Nafplion

If I could choose just one town in Greece...

Nafplion would be very high on my list!

What a lovely town this is. Elegant, chic, a little bit glamorous and beautifully set by the sea, in the northeast of the Peloponnese. Nafplion has something that’s not so easy to put into words. It’s a real town, with beautiful shops, excellent restaurants, a fascinating history and a harbour where there’s always something going on.

Take a walk through the historic centre. Venetian buildings, elegant neoclassical mansions, bougainvillea climbing up the walls and lovely little squares.

And the streets are remarkably clean.

And then there are the cats! You’ll see quite a few of them. Healthy, happy cats who clearly feel completely at home. They stroll into the shops as if they’re checking the stock, relax on the terraces and sometimes act as if the whole town belongs to them. And maybe it does. Honestly, I wouldn’t argue with them. The locals and shopkeepers take very good care of them.

🧿 A town with a special Venetian past

That Venetian character is no coincidence, of course.

The Venetians called Nafplion Napoli di Romania. They ruled here twice, from 1388 to 1540 and again from 1686 to 1715, and turned it into an important fortress town.

Just look up at the impressive Palamidi, the huge fortress towering above Nafplion. The Venetians started building it in 1711, and in just a few years an amazing fortress rose up here.

Palamidi sits on a hill about 216 metres high and has eight bastions. They were designed so that each one could be defended on its own. If one bastion fell, the others could keep holding out.

The Venetians didn’t get to enjoy it for long. In 1715 the Ottomans captured Nafplion.

Only in 1822, during the Greek War of Independence, did Palamidi come back into Greek hands.

Would you like to go up yourself? Then take the famous staircase. Legend says it has 999 steps. In reality it’s about 857. But believe me, halfway up, 999 feels about right.

And then there’s that little castle in the middle of the sea: Bourtzi.

This one is Venetian too. Building started in 1471, on a tiny rocky island in front of the harbour, to protect Nafplion from enemy ships.

In the old days, the entrance to the harbour could be closed with a heavy chain, stretched between the little fortress and the walls on land. That’s how Nafplion got its nickname Porto Cadena, the harbour of the chain. Over the centuries Bourtzi has had many different uses. In the twentieth century there was even a small hotel with a restaurant. Imagine checking in there! Today you can visit it by boat.

And did you know that Nafplion was the capital of modern Greece from 1827 to 1834?

The first governor, Ioannis Kapodistrias, arrived here in 1828. His story ended tragically: in 1831 he was murdered at the church of Agios Spyridon.

🧿 Wonderful shopping

That’s one of the things that makes Nafplion so lovely.

No endless shopping streets with Zara, H&M and the same international chains you see everywhere. Instead, the historic centre is full of beautiful little boutiques, each with its own character.

Local designers, jewellery, ceramics, delicacies, lovely things you’ll only find here.

A little tip: leave some room in your suitcase.

🧿 Beach clubs just around the corner

And the beach?

It’s almost around the corner.

Along the Arvanitia promenade you walk past the old city walls and rocks, with the sea on your other side. This coastal walk of about one kilometre runs from near the harbour, along the rocks of Akronafplia, to Arvanitia beach. It usually takes you about 15 to 20 minutes. Unless you keep stopping for photos, which you will.

A small beach with mostly pebbles, rocks and crystal-clear water. In summer you’ll also find sunbeds and a lovely beach bar here

Would you rather have a real sandy beach? Then drive to Karathona, just outside Nafplion. A beautiful long sandy bay with shallow water, sunbeds, umbrellas, beach bars and tavernas.

🧿 And then the food… they really get it here!

Nafplion lies right in the middle of the Argolida, one of the most fertile farming areas of the Peloponnese.

Much of what ends up on your plate is grown or made right here in the area.

Beautiful vegetables, tomatoes that still really taste like tomatoes, aubergines, fresh herbs, citrus fruit, local cheeses and, of course, that wonderful olive oil.

You can eat simply and traditionally here, but you can also have a truly excellent gourmet dinner.

A long lunch on a square, a few delicious meze to share, or a long dinner with beautiful local wines.

And to be honest: in Nafplion, I would never skip lunch! Dinner neither, by the way.

🧿 And the wine? Of course!

Nafplion is in a fantastic spot for wine lovers.

About 40 kilometres away is Nemea, one of the best-known wine regions in Greece. Here, everything is about the Agiorgitiko grape.

And then there’s Mantinia, the wine region on the plateau near Tripoli, about 70 to 90 kilometres from Nafplion, depending on which winery you visit. Here, Moschofilero is the big star.

Two completely different wine regions, and both are easy to visit from Nafplion. So you’ll just have to try both. Purely for research, of course.

🧿 Oranges, oranges and even more oranges!

And now something that makes me happy every single time.

The oranges!

As soon as you drive out of Nafplion, you see them everywhere. The fertile plain of the Argolida is full of orange groves. Whole fields, for kilometres, with orange trees as far as the eye can see.

Winter is especially beautiful. That’s when the trees are full of ripe, bright orange fruit. There’s a good reason the Argolida is one of the most important orange-growing areas in Greece.

And what could be more fun than picking your own oranges with a local grower?

Straight from the tree. So juicy and fresh!

And afterwards a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. It’s those simple little things I enjoy so much. After that, supermarket orange juice will never taste the same again.

🧿 Cultural visits and History? Where shall we begin?

For that, Nafplion is the perfect place too.

About 30 kilometres away is the famous ancient theatre of Epidaurus, from the fourth century BC. It’s world-famous for its amazing acoustics and beautifully set among the hills. Whisper on the stage and they’ll hear you in the back row. Go on, try it. Everyone does.

And then there’s Mycenae, about 25 kilometres from Nafplion. Here you walk through one of the most important archaeological sites in Greece, with the famous Lion Gate and the impressive remains of the Mycenaean civilisation.

Argos is close by too, about 12 kilometres away. One of the oldest continuously inhabited towns in Europe, with an impressive ancient theatre and a history that goes back thousands of years.

And in between there are so many lovely villages, little churches, olive groves and beautiful landscapes to discover.

Honestly, you’ll always wish you had more time here.

🧿 And all year round? Absolutely!

This might be one of the best things about Nafplion: it’s lovely here twelve months a year.

In spring, nature is in bloom and the temperatures are perfect for getting out and about.

In summer you enjoy the sea, the beaches and the beach clubs. In the evening the town is lively and full of atmosphere.

In autumn you can often still swim, and it’s a fantastic time for visiting wineries and archaeological sites.

But Nafplion in winter? Perhaps even nicer than you’d think.

Nafplion has a Mediterranean climate, with warm, dry summers and fairly mild winters. In July and August it can get quite hot, often above 30 degrees.

In December and January the average afternoon temperature is around 15 degrees. Of course it can rain or be a bit chilly, but on sunny days it’s lovely to be outside.

And December is especially beautiful in Nafplion. Christmas lights everywhere, lovely decorations and cosy squares. The shops and restaurants stay open, and the oranges hang ripe on the trees.

On a sunny winter afternoon like that, you simply enjoy your freddo espresso outside on a terrace. In December. Just send a photo home and see what happens.

And how about a winter break combining Athens and Nafplion? Visiting the Acropolis in pleasant temperatures, eating well, tasting wine and enjoying that wonderful Christmas atmosphere.

Greece has so much to offer in winter too.

🧿 Is Nafplion easy to get to?

From Athens it’s about 140 to 150 kilometres by car. Allow around one and a half to two hours, depending on traffic and where exactly you leave from.

On the way you pass one of the most remarkable sights in Greece: the Corinth Canal.

An impressive canal more than six kilometres long, cut between high rock walls, connecting the Gulf of Corinth with the Saronic Gulf.

Then you drive on into the Peloponnese. The busy city slowly fades away, the mountains come closer, and little by little the olive groves appear, then the vineyards, and finally those endless orange groves.

And before you know it, you’re driving into Nafplion.