Greece’s most beautiful small town, and why it earns that label
Nafplio gets called the most beautiful town in Greece so regularly that it starts to sound like marketing. It isn’t. The old town sits on a narrow rocky promontory pushing into the Argolic Gulf, and three distinct Venetian and Ottoman fortifications loom above and around it — the Palamidi on the clifftop, the Acronauplia along the headland, and the Bourtzi island-castle sitting in the middle of the harbour like a postcard prop. The architecture in between is a genuine mix of Venetian neoclassical, Ottoman-era mosques repurposed as museums, and 19th-century buildings from Nafplio’s brief stint as the first capital of independent Greece (1829–1834).
The town is small enough to walk everywhere in an afternoon, yet layered enough that you keep finding something new: a Venetian lion-of-St-Mark carved above an archway, a Bavarian fountain in a cobbled plateia, a basement neoclassical dining room that turns out to be the restaurant from a converted 18th-century warehouse. It is not a sleepy village — the waterfront promenade fills with Athenian weekenders from June to September — but it has avoided the worst of overdevelopment.
For anyone planning to visit Mycenae, Epidaurus and Ancient Corinth, Nafplio is the obvious base. All three sites are within 45 minutes by car.
Palamidi fortress: 999 steps and a panoramic reward
The Palamidi is the defining landmark of Nafplio and one of the best-preserved Venetian military complexes in Greece. The Venetians built it between 1711 and 1714 — and lost it to the Ottomans less than a year after completion, a fact the guidebooks mention with a certain dry humour.
The staircase from the old town counts 999 steps (the actual count is closer to 857 depending on where you start, but 999 has better mythology). The climb takes 20–25 minutes at a steady pace and is steep enough to justify an early start before the heat builds. Alternatively, a road winds up from the main town — taxis make the trip and you can drive if you have a car.
Entry in 2026 costs €10 for adults, €5 reduced; the site is open 08:00–20:00 in summer (last entry 19:30), 08:00–15:00 November–March. The summit complex contains eight separate bastions, each named after a Greek hero, connected by tunnels and ramparts. The 360-degree view takes in the Argolic Gulf, the plain of Argos all the way to the mountains, and the tiny white Bourtzi below — a perspective that makes the scale of the ancient landscape legible in a way ground-level visits to the sites cannot.
The famous prisoner here was Theodoros Kolokotronis, hero of the Greek War of Independence, who was imprisoned in the Miltiades bastion in 1833 after falling out with the Bavarian regents. He served less than a year before being pardoned.
Bourtzi and the harbour
The Bourtzi — a small Venetian fortress on an islet 400 metres from the harbour — is Nafplio’s most-photographed image and worth more than a look from the waterfront. Boat taxis (€5 return, running April–October) cross regularly from the main quay. The interior has been variously a Venetian garrison, a residence for the town’s executioner (who lived there to avoid social awkwardness with the condemned), and a luxury hotel. It is now open as a cultural venue; exhibitions run in summer.
The harbour promenade, Akti Miaouli, is lined with cafés and restaurants facing the castle. Coffee here costs €4–5, which is Athens pricing — Nafplio is not cheap, partly because it attracts affluent Athenian visitors and partly because the tourism season is short. The fish restaurants near the market square are better value at €18–25 for a main course; avoid the spots directly on the main waterfront which charge a significant premium for the view.
Argolis: Mycenae and Epidaurus within reach
The practical strength of Nafplio as a base is that two of the most important ancient sites in Greece are close enough to visit without an overnight elsewhere. Mycenae is 26km to the north — 30 minutes by car — and can be covered thoroughly in two to three hours. Epidaurus is 32km east along a scenic coastal road — also about 40 minutes — and needs two to three hours for the theatre and the Asklepieion sanctuary.
A well-planned day from Nafplio can include both sites: Mycenae from 08:30 to 11:30, lunch back in Nafplio, Epidaurus from 14:00 to 17:00. It’s a full day but not exhausting.
For visitors arriving by public transport, KTEL buses run from Nafplio to Mycenae (1 bus daily in summer, check the schedule at the Nafplio bus station) and to Epidaurus (limited service). Most visitors without a car use guided day tours from Athens that include Nafplio, which solves the logistics efficiently.
The small-group Nafplio, Mycenae and Epidaurus day trip from Athens covers all three stops in a single day and is one of the best-value tours in the region. For something more flexible, the private Argolis full-day tour gives you a dedicated guide who can adjust the pace to your interests.
For those who want to combine the canal with the Argolis circuit, the Nafplio, Corinth, Epidaurus and Mycenae day trip adds the Corinth Canal stop on the outbound leg — a satisfying full day.
Where to eat and sleep
The old town has the highest concentration of good restaurants in the Peloponnese outside Kalamata. The neighbourhood around Staïkopoulos and Bouboulinas streets has a dozen solid options within 200 metres. Taverna Arapakos (fish-focused, mains €14–22) and To Omorfo Tavernaki (grills and mezze, mains €10–16) consistently get good reviews from visitors who’ve been eating in Greece long enough to know the difference. Book ahead on summer weekends.
Accommodation ranges from restored Venetian mansions now operating as boutique guesthouses — Pension Marianna and Hotel Ilion are reliably good — to mid-range hotels on the Acronauplia promontory with sea views. Budget options are limited in the old town; staying 10 minutes’ walk from the centre drops prices significantly.
For the full context of how Nafplio fits into a Peloponnese itinerary, see the Athens Peloponnese 5-day itinerary and the detailed Argolis day trip guide covering all the logistics of visiting the Argolis sites together. A broader overview of options is in the best day trips from Athens guide.