We didn’t just want to go to Athens and the islands. We also wanted to peek into the heart of Greece. And it felt like we did when we took a bus ride from the capital city to a small port town in the Peloponnese. We had arrived in Nafplio.
Getting to Nafplio from Athens – Nafplio is 135 km from Athens. One option is to drive down there. Or take a bus like we did with KTEL. The journey takes about 2 hours and the bus is good and affordable. A to and fro journey costed about 26 euros and we bought tickets on the spot at the bus terminal at Pappou 12.
How long was our stay in Nafplio – some choose to do a day trip from Athens but we stayed overnight to enjoy the place fully.
Accommodation and Commuting: we stayed in the cutest (although compact) house via Airbnb, just 3 mins walk from where the bus drops you off. Everything here – restaurants, shops, waterfront etc. is within 10 min walking radius. This is the one where we stayed in.
Over the course of two days, we were introduced to this enchanting town with narrow alleys, family owned cafes and restaurants, local handicraft stores, waterfront walks and fortresses built by the Venetians. The best part, we could just walk to where ever we wanted to go to.
Here is a summarised version of some of the things we enjoyed here:
Wander in the laneways and take lots of photos – the laneways are just too pretty to miss and to us were the best part of this town. Laden with vibrant bougainvilleas and a smattering of old mansions it’s a treat to just wander around, stop for a drink or gelato or even dine at one of the many cafes / restaurants.
All the food – the town has no dearth of places to eat. Whether you want to enjoy a meal with a waterfront view or prefer a cozy place in one of the many laneways, the place has it covered. Start with some Ouzo, then dig into that souvlaki pita.
Waterfront views – take a stroll, sit down on the ledges, climb up the old castle walls. Whatever way you choose, you can enjoy beautiful waterfront views here.
Costal walk – takes you through a rocky pathway overlooking the water and the hills. A good way to work up some appetite.
Fortress of Palamidi – if you can, climb up all the way up the 999 steps. Otherwise just take a cab to get up there. This fortress is a really well preserved piece of history and gives you a bird’s eye view of the town as well.
Shop for Local Souvenirs – as you stroll around the labyrinth of the laneways, you’ll come across several shops selling the cutest of souvenirs – from cloth bags and stoles to wooden toys and clay animals. You can always window shop but we’re sure you’ll be tempted to pick a thing or two from here.
Bourtzi Castle – The water castle of Bourtzi is a Venetian castle located in the middle of the harbour of Nafplio. You have to take the small boat from the seaside to reach it and it sure looked liked an interesting place to visit. We didn’t visit however due to construction works.
Watch our Nafplio Travel Vlog to get a glimpse into this wonderful seaport town. Or jump to our full Greece Travel Itinerary, here.
1 comment
[…] Nafplio (Day 3-4): Not on a typical tourist map, we decided to visit this rather small town. What we experienced was a charming old town, full of lovely laneways, cute cafes, a waterfront, a coastal walk and a 999 steps climb to the Palamidi fortress on top of a hill, with pretty amazing views. See our things-to-do in Nafplio here. […]