaches at the Mouratoglou Tennis Center established by famed coach Patrick Mouratoglou; tennis camps for kids are a new addition this year. (Padel and pickleball are possible too.) There are four championship golf courses; in mid June two will host a stop of the Legends Tour which features players such as Ernie Els and Sir Nick Faldo. Sailing, kitesurfing, stand up paddleboarding, snorkeling and diving are just a few of the bay-based options; hiking and rock climbing are two of the choices on land. Spa treatments including massages on the beach from the Anazoe Spa at The Romanos are natural follow ups to all. International Olympic Academy Golf Course Hole 10. Off property, vestiges of 4500 years of history such as the Mycenean Palace of King Nestor, built in the 13th century BC, are on view as little as a 15 minute drive away. Ancient Messene, dating from 369 BC is located an hour away and presents fortification walls with towers and gates along with preserved public and religious structures. Two hours away, the UNESCO World Heritage designated archeological site of Mycenae, dating from the late Bronze age, was the town of King Agamemnon and is one of the most significant archeological sites in Greece. It would be hard to find an island that can measure up to all that. Ancient Messene.