An hour and half north west of Athens lies the coastal city of Nafplio. The once capital of Greece sits along the sure lines of the Peloponnese. It wasn’t until the new king of Greece, King Otto, a man who loved ancient Greece, moved the capital to the small village of Athens in the late 1800’s. His mission was to create a new capital city that sat under the Parthenon.
What is left is a small seaside village that has stunning views and even greater ruins.
The drive from Athens to Nafplio is on of the best coastal drives in the country. If you have the time, avoid the national highway and its tolls, and enjoy the sea as you drive towards the Peloponnese. As you enter Nafplio you see that the city, although small, is planned out with all lanes directing you to the seaside. Towering over the top of the city is the Palamidi castle which was originally built by the Venetians. The castle is worth a visit if the weather isn’t too hot, otherwise go straight down to the local beaches.
One of the best beaches in Nafplio is Arvanitia Beach with its neighbouring restaurant Blublanc servicing the sun beds. Blublanc, has two menus. The beach going sun bed menu (sandwiches and snacks) while the restaurant serves taverna style greek food, with the Saganaki Prawns being a must.
For more beaches (which are organised, as in sun beds, drink and food service) head towards the suburb of Karathona, which is a 8 minute drive from Arvanitia beach. Here you will find a long stretch of beach with a an endless row of beach bars. If the beach bars are not your style, you can always find your own patch of sand to sun bake and relax on further down the beach.
The surrounding villages around Nafplio have some great ancient ruins, such as Agamemnon’s Castle (a must visit) which is a 20 minute drive away from the coast, and the best preserved amphitheatre in Greece the Epidaraus amphitheatre. The amphitheatre is around a 30-40 minute drive from Nafplio but is well worth the visit. Make sure to check the closing times of the sites, as its best to go an hour or two before closing to miss not only the tour crowds but also to dodge the heat.
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