Near the entrance to the port of Pylos lies Niokastro, which stands as a vigilant guard, protecting the area from the vulnerable side of the sea. As many of its construction elements testify, Niokastro is an Ottoman creation; its construction started sometime after 1573, after the defeat of the Turks in the naval battle of Nafpaktos two years earlier. Niokastro was named thus in order to distinguish it from Paleokastro or Paleo Navarino, which was a Frankish creation and dominated the old port. Like almost all castles in the wider area that roughly belong to the same period, Niokastro was witness to many onslaughts of several ambitious conquerors (Venetians, Turks, Russians), who left their mark on its premises. For a short while it was also conquered by the Greeks during the Revolution, but they didn’t manage to hold on to it for long. Despite all the hardships it faced throughout the centuries, Niokastro is still one of the most beautiful and best preserved castles in Greece.