Nafplio is probably the most popular destination, throughout the year, for Athenians. Just two hours’ drive take you to one of the most picturesque towns in Greece, with amazing architecture, exceptional archaeological sites and castles, lovely sea, restaurants and taverns with great food, and great bars.
Nafplio never rests on its laurels, it is constantly renewed with new gastronomic and hospitality options and that’s why it remains first in the preferences of not just the weekenders.
Lovely neoclassical mansions, Ottoman style residencies, Mycenaean remains, Cyclopean walls, and Venetian fortresses make Nafplio truly unique. It’s one of the best kept towns in Greece, the jewel of the Peloponnese. It is swarmed every year by both Greek and foreign tourists, families love it, and couples fall in love with it – it might sound cliché but it’s true. The town is a mixture of nobility, culture, and Greek history, at each step there’s a story to tell: a story about Venetians, Franks, Ottomans, and Greeks, about the 400 hundred years of occupation, about the Independence, about King Othon’s first days in Greece, about Kapodistrias’ assassination, Kolokotronis’ imprisonment; and also other stories, more beautiful ones, about the National Gallery annex with works by Gyzis, Lytras, Vryzakis etc, about Harvard’s Greek Studies Centre, about the Fougaro Art Centre that has an arts and humanities library, a concert space, an art workshop etc. If you want to get to know Nafplio then you need to visit it again and again, and each time discover another side of it.
The beaches
The coastline from Nafplio up until Iria has amazing beaches for every liking. The nearest one to town is the famous Arvanitia, right below the, unfortunately deserted, Xenia hotel. The slope that reaches the beach is covered in pine trees while the rest of Akronafplia is covered in prickly pear treas. All this on the one side, on the other side stands the huge rock with Palamidi on its top, while the scenery resembles the South of Italy. The beach is small and pebbled, and the water gets deep suddenly, the coast on its left and right is rocky, but there are manmade piers with sunbeds and umbrellas and small ladders to help you get into the sea, though most people prefer to jump from the pier.
The next beach is Neraki: a small quiet beach with no beach bar and no amenities, with a copse of trees at the back. It can also be reached on foot, starting from Arvanitia. Nafplio’s largest beach is Karathonas, a huge sandy beach with lovely waters, a small coastal pine forest, serviced with sunbeds, umbrellas, beach bars and it even offers water sports for the more active bathers.
If you don’t mind going the extra distance, just 8 kms away, you can find the famous Tolo village, with its lovely beach and the three little islands that are ideal for exploration and for diving in crystalline waters (you can rent a boat from the village), right next to it there’s also the small, quiet Kastraki beach, while right next to that a huge beach that starts at Ancient Asine and reaches Drepano village, beautiful Kondili beach, while both Kandia and Iria beaches are serviced and have great waters, you’ll just have to drive for a little longer.
The sights
What to see first in Nafplio? This town is full of big and small beauties and history, a lot of history, so we’ll put everything in order for you.
If you’re up to it, climb the 999 steps, that in reality are 857, to Palamidi, but it’s best to do it early in the morning to avoid the sun and heat of the afternoon, or, if you’re not up to it, you can get there by car. Walk between the walls, admire the bastions, visit the chapel of Agios Andreas and also Theodoros Kolokotronis’ cell, and enjoy the stunning view of both land and sea.
Go to Akronafplia next, that is Nafplio’s acropolis, that the Ottomans called Ιtİç Kale. There are also prehistoric findings at the site, sections of the polygonal walls built in the 4th century BC, remains of walls from the Hellenistic and Byzantine periods, while the main part of the buildings were built by the Venetians. In 1829, Ioannis Kapodistrias, Governor of Greece at the time, created barracks and a military hospital at the site, while in 1926 the prison of Palamidi was transferred there. In 1937 it was turned into a political prison, until it was closed down in 1960. Around a decade later both the prison and the hospital were torn down in order to build Xenia Pallas.
This spot has a great view of the whole of Nafplio and the back side overlooks Arvanitia. Next stop on your itinerary is Bourtzi, another, smaller, Venetian castle, surrounded by the sea, that has its own interesting history as it was the place of Kolokotronis’ first imprisonment; it housed the Greek Government twice, in 1824 and 1827; and after 1865 it became the house of the guillotine executioner, while between 1960 and 1970 it functioned as a hotel.
The view of Nafplio is enchanting, and you can visit Bourtzi by boat that you can catch at the dock. At the entrance of the town, you can find the archaeological site of Tiryns, one of the most important archaeological sites of the Argolis region that has been included on the UNESCO World Heritage Monument List.
After you get the climbing and boat rides out of the way it’s time for more relaxed, but equally interesting, strolls around town. The Archaeological Museum makes an impression already from the outside, due to its architecture, built in 1713 by the Venetians. It houses findings from the Palaeolithic up until the Roman times, with its oldest exhibit being a Palaeolithic cluster of clay hearths from the Kleisoura gorge near the village Prosymna (32,000-21,000 BC). The annex of the National Gallery houses an exceptional collection with works by Th. Vryzakis, G. Margaritis, Dion. Tsokos, N. Gyzis, N. Lytras etc. inspired by the Greeks’ liberation fight, while the building that houses it is a very elegant neoclassical one. The Peloponnesian Folklore Foundation ‘Vasileios Papantoniou’ is one of the best organised folklore museums in Greece, with a large number of exhibits. Its collections include more than 27.000 artifacts of our folk tradition and also of more contemporary Greek culture.
The Koboloi (worry beads) Museum was founded by Mr and Mrs Evangelinos and is probably the only one of its kind. It includes around 1.000 worry beads from around the globe. Fougaro, at the entrance of the town, used to be a tomato processing factory built in 1936, it was commandeered by Wehrmacht during the occupation, in the ‘90s it housed garages and smithies. Nowadays, after the space was renovated by the owner, Florika Kiriakopoulou, it has become an art space with a gallery, an open-air cinema, a library and creative workshops, while there’s also a café-bistro on the grounds. The Karonis Distillery Museum includes tools, machinery and various documents dating back to 1880, and it also organises tastings of the Karonis distilleries products.
The routes
The most relaxing stroll you can take is around Nafplio’s narrow streets to admire the lovely buildings like that of the Archaeological Museum on Syntagma Square, the building where the first Greek Parliament met between the autumn of 1825 and the spring of 1826, that used to be a mosque, the National Bank building, the National Gallery, the Trianon (which also was a mosque) and in the past was a cinema, and the courthouse that was built with the endowment of Andreas Syggros. It’s also worth visiting the ‘Lion of the Bavarians’ that is carved in the rock next to the church of Agii Pantes, and is the work of German sculptor Christian Siegel, the first professor of sculpture at the National Technical University of Athens. If you’d like a route that’s off the beaten track, then you can take the ‘dromoskales’ (alleyways with stairs) that connect Syntagma Square to Akronafplia promenade and explore the Psaromahalas (fisherman’s) neighbourhood where the neoclassical buildings, the old mansions and the houses of the Ottoman era create a unique setting.
Hiking
All the above is for within the town, for longer trails, wear your hiking shoes and walk around the Arvanitia area, for about one kilometre. Start at the end of the pier and walk by the sea, almost going around Akronafplia, up to the Arvanitia Square. On your walk you’ll have the sea on your right hand, while on your left you’ll have slopes covered in pines and prickly pear trees. Right at the large turn, almost halfway through the promenade, there is a small church, the church of Panagitsa, almost hidden away between the rocks. At the end of the walk, when you reach Arvanitia square you’ll be facing the imposing Palamidi hill. After your walk you can dip in the sea on the homonymous beach, or if you’re up to it, you can walk to Neraki beach with the crystalline waters, or even further away, to the beach Karathonas, about 3-4 kilometres away from Arvanitia.
Activities
At Karathonas beach you can choose from a variety of activities, ranging from windsurf to water ski, and from boat rides to pedalos, while there is also a scuba diving centre on the beach that takes you to explore the seabed around Nafplio and Tolo. Also, very close to the beach there are lime rocks with safe trails, ideal for intermediate or beginner climbers. If you like riding you can also discover Nafplio’s surroundings on horseback, while at the dock you can rent a kayak and paddle along the town’s coastline, in the shadow of Akronafplia and Palamidi. For larger groups, a fun way to discover Nafplio is ‘Nafplio Mystery Hunt’, a treasure hunt on which you’ll have to solve various riddles that relate to specific places around town and reach the finishing point first to win (due to the pandemic special rules apply).
The flavours
The options for coffee, drinks and food in Nafplio are countless, no matter what you’re in the mood for, be it local lamb chops on the grill and fresh fish, or Australian wagyu on a cast iron pan, you can get it here.
At Sokaki, on Ethnikis Antistaseos street with the beautiful ethnic décor you can go for breakfast and coffee and then again at night for drinks and cocktails, just like at Rosso, across the street, while you can have loukoumades (fried dough balls) with various toppings, orange pie, and fluffy galaktompoureko (Greek custard pie) just a few steps away, at Pergamonto.
At Boutique on Vasilisis Amalias street, the hippest all-day bar in Nafplio at the moment, you can go for coffee, comfort food, and also for drinks, while Teory is of a similar concept with a lovely bar and it’s also a great choice for drinks. The 20somethings haunt Mavros Gatos at Sofroni & Bouboulinas street for coffee and backgammon, while if you want a panoramic view of the Argolic Gulf go to the hotel Nafplia Palace, on the rock of Akronafplia.
The menu of 3Sixty Grill Dining, the restaurant of the homonymous hotel, includes various grain-fed and grass-fed beef cuts, like Wagyu and Black Angus, while some of the cuts are certified Halal. If you want Japanese Kobe you have to order in advance. Wild Duck, that is housed in a simple neoclassical building, serves Mediterranean cuisine with a modern twist. Wood is the dominant material inside the building and it’s very cosy. It’s one of the places where you can enjoy your wine and dinner having relaxed conversations all night long.
Scuola Pizza Bar offers what we could call ‘honest’ pizza, and nice risottos and pasta and it’s on the waterfront on Bouboulinas street. On 25th Martiou street there’s a small neighbourhood with taverns, Menta is one of the modern versions, with great options for sharing or not. Pidalio might be more traditional in terms of décor, but its menu includes, apart from the more traditional dishes, some more contemporary flavours, and some great mezzes, all prepared with great care. For seafood, go to Roulis on the seaside road towards Nea Kios, that is known for its fresh fish, while in Nea Kios, you can go to Tsakiris, probably the largest fish tavern in the area. In the town of Nafplio, Savouras and Arapakos are the most famous ones. For good honest lamb chops go to Asine to Arkoudas.
For breakfast on the go, Alevri kai Zahari has good assorted pastries, various types of bread, and also a lot of desserts, while the enormous Kosmos Bakery at the entrance of the town with its unique design that doesn’t go unnoticed – one of the relatively new arrivals in town – has everything…bread, pastries, ice creams, wines, sweets and casserole dishes.
For ice cream the biggest names in Nafplio are two, the Italian, as he is now known throughout Greece even though the shop has a name (Antica Gelateria di Roma). And Koustenis, the traditional patisserie on Vasileos Konstantinou street that has many years of experience in ice cream.
Accommodation
Nafplio is full of hotels and guesthouses, many of which are renovated mansions, either with many romantic elements or with more ‘severe’ modern design, the majority of which are very well-kept and beautiful.
Aetoma: a beautiful neoclassical building offering standard, deluxe and superior rooms, spacious, with a classical décor and wooden floors. (Agios Spiridonas Square, 22752027373)
Andrews Hotel: a modern hotel with apartments that can host up to four people, ideal for families. The pool area is pretty. It’s located outside the centre of the town. (Aria area, 2752096268)
Aethra Boutique Rooms: a beautiful guest house with spacious rooms and modern, minimal, design. It has a large garden with colourful iron tables and chairs and fragrant lemon trees. (17 Kokkinos str, 2752025253)
Amymone: a gorgeous guesthouse with spacious rooms and décor that’s a perfect mixture of traditional, modern and pop. (39 Othonos str, 2752099477)
Anthemion Suites & Villas: spacious rooms and suites with décor that varies, some rooms have country chic décor, while others are more austere. The pool area is relaxed and very well-kept. (25th Martiou & Agiou Eleftheriou street, 2752022912)
Nafsimedon: housed in a wonderful neoclassical building of the 19th century it offers four rooms with classical décor and romantic touches. It’s located in a very central location in Nafplio and is an ideal base for exploring the town. (9 Sidiras Merarchias str, 2752025060)
Perivoli Country Hotel & Retreat: ideal for those who want to be near Nafplio but prefer enjoying nature’s quiet. The rooms are comfortable with simple elegant décor, they all have a fireplace, and some can accommodate families and are accessible to people with mobility issues. It has a restaurant and a pool overlooking the surrounding olive groves. If you like hiking this is an ideal base. You can also have a massage or practice yoga here. (Pirgiotika village, 8 kms from Nafplio, 2752047905)
Nafplia Palace Hotel & Villas: it is the best-known hotel in Nafplio. It offers standard rooms, suites and also villas with private pools while the whole complex has an amazing view of the Argolic Gulf. Time may have left its mark on the hotel, but it remains an iconic hotel of the town. (Akronafplia, 2752070800).
