A decade ago, the words vacation in Greece meant a visit to the Parthenon and perhaps a Greek island – most likely Santorini or Crete. A guest house or at best a fancy hotel room accommodated visitors and that was enough. But then the luxury travel trend started to take off, and Greece started to lag behind its Mediterranean neighbors. Due to strict building legislation, an incomplete land registry and deterred investors it was almost impossible to tap into the then emerging luxury travel movement. Nonetheless, as the saying goes ‘when there’s a will there’s a way.’
There was once this Captain, Mr Vassilis Costantakopoulos (1935-2011), whose vision it was to place his home town, Messinia in the Western Peloponnese, on the global tourism and luxury resorts map. He found a way to purchase over 1000 hectares worth of land – that is 10 million square meters – over 30 patient years in order to make his vision a reality. To put it into perspective, that’s five times the size of Monaco.
Over 1000 exchange of contracts took place in order to shape the land required for the Costa Navarino tourism development. Construction began in 2006 and in 2010 the doors opened to the public. Thanks to the Captain’s investment, visitors from around the world were given a chance to discover a previously less-known corner of Greece, unique for its untouched landscape and rich history.
On a sunny Wednesday afternoon, I’m given a thorough presentation of the Costa Navarino tourism development by two enthusiastic staff from the business development team. Immediately, their enthusiasm is contagious and their willingness to answer all my questions reflects their business philosophy – transparency and honesty. I’m also offered a courtesy spoon sweet which is part of their Navarino icons, the resort’s very own line of food products.
First, came the Captain’s vision – Introduce to the world the breathtaking landscapes of Messinia, support the local economy while sustainably preserve the region’s wealth in flora and fauna. Then, came the purchase of land and the granting of required permits. Finally the development, consisting of 3 construction phases (currently in Phase 2). Once all 3 phases are complete, the development will have exceeded an investment of 1.2 billion Euros, making it one of the largest tourism investments of the Mediterranean and the largest of its kind in Greece.
Phase 1, now complete, saw the construction of Navarino Dunes (an area of 130 hectares) which includes two 5 star luxury hotels, the Westin Costa Navarino and the Romanos, a Luxury Collection Resort, the 18 hole Dunes Golf Course, the 18 hole Navarino Bay Golf course, a Golf Academy and Club House, a Conference Center, a 4,000 square meter Spa, the Navarino Natura Hall which is a museum dedicated to the region’s eco-system, in addition to sports and entertainment venues for all ages.
Phase 2, still in progress, includes the construction of luxury villas and a luxury 5 star hotel. Phase 3, which has not yet started but will be the most significant in magnitude, will see the development of Navarino Hills (500 hectares), which foresees 2 boutique hotels, 2 golf courses, a shooting range, falconry and equestrian centers, a health and wellness facility, an off road driving course, second homes, a conference center, spa facilities and sports and entertainments venues.
Worth noting is that despite the sheer size of the development, the building footprint is less than 10% of the land, even though the law allows up to 20% of the plot to be built on. My hosts tell me that throughout the construction process, 6500 olive trees, 2000 citrus and other trees have been preserved through an extensive replanting program, during which only 6 olive trees did not make it. This program is the most successful replantation initiative globally, which specifically taps into the resort’s strong commitment to environmental responsibility and sustainable development.
The resort uses 100% renewable energy through the development of a prototype MegaWatt photovoltaic system. In addition, significant reductions in energy consumption and Co2 emissions have been made, thanks to a state-of-the-art geothermal installation with 123 km of pipes, placed underneath the golf course. Irrigation needs are met using two specially constructed water reservoirs with a total capacity of 700,000 square meters, which are filled by utilizing only a small percentage of the excess runoff from the local rivers. The facilities have a bio-climatic architectural design, which in combination with the 5,000 square meters of planted roofs, optimize the use of natural elements, leading thus to an overall reduction of energy consumption. It’s easy to see why the development of Costa Navarino is a national champion in environmental and corporate sustainability.
The future for Costa Navarino is filled with optimism. The development has become a renowned brand in the luxury tourism market and it managed to do so in less than 5 years. Employing 1200 staff during peak season, local businesses are equally involved in making the visitor’s experience an unforgettable one. But the truth is that few investors will wait 30+ years to see their labor start bearing fruit. The Captain’s vision was more than just a financial return, his investment in this gargantuan project was clearly sentimental. On an end note, perhaps all daring accomplishments require emotion over reason. Nonetheless, the example of the Costa Navarino development demonstrates how a strong vision along with patience and perseverance is the key to creation and growth.