# Nafplio

The first capital of independent Greece, with a Venetian old town to walk, the Palamidi fortress above it and Bourtzi in the harbour. It is the base for seeing Mycenae, Tiryns and Epidaurus, all less than 30 km away.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/greece/peloponnese/nafplio · Revisado: 2026-11-12

## How do you get there from Athens without a car?

By bus. There is no passenger train to Nafplio. From Athens airport, the X93 bus leaves from in front of arrivals for Kifisos station: it takes 30 to 60 minutes depending on traffic and costs about €5. At Kifisos look for the Nafplio / Argolida sign: KTEL Argolida buses leave throughout the day, from early morning to night, and take about 2 h 10 min via Corinth and Argos. Nafplio is the last stop.

If you are coming from central Athens, it is quicker to catch that same bus at Eleonas, on the blue metro line. On the way back, get off there and carry on by metro to the airport.

## And by car?

It is about 150 km and around two hours. From the airport or Athens, take the A8 motorway (Olympia Odos) towards Corinth and, past the canal, the A7 (Moreas) towards Tripoli. After the Spathovouni toll, exit for Nafplio. You pay three tolls, Elefsina, Isthmus and Spathovouni, which add up to about €8 by car and a little less by motorbike.

You can't park inside the old town. Leave the car on the free esplanade by the port, about 350 m from Syntagma Square, or next to Arvanitia beach, which has free parking at the entrance.

## Mycenae and Epidaurus, in a day?

Yes, each on its own morning. Mycenae is 24 km away and Epidaurus 28 km, in opposite directions. Tiryns is on the way to Mycenae, next to the Argos road. Without a car, there are few KTEL buses to Epidaurus, almost all on weekdays, and excursions with a driver from €90 that pick you up at the hotel.

Admission: Mycenae €20 (citadel, Treasury of Atreus and museum), Epidaurus €20 (theatre, sanctuary and museum), Tiryns €10 and Palamidi €20. EU citizens under 25 get in free. In summer Epidaurus hosts the Athens and Epidaurus Festival: in 2026, from 20 June to 29 August, with night performances.

## What closes in winter?

From 1 November to 31 March, Palamidi, Mycenae and Tiryns open from 8:30 to 15:30, and Epidaurus from 8:00 to 17:00. In summer Palamidi, Mycenae and Epidaurus open from 8:00 to 20:00, from May to August. The Archaeological Museum opens from 8:30 to 15:30 all year and closes on Tuesdays. All close on 1 January, 25 March, 1 May, Orthodox Easter Sunday and 25 and 26 December. In return, on the first and third Sunday of each month from November to March, entry is free.

## Dónde está
- Zonas: Peloponnese
- Cerca: Nemea and its wineries (a 29.1 km), Corinth (a 38.5 km), Poros (a 58.1 km), Aegina (a 58.6 km)

## Qué hacer
- **Palamidi Fortress** (2 h · Teenagers and adults with good legs · €20 · reduced €10 · free for EU citizens under 25): What it is
Palamidi is the best-preserved Venetian fortress in Greece. It occupies a 216 m hill east of Akronafplia and looks down over Nafplio. Venice built it in a few years and finished it in 1714, during its second period in the city; it was the last great work of its overseas empire. It takes its name from Palamedes, the Homeric hero born in Nafplio who went to Troy and was betrayed and killed through the scheming of Odysseus.
Three betrayals
The castle's story is told in betrayals. Only a year after it was finished, in 1715, 100,000 Ottoman soldiers assaulted it and it fell thanks to Lasalle, one of the two engineers who had designed it and who knew its weak points. Palamidi's system relied on bastions that protected one another, so that if one fell the rest kept defending; without that help, the Turks would not have got in.
In November 1822, during the War of Independence, the men of Staikopoulos and Kolokotronis took it. And the third betrayal came with freedom: the fortress became a prison. It is said that in 1834 Theodoros Kolokotronis, hero of the revolution, was held in a cell cut into the rock, accused of high treason by the Bavarian regency of King Otto. Recent studies suggest he was actually imprisoned in the Miltiades bastion.
What you see
The complex has eight bastions, each with its own name, linked by walls and stairways. You can visit them one by one. From the top you see the old town and Bourtzi at your feet, the Argolic Gulf and, on the other side, Karathona beach.
How to get up: stairs or car
On foot. The classic way up is the stone stairway leaving the town on the Arvanitia side. Tradition gives it 999 steps: legend says Kolokotronis's horse broke the one that would have made a thousand. From Syntagma Square, reckon an hour's climb. There is no shade: in summer, climb when it opens.
By car. A road climbs to the east-side entrance in about ten minutes from the centre. There is parking at the top. If you are a group, have one person drive up and collect the rest at the top, or drive up and come down on foot by the stairway, which is far less tiring.
Opening hours

1 April to 1 May: 8:00 to 19:00.
2 May to 31 August: 8:00 to 20:00.
September: until 19:30 in the first half and until 19:00 in the second.
October: until 18:30 in the first half and until 18:00 in the second.
1 November to 31 March: 8:30 to 15:30.

Open every day, with last entry 20 minutes before closing. Closed on 1 January, 25 March, 1 May, Orthodox Easter Sunday and 25 and 26 December.
Tickets
General admission costs €20 and reduced €10. Under-25s from the EU enter free with ID or passport. It is free for everyone on 6 March, 18 April, 18 May, the last weekend of September, 28 October and the first and third Sunday of each month from November to March. Buy at the ticket office or online on the Hellenic Heritage ticketing website.
Facilities, time and children
At the top there is a café, toilets and parking. Allow two hours for the visit, plus the hour on the stairs if you climb on foot. The stairway is hard with small children and in the heat; for them, better to drive up. Inside there are steps, changes of level and uneven floors, and the official listing does not mark it as wheelchair accessible. With teenagers, walking round the bastions and looking for Kolokotronis's cell is what works best.
Afterwards
Coming down the stairway you arrive near the Arvanitia promenade and its beach, good for a swim. For dinner, the old town is a few minutes' walk away: there are tavernas such as Aiolos or Vyzantio.
- **Mycenae and Tiryns** (3 h · 24 km · €20 Mycenae · €10 Tiryns): What it is
Mycenae, Homer's “rich in gold”, was the great palace centre of the Late Bronze Age in Greece. According to myth it was founded by Perseus, son of Zeus and Danae. There are traces of life from the Neolithic, but its splendour came between 1350 and 1200 BC, when the palaces, the Cyclopean walls, the Lion Gate and the great tholos tombs were built. Tiryns, halfway from Nafplio, is the other Mycenaean citadel of the Argolid, and both are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Together they fill a morning.
What you see at Mycenae
The Cyclopean walls. Blocks so large that legend said the Cyclopes raised them at the command of Perseus.
The Lion Gate. From the mid-13th century BC, it is the main entrance to the acropolis: two lions in relief, face to face, over an altar. It is the image of Mycenae.
Grave Circle A. Here Heinrich Schliemann dug in 1876 and found jewels, vases, weapons and the gold mask known as the Mask of Agamemnon. Those pieces are today in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens.
The Treasury of Atreus. Outside the citadel is the most splendid tholos tomb of Mycenaean culture. The doorway has a 120-tonne lintel and inside the dome reaches 13.5 m high and 14.5 m in diameter. Neither Atreus nor Agamemnon is buried here for certain: the name was given by Schliemann and stuck.
The museum. Inside the site, with finds from Mycenae.
Mycenae hours and tickets

April: 8:00 to 19:00.
1 May to 31 August: 8:00 to 20:00.
September: until 19:30 in the first half and until 19:00 in the second.
October: until 18:30 in the first half and until 18:00 in the second.
1 November to 31 March: 8:30 to 15:30.

Last entry 20 minutes before closing. The ticket, €20 (reduced €10), includes the citadel, the museum and the Treasury of Atreus. There is a café, shop, toilets, parking and accessible entrances.
Tiryns
Tiryns is beside the Argos road, ten minutes by car from Nafplio. Its Cyclopean walls of reddish-grey blocks already amazed Pausanias in the 2nd century, and the site lay buried under sediment until Schliemann excavated it in 1884. You can walk the wall with its underground galleries, the western bastion, the megaron with its throne room, the lower citadel and the foundations of a Geometric and Archaic temple.
It is open all year from 8:30 to 15:30, including in summer. Entry costs €10 (reduced €5). It has toilets and parking. On foot, it is about 40 minutes from the village of Nea Tiryntha, and KTEL buses stop there.
Free days and under-25s
At both sites under-25s from the EU enter free with ID or passport. For everyone, it is free on 6 March, 18 April, 18 May, the last weekend of September, 28 October and the first and third Sunday of each month from November to March. Both close on 1 January, 25 March, 1 May, Easter Sunday and 25 and 26 December. Tickets can also be bought online on the Hellenic Heritage ticketing website.
How to organise it
Mycenae is about 24 km from Nafplio, half an hour by car, and 20 minutes from Argos. From Athens, an hour and a half. The logical order: leave Nafplio early, stop at Tiryns when it opens, at 8:30, and continue to Mycenae. Allow half a day for both.
Without a car, Landlife Travel, an agency in Argos, runs five-hour tours with pick-up at your hotel or Nafplio harbour: Mycenae and Epidaurus in a small group from €90 per person, or privately with an official guide inside the sites from €100; tickets are extra and they ask for a minimum of two people. It also has a combination of Mycenae with Nemea wineries from €120. The afternoon is completed with Epidaurus, in the opposite direction.
With children and in summer
Mycenae is a hillside site, with slopes and stone, and almost no shade. In July and August go in when it opens and bring water and a hat. Children enjoy the Lion Gate and going inside the dome of the Treasury of Atreus.
- **Epidaurus theatre and sanctuary** (2 h 30 · 28 km · €20 · reduced €10): What it is
Epidaurus is much more than its theatre. It is the sanctuary of Asclepius, the god of medicine, and was the most important healing centre in the Greek and Roman world. A healing goddess was already worshipped here in Mycenaean times; around 800 BC a first sanctuary of Apollo Maleatas was built and in the 6th century BC the cult of Asclepius arrived, who according to tradition had been born in this land. The hot springs, the quiet landscape and the mild climate made the sanctuary grow in the 4th and 3rd centuries BC, when almost everything you see today was built. It is on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
What you see
The theatre. It was designed by Polykleitos and had room for about 13,000 spectators. It is famous for its acoustics and its design, and is the most emblematic ancient theatre in Greece. It was part of the treatment: the body was healed in the sanctuary and the spirit here, with contests of music, singing and drama.
The sanctuary. Around the theatre remain the ruins of the temple of Asclepius, which held a gold and ivory statue of the god; the Abaton, the portico where the sick slept awaiting a cure; the Tholos, a circular building considered the most perfect in Greek architecture; the Katagogion, a 160-room guesthouse, and the stadium where the Asclepieia games were held every four years.
The museum. Beside the site, with pieces from the sanctuary. You enter with the same ticket.
Opening hours

April: 8:00 to 19:00.
1 May to 31 August: 8:00 to 20:00.
September: until 19:30 in the first half and until 19:00 in the second.
October: until 18:30 in the first half and until 18:00 in the second.
1 November to 28 February: 8:00 to 17:00.
March: 8:00 to 18:00.

Open every day, with last entry 20 minutes before closing. Closed on 1 January, 25 March, 1 May, Orthodox Easter Sunday and 25 and 26 December. In winter it opens longer hours than Mycenae and Palamidi, which close at 15:30.
Tickets
General admission costs €20 and reduced €10; it includes the site and the museum. Under-25s from the EU enter free with ID or passport. It is free for everyone on 6 March, 18 April, 18 May, the last weekend of September, 28 October and the first and third Sunday of each month from November to March. You can buy online on the Hellenic Heritage ticketing website.
Getting there and parking
Epidaurus is next to Lygourio, about 28 km from Nafplio: half an hour by car. The site has parking, toilets, a shop and accessible entrances. From Athens it is about three hours.
Without a car, there are few KTEL Argolida buses to Epidaurus and almost all run on weekdays; check timetables at the bus station. The alternative is a tour with a driver: Landlife Travel, an agency in Argos, does Mycenae and Epidaurus in five hours from €90 per person in a small group, with pick-up at your hotel or Nafplio harbour, or from €100 privately with an official guide inside the sites. Tickets are extra in both cases, and they ask for a minimum of two people.
The summer festival
In summer the theatre goes back to being a theatre: the Athens and Epidaurus Festival programmes Greek tragedy and comedy at night, from late June to late August. It is another way to see Epidaurus, sitting on the tiers with thousands of people. Check the programme and buy tickets on the festival website.
How long, when to go and with children
Allow two or three hours for the theatre, the sanctuary and the museum. In July and August go at 8:00: there is little shade and at midday it fills with groups. In spring and autumn the visit is far more pleasant.
With children, the theatre works on its own: they climb to the top and test the acoustics. With a pushchair, the theatre is all steps.
- **Bourtzi Castle** (1 h · €7 entry, boat paid separately): What it is
Bourtzi is the castle that occupies an islet off the harbour of Nafplio. Venice built it to close the harbour entrance: work began in June 1471, with the architect Antonio Gambello, when Vittore Pasqualigo was governor of the city, who gave it its first name, Castel Pasqualigo. The Venetians also called it the “castle of the reef” or “of the sea”; the name Bourtzi took hold under Ottoman rule.
The islet lets large ships through on only one side, the south, because to the north the water is shallow. A great chain ran from Bourtzi to the Five Brothers bastion, in the lower town: pulled tight, it rose almost to the surface and no ship could enter. Hence another name for Nafplio, Porto Catena, the chain harbour. Around the islet the Venetians also built a submerged breakwater from stones that every arriving ship was obliged to unload; even today it keeps deep-draught vessels from getting close.
A long history
The fort defended the city for around 350 years. In the War of Independence it was key to the liberation of Nafplio and was badly damaged on the side facing the city. After 1833 it was the executioner's house, and he only left the islet for executions at Palamidi. In the 1930s it became a 14-room hotel with a restaurant, which ran for about 37 years and hosted international figures; later it was a restaurant and café until the mid-1990s. The Ministry of Culture finished its restoration in 2021 and it has been open to visitors since.
What you see
The fort has an elongated plan, with curved bastions at both ends and a great central tower dominating the islet, with a wide courtyard to the east and smaller ones to the west. Inside there is an exhibition room of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Argolida and a museum shop. From the walls you have the best view of Nafplio from the sea: the old town, Akronafplia and Palamidi above.
Opening hours

April and May: 9:00 to 18:00, every day.
June: 9:00 to 18:00 on weekdays and until 20:00 at weekends and on public holidays.
July and August: 9:00 to 21:00.
September: 9:00 to 20:00.
October: 9:00 to 17:00 on weekdays and until 18:00 at weekends and on public holidays.
November to March: 9:00 to 17:00.

The last boat leaves 50 minutes before closing. Closed on 1 January, Orthodox Easter Sunday and 25 December.
Tickets and boat
Entry costs €7 and reduced €5; reduced applies, among others, to EU citizens over 65 from October to May. Under-25s from the EU enter free with ID or passport, as do under-18s from outside the EU. It is free for everyone on 6 March, 18 April, 18 May, the last weekend of September, 28 October and the first and third Sunday of each month from November to March.
The boat to the islet is paid separately. It leaves from the harbour quay throughout the day; ask the price and frequency at the landing stage.
Getting there and accessibility
The landing stage is in the harbour, a few minutes' walk from the old town. If you come by car, the free harbour car park is next to it. The fort has a lift for people with reduced mobility up to the first floor and accessible toilets.
Pets are not allowed in the fort.
How long and when to go
With the boat trip, allow an hour. In July and August, the last hour of the afternoon is the most pleasant: you return with the city lit up. With children it works very well: the boat, the tower and the story of the harbour chain. If you prefer to see the islet from the water without landing, the kayak under the walls passes right beside it.
- **Arvanitia promenade and Akronafplia** (1 h · All ages · On your own · free): What it is
The Arvanitia promenade is the path beside the sea that circles the rock of Akronafplia, from Nafplio harbour to the small Arvanitia beach, at the foot of Palamidi. It is flat, runs right beside the water the whole way and costs nothing. On one side you have the rock faces and walls of the old acropolis; on the other, the Argolic Gulf. It is the locals' walk at any hour, and at sunset, when the sun drops over the gulf, the busiest.
Akronafplia, the rock you walk round
Akronafplia is the rocky peninsula that was Nafplio's acropolis. The Turks called it Its-Kale, “inside the fortress”. It has been inhabited since prehistory and came to have three levels, with a castle on each: the first, from the 3rd century; the second, Frankish; and the Venetians added the “Five Brothers” bastion, named for its five cannon. In 1822 Kolokotronis raised the flag of freedom here. Later there was a church and hospital in Kapodistrias's time, Bavarian military stores and, for decades, military prisons, until they were closed and a large hotel was built in their place.
The route
1. From the harbour. Start at the west end of the harbour front, with Bourtzi on its islet in front of you.
2. Under the rock. The promenade rounds the tip of Akronafplia and continues beneath the rock face, with the sea a few metres away.
3. Arvanitia. You reach Arvanitia square and its beach, below Palamidi's Themistocles bastion. If you want to continue, a coastal path leaves the square for Karathona beach.
4. Return. Go back the same way or climb Akronafplia: the rock can be reached from Arvanitia square and from Staikopoulos park, and also by the steps of the Catholic church and the gate of Toroni castle, in the old town.
Allow an hour there and back, unhurried and with stops.
Arvanitia beach
It is Nafplio's town beach, about ten minutes' walk from the centre. It is only 200 m long, but the water is clear and it has a Blue Flag. There are umbrellas and sunbeds, showers, toilets and a bar with coffee, drinks and snacks. If you come by car, there is free parking at the entrance.
The name has a legend: it is said that in 1779 the captain pasha tricked Albanian mercenaries up to Palamidi and threw them into the sea from there. The likeliest explanation is simpler: since Venetian times Albanians, Arvanites, lived in the area.
When to go
All year. In summer, first thing or at dusk, to avoid the midday heat. Sunset is the classic moment, with the gulf lit up. In winter it is a pleasant walk at any time.
With children, a pushchair or a dog
It is flat and works well with a pushchair and small children. Keep an eye on them on the stretches open to the sea. With a dog, the walk is comfortable; on the beach, in swimming season, better not.
Combine it
It fits as the finish to a day in the city: come down from Palamidi by the stairway, which ends near Arvanitia, have a swim and return to the old town along the promenade. For dinner with a view of Bourtzi, Circle, the restaurant of the Amphitryon hotel, is at the foot of Akronafplia.
- **Old town and Archaeological Museum** (2 h 30 · Free streets · museum €10): What it is
Nafplio's old town occupies a peninsula jutting into the Argolic Gulf, below the rock of Akronafplia and with Palamidi above. It is a city to explore on foot: narrow streets, churches, neoclassical mansions and Syntagma Square in the middle. It was the first official capital of modern Greece, from 1827 to 1834, and much of that history is told in its streets. The stroll is free; you only pay for the Archaeological Museum.
A little history for the walk
Nafplio was the port of ancient Argos. In the Middle Ages it passed to the Frankish crusaders, who took it in 1212, and in 1388 it was sold to Venice, which called it Napoli di Romania and extended and fortified the lower town. The Ottomans occupied it in 1540; Venice recovered it in 1685 and built Palamidi, and in 1715 it returned to Turkish hands. After more than a year of siege, the Greeks took it during the War of Independence and it became the seat of the provisional government.
Ioannis Kapodistrias, first head of state of liberated Greece, landed here in January 1828 and made it the capital. On 9 October 1831 he was assassinated by members of the Mavromichalis family on the steps of the church of Saint Spyridon, in the old town. In 1834 King Otto moved the capital to Athens.
The route
1. Syntagma Square. Start in Constitution Square, the heart of the old town, with cafés and terraces. On its west side stands the three-storey Venetian arsenal, now the Archaeological Museum.
2. Saint Spyridon. Look for the church where Kapodistrias was killed. It is a working church: go in with shoulders covered and in silence.
3. The upper streets. Climb the flights of steps towards the slope of Akronafplia: it is the quietest part, with views over the rooftops.
4. The harbour. Go down to the harbour promenade to see Bourtzi on its islet and finish at Filellinon Square.
From the old town start the stairway up to Palamidi and the Arvanitia promenade around the rock.
The Archaeological Museum
The museum occupies the Venetian arsenal on Syntagma Square. The first floor shows prehistory: tools from Franchthi Cave, in the Hermionid, together with remains of what its inhabitants ate, shells and fish bones, which explain the transition from hunter-gatherers to farmers. The second floor brings together objects from historical times. The star piece is the Dendra panoply, from the 15th century BC, the best-preserved Mycenaean bronze armour in existence.

Opening hours: 8:30 to 15:30 all year. Closed on Tuesdays, as well as 1 January, 25 March, 1 May, Easter Sunday and 25 and 26 December. Last entry is 20 minutes before closing.
Tickets: €10, reduced €5. Under-25s from the EU enter free with ID. It is free for everyone, among other days, on the first and third Sunday of each month from November to March.
Accessibility: there is a lift.
Duration: allow an hour.

You can buy your ticket online on the Hellenic Heritage ticketing website.
When to go and how long
Between the stroll and the museum, two to three hours. The museum closes at 15:30: visit it in the morning and leave the street stroll for the afternoon, when it cools down and the terraces fill. At night, without cars, is when the old town looks its best.
Getting there and parking
There is no parking inside the old town. Leave the car in the free harbour car park, about 350 m from Syntagma Square. If you arrive by bus from Athens, the KTEL station is a short walk from the centre.
With children
The streets are flat in the lower part and have steps in the upper part: with a pushchair, stay down below. In the museum, the Dendra armour is usually what grabs them most.
Eating and sleeping in the old town
For eating, Aiolos has tables in an alley and oven cooking, Kipos is on Filellinon Square and Vyzantio on a street above the harbour. Sleeping inside, at Aetoma or Ippoliti, leaves everything within walking distance.
- **Karathona beach and the path from Arvanitia** (Families, beach day · On your own · free): What it is
Karathona is Nafplio's long beach: about three kilometres of sand behind the rock of Palamidi, in a bay open to the Argolic Gulf. Along with Arvanitia it is a local favourite, and the one they choose when they want space and proper sand. It has palm trees and shady eucalyptus, a small islet off the shore and a Blue Flag. It is a few minutes from the centre, but feels like something else: you go from the city to a holiday beach.
Getting there
On foot, along the coastal path. The prettiest way. It starts at Arvanitia square, at the end of the Arvanitia promenade, and skirts the coast at the foot of Palamidi to the beach. It is a well-known path, much used by locals for walking and running.

Start: Arvanitia square and beach, where you can leave the car for free.
Coastal stretch: the path follows the shore beneath the slope of Palamidi, with the gulf beside you.
Arrival: Karathona beach, behind the rock.

Bring water and a hat: it is a stretch exposed to the sun. To return, go back the same way.
By car. You can also reach the beach by road. In summer, with the beach full, arrive early to park.
What there is
In summer the beach changes: it fills with sunbeds and umbrellas, there are beach bars with drinks and fish tavernas facing the sand. In August it can be very busy, especially at weekends. Outside high season it is a quiet beach, the kind you walk from end to end.
The natural shade of the eucalyptus is what sets it apart from other beaches in the area: if you go with children, find a spot under the trees.
Swimming and safety
It is a sandy beach with a Blue Flag, which means clean water and controlled services in season. In wind and swell, swim with care and watch the children. Outside the swimming season, October to May, do not count on any services.
When to go
For swimming, June to September. If you want calm, go on a weekday or first thing. At the end of the afternoon, when the families leave, it is a good moment for a long swim. In spring and autumn, the path from Arvanitia is a very pleasant walk even if you do not swim.
With children or a dog
With small children it works: sand, tree shade and beach bars nearby. With a pushchair, better go by car. With a dog, in swimming season avoid the sunbed area.
Combine it
A morning of ruins at Mycenae or Epidaurus and the afternoon at Karathona makes a perfect summer day. If you are staying in the old town, the path saves you the car. For shallow-water beaches further afield, Tolo, about 12 km away, has campsites beside the sand such as Sunset Camping.
- **Sea kayaking under Palamidi and Akronafplia** (4 h · No previous experience · Desde 75 € per person): What it is
A guided four-hour sea kayak outing around Nafplio's fortifications. You paddle beneath the cliffs of Palamidi and Akronafplia, see Bourtzi from the water and finish with a swim and snorkel in a cove under red rocks. It is run by Pan Expeditions, a Nafplio sea kayaking company, with English-speaking guides certified by British Canoeing and in remote first aid. No experience is needed: it is a relaxed-pace outing, designed with families in mind too.
The route
1. Briefing. Before setting off, the guides explain how to handle the kayak and the safety rules.
2. Under Palamidi. You paddle at the foot of the cliffs on which the Palamidi fortress stands, about 280 m above the sea. From below you understand why it was so hard to attack.
3. Around Akronafplia. You go round the rock that was Nafplio's acropolis, with its walls, the headland and the lookout tower seen from the water.
4. Bourtzi. You arrive beside the harbour lighthouse, with the Bourtzi castle ahead. You do not land on the islet: harbour rules do not allow it. It is the best angle for a photo.
5. Swim in the cove. You finish at a secluded beach beneath red cliffs, with snorkelling, cold fruit and homemade cake.
Throughout, the guide tells the story of the sieges and the Venetian defences, from the 15th century to the revolution of 1821.
Price, group and what is included

Price: €75 per person.
Duration: 4 hours.
Group: minimum 2 people and maximum 30; the average group, according to the company, is about 6 people.
Includes: kayak, paddle and life jacket, dry bag, snorkelling gear, water and a snack, public liability insurance and underwater-camera photos sent to you afterwards.
Does not include: transfer to the meeting point, which they can arrange separately at a cost.

They use closed sea kayaks, stable and easy to handle. If you are an experienced paddler and want something more demanding, or prefer an outing just for your family, the company organises private trips on request.
With children
They take children from age 6, if they are comfortable in the water and go with an adult. They paddle in double kayaks with a parent, and the guide adapts the pace and route to the group. No special fitness is required; if you have any health condition, tell them beforehand.
When to go
The outing runs all year, but it is best from spring to autumn, with calm seas and mild temperatures. In high summer, choose the first outing of the day: there is hardly any shade on the water. If the wind is strong, the company changes the route, postpones the trip or refunds your money.
What to bring
Swimwear on, towel, hat and sunglasses, sun cream and, if you have sensitive skin, a UV-protection top. Water shoes: there are sea urchins at the snorkelling cove and the company considers them necessary.
How to book
Book on the Pan Expeditions website, with a form where you give a preferred date and an alternative, or by phone on +30 697 991 5340. The company confirms the meeting point when you book. If you come by car, the harbour car park is free; check with them whether it is near. Cancellation terms are in their conditions.
Afterwards
The outing leaves you hungry and with the afternoon free. For fish, Savouras is on the harbour front. If you have any energy left, climb Palamidi in the late afternoon or take the Arvanitia promenade to the beach.
- **Nemea wineries from Nafplio** (6 h · Adults · Desde 130 € per person): What it is
Nemea, in the north of the Argolid, is the largest wine region in Greece and the home of agiorgitiko, the Greek red grape par excellence. The protected designation of origin covers about 3,200 hectares of vineyard, of which about 2,500 are agiorgitiko, and more than 40 organised wineries. Here, according to myth, Heracles killed the Nemean lion in the first of his twelve labours. The day trip from Nafplio brings the two together: the ancient Nemea site and two wineries with tastings.
The tour with a driver
It is run by Landlife Travel, an agency in Argos that does day trips from Nafplio. According to its website:

Leaving Nafplio. Pick-up at your hotel or the harbour, and about 45 minutes on the road.
Ancient Nemea, one hour. The sanctuary of Zeus, the stadium and the archaeological museum.
First winery, one hour. A visit to vineyards and winery, with a guided agiorgitiko tasting.
Second winery, one hour. Another visit and another tasting, accompanied by cheese and breadsticks.
Return to Nafplio. You are dropped at your hotel or the harbour.


Duration: 6 hours.
Price: from €130 per person.
Includes: tickets to the Nemea site and the wineries, visits and tastings, English-speaking driver and transport from Nafplio.
Does not include: an official guide inside the site, personal expenses and pick-ups outside Nafplio.
Group: small, up to 19 people.
Cancellation: free up to 72 hours before; 50% between 71 and 49 hours; no refund in the last 48 hours.

The specific wineries depend on each day's availability, and the order may change. Tastings are for over-18s only; minors must be accompanied by an adult. If you prefer less wine and more history, the same agency offers a Mycenae and winery combination from €120.
Ancient Nemea
The sanctuary of Zeus at Nemea, surrounded by vineyards, was built as the home of the Nemean Games, one of the four great contests of antiquity along with those of Olympia, Delphi and the Isthmus. The temple of Zeus, from 330 BC, was among the first to combine the Doric, Ionic and Corinthian orders; three Doric columns remain standing, plus two more restored by the American archaeologist Stephen G. Miller. The stadium, also from 330 BC, held 40,000 people and keeps its vaulted entrance tunnel, one of the oldest in the Mediterranean, with inscriptions carved by athletes while they waited their turn.
Entry costs €10 (reduced €5) and includes the sanctuary, the stadium and the museum. In summer it opens from 8:00 to 20:00 in its longest hours, and from November to March from 8:30 to 15:30, closed on Tuesdays. Under-25s from the EU enter free.
On your own
If you go by car, ancient Nemea is ten minutes from the town of Nemea and twenty from Corinth. The Nemea PDO Winemakers' Association has a space in the centre of Nemea town that informs visitors and offers tastings, and its website lists the wineries open to visits, most by appointment. Among them are Domaine Skouras, in Malandreni, Gaia, in Koutsi, and Ktima Bizios, in Asprokampos. Call ahead: almost all ask for a reservation.
If you drive, the driver does not taste. That is why the tour with a driver makes sense here.
When to go
It can be done all year. In summer, the site at midday is tough: on the tour, the visit to Nemea is usually in the morning. In winter, remember that the site closes on Tuesdays.
What to bring
Comfortable footwear for the site and the vineyards, a hat and water in summer. If you want to buy wine, the wineries sell in their shops; leave room in your suitcase or ask whether they ship.

## Dónde comer
- **Aiolos** (Restaurant, Nafplio, €€). Qué pedir: kagianas (scrambled eggs with tomato) and oven-baked veal gkioulbasti with cheese and peppers.
- **Vyzantio** (Restaurant, Nafplio, €€). Qué pedir: lamb fricassee and Karageorge steak stuffed with ham and cheese.
- **Savouras** (Restaurant, Nafplio, €€€). Qué pedir: the house saganaki and bouillabaisse, or the fresh fish of the day.
- **Kipos** (Restaurant, Nafplio, €€). Qué pedir: fresh fish, local meat or a pasta dish, with a local wine.
- **Circle (Amphitryon Hotel)** (Restaurant, Nafplio, €€€€). Qué pedir: the Greek and Mediterranean menu with a regional wine from their list of regional and national wines.

## By car: A base in Nafplio and the Argolid by car
With a car you see in three days what takes five by bus: Mycenae and Tiryns one morning, Epidaurus another, and the afternoons in the old town and on the beach. Traffic is not allowed inside the old town: park at the harbour and walk.
Presupuesto orientativo: 80–130 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir if you're driving
- **Amphitryon Hotel** (Hotel): Boutique hotel on the water, below Akronafplia and two minutes from the centre. It offers a car with driver to Athens airport and to the port, and the pool is at the Nafplia Palace, its sister hotel.
- **Nafplia Palace Hotel & Villas** (Hotel): At the top of the rock of Akronafplia, with the bay and Bourtzi below. It is the sister hotel of the Amphitryon, a short walk away, and has the pool and the Amimoni restaurant, with piano dinners at weekends.
- **Pension Marianna** (Small hotel): Guesthouse on Ilia Potamianou Street, in the upper part of the old town, with traditional-style rooms and views of the city. You can walk to it from the bus station.
- **Lefka Beach Camping** (Campsite, desde 28 € / pitch): Terraced pitches above a quiet cove on the gulf, all with shade, electricity and vehicle access. It has a service area for motorhomes, a minimarket and a restaurant. Open March to October; a pitch for two people costs from €28 in 2026. They have announced renovation works under way.
### Servicios
- **Harbour car park**: Free municipal car park · about 350 m from Syntagma Square

## Car-free: Without a car: bus from Athens and everything on foot
Nafplio is one of the few cities in the Peloponnese that work without a car. The bus arrives from Athens several times a day, the old town is explored on foot, and Palamidi, Bourtzi, Arvanitia and Karathona are all within walking distance. For Mycenae and Epidaurus there is a bus or a tour with a driver.
Presupuesto orientativo: 70–110 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir without a car
- **Ippoliti** (Small hotel): Restored neoclassical mansion on Ilia Miniati Street, a few steps from Syntagma Square and the harbour. It has a courtyard pool and 40 m² family suites.
- **Pension Marianna** (Small hotel): Guesthouse on Ilia Potamianou Street, in the upper part of the old town, with traditional-style rooms and views of the city. You can walk to it from the bus station.
- **Aetoma** (Small hotel): Guesthouse in a renovated 18th-century mansion, right in the historic old town. A few double rooms and breakfast, so you can walk between the square, the harbour and the Palamidi stairway.
### Servicios
- **KTEL Argolida bus station**: Syngrou Street · to Athens Kifisos in about 2 h 10 min · to Tolo six times a day on weekdays
- **X93 bus from the airport to Kifisos**: Leaves opposite arrivals · about 60 min depending on traffic · €5.50 · ticket from the kiosk or by contactless card

## Luxury: Hotels on the water and dinner facing Bourtzi
The two hotels of the same group below and above Akronafplia have the bay in front of them and collect you from the airport with a driver. Spend the mornings at the sites with a private guide and the evenings dining with a view.
Presupuesto orientativo: 200–350 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir in style
- **Amphitryon Hotel** (Hotel): Boutique hotel on the water, below Akronafplia and two minutes from the centre. It offers a car with driver to Athens airport and to the port, and the pool is at the Nafplia Palace, its sister hotel.
- **Nafplia Palace Hotel & Villas** (Hotel): At the top of the rock of Akronafplia, with the bay and Bourtzi below. It is the sister hotel of the Amphitryon, a short walk away, and has the pool and the Amimoni restaurant, with piano dinners at weekends.
- **Ippoliti** (Small hotel): Restored neoclassical mansion on Ilia Miniati Street, a few steps from Syntagma Square and the harbour. It has a courtyard pool and 40 m² family suites.
### Servicios
- **Harbour car park**: Free municipal car park · about 350 m from Syntagma Square
- **Amphitryon car with driver**: Private transfer from Athens airport or the port · booked through the hotel

## Camping: Tent on the Tolo and Vivari coast
The campsites are east of Nafplio, on the coast between Tolo and Vivari, 12–14 km from the old town. From April to October it is the cheapest way to see the Argolid, with a beach by your tent. In Greece wild camping is prohibited by law, including on beaches.
Presupuesto orientativo: 35–60 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir if you're camping
- **Sunset Camping** (Campsite, desde 8 € / tent and two people): One of the oldest campsites in Tolo, with pitches for tents, caravans and motorhomes, bungalows and a restaurant. Tolo's shallow-water sandy beach is a few metres away. Small tent from €8 and €8 per adult in low season (2025 rates).
- **Lefka Beach Camping** (Campsite, desde 28 € / pitch): Terraced pitches above a quiet cove on the gulf, all with shade, electricity and vehicle access. It has a service area for motorhomes, a minimarket and a restaurant. Open March to October; a pitch for two people costs from €28 in 2026. They have announced renovation works under way.
### Servicios
- **KTEL Argolida bus station**: Syngrou Street · to Athens Kifisos in about 2 h 10 min · to Tolo six times a day on weekdays

## By campervan: Motorhome: coastal campsite and the old town on foot
Nafplio's old town does not admit large vehicles. Sleep at a campsite on the coast, 12–14 km away, and go into the city by car or bus. Outside campsites you cannot stay overnight: Greek law prohibits camping or sleeping in a motorhome outside authorised sites.
Presupuesto orientativo: 45–70 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir in a campervan
- **Sunset Camping** (Campsite, desde 8 € / tent and two people): One of the oldest campsites in Tolo, with pitches for tents, caravans and motorhomes, bungalows and a restaurant. Tolo's shallow-water sandy beach is a few metres away. Small tent from €8 and €8 per adult in low season (2025 rates).
- **Lefka Beach Camping** (Campsite, desde 28 € / pitch): Terraced pitches above a quiet cove on the gulf, all with shade, electricity and vehicle access. It has a service area for motorhomes, a minimarket and a restaurant. Open March to October; a pitch for two people costs from €28 in 2026. They have announced renovation works under way.
### Servicios
- **Lefka Beach Camping service area**: Vivari · water, grey water and chemical toilet disposal · €10 without staying overnight · March to October

## By plane: Fly to Athens and a car or bus to Nafplio
Nafplio is reached by flying to Athens, with direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona, Malaga and other cities. From the airport it is about 150 km and two hours by the Corinth and Tripoli motorway, with three tolls. Without a car, the X93 bus goes to Kifisos station, and from there the KTEL Argolida buses take about 2 h 10 min. There is no passenger train.
### Dónde dormir if you're flying
- **Amphitryon Hotel** (Hotel): Boutique hotel on the water, below Akronafplia and two minutes from the centre. It offers a car with driver to Athens airport and to the port, and the pool is at the Nafplia Palace, its sister hotel.
- **Nafplia Palace Hotel & Villas** (Hotel): At the top of the rock of Akronafplia, with the bay and Bourtzi below. It is the sister hotel of the Amphitryon, a short walk away, and has the pool and the Amimoni restaurant, with piano dinners at weekends.
- **Ippoliti** (Small hotel): Restored neoclassical mansion on Ilia Miniati Street, a few steps from Syntagma Square and the harbour. It has a courtyard pool and 40 m² family suites.
- **Pension Marianna** (Small hotel): Guesthouse on Ilia Potamianou Street, in the upper part of the old town, with traditional-style rooms and views of the city. You can walk to it from the bus station.
- **Aetoma** (Small hotel): Guesthouse in a renovated 18th-century mansion, right in the historic old town. A few double rooms and breakfast, so you can walk between the square, the harbour and the Palamidi stairway.
### Servicios
- **X93 bus from the airport to Kifisos**: Leaves opposite arrivals · about 60 min depending on traffic · €5.50 · ticket from the kiosk or by contactless card
- **Amphitryon car with driver**: Private transfer from Athens airport or the port · booked through the hotel

## As a family: Castles, ruins and beach over short distances

The Argolid brings together within 30 km what a child has seen in books: the Lion Gate of Mycenae, a theatre whose acoustics you test by speaking from the centre, and Venetian castles above the sea. Alternate one site each morning with the beach in the afternoon and nobody gets tired.

### What works best
Mycenae and the Treasury of Atreus, best first thing

The Epidaurus theatre: one person speaks in the centre while the others listen from the top

Kayaking under Akronafplia, from age 6 in a double kayak with an adult

Karathona and Arvanitia for the afternoons

### Where to sleep
Tolo and Vivari campsites, with the beach on foot

Ippoliti has 40 m² family suites in the old town

### Eating
Old-town tavernas with oven cooking: gemista, moussaka, lamb

Fish at the harbour for a long dinner

### Keep in mind
EU citizens under 25 enter Palamidi and the state-run sites free: bring everyone's ID

At Mycenae and Epidaurus there is almost no shade: hat and water

In winter the sites close in the middle of the afternoon

### Qué hacer as a family
- Mycenae and Tiryns
- Epidaurus theatre and sanctuary
- Bourtzi Castle
- Arvanitia promenade and Akronafplia
- Old town and Archaeological Museum
- Karathona beach and the path from Arvanitia
- Sea kayaking under Palamidi and Akronafplia

## With young children: A flat city by the sea, with the stairway for another day

With small children Nafplio works because everything is so close: the old town is flat, the Arvanitia promenade runs beside the water and the boat to Bourtzi is a short trip that keeps them entertained. Palamidi, on the other hand, is about 850 steps without shade: not for a pushchair or a carrier in summer.

### What works best
The Arvanitia promenade, flat, with a small beach at the end

The boat to Bourtzi castle, leaving from the harbour itself

Tolo beach, sandy with shallow water, 12 km away

Karathona, with trees giving shade on the sand

### Where to sleep
Campsite at Tolo with the beach a few metres away

Small old-town hotels, to walk back for the afternoon nap

### Eating
Old-town tavernas with tables in car-free alleys

Kipos, on Filellinon Square, with space in front

### Keep in mind
In July and August the sun is fierce at midday: beach in the morning and a stroll at dusk

If you go up to Palamidi, drive to the east-side entrance

Animals are not allowed in Bourtzi

### Qué hacer with young children
- Bourtzi Castle
- Arvanitia promenade and Akronafplia
- Old town and Archaeological Museum
- Karathona beach and the path from Arvanitia

## With teenagers: Steps, kayaking and Greek theatre

A teenager is hooked more by racing up the steps of Palamidi against the clock or paddling under the cliffs than by a museum. Give them the stairway, the kayak and a night of theatre at Epidaurus if you are going in summer.

### What works best
Climbing Palamidi on foot first thing, before the heat

A guided four-hour sea kayak trip under the castles

A performance at the Epidaurus festival, at night, in July or August

Mycenae, with the Tomb of Atreus and its stone dome

### Where to sleep
Campsite at Tolo or Vivari, with more freedom than a hotel

Old-town guesthouses, from where they can walk around on their own

### Eating
Gyros and souvlaki to take away in the new town

Old-town tavernas with dishes to share

### Keep in mind
With a European ID and under 25, entry is free

The Nemea wine route is not for them: tasting is for over-18s only

Bourtzi can be seen in an hour: do not sell it as an adventure

### Qué hacer with teenagers
- Palamidi Fortress
- Mycenae and Tiryns
- Epidaurus theatre and sanctuary
- Karathona beach and the path from Arvanitia
- Sea kayaking under Palamidi and Akronafplia

## Consejos

### Palamidi: walk up, drive down, or the other way round
The staircase has about 850 steps, not 999. If there are several of you, one can drive the car up to the east-side entrance and pick the others up.

### Buy your ticket online
Hellenic Heritage sells dated and timed tickets at tickets.hh.gr. Free days are only issued at the ticket office.

### Bourtzi at the end of the afternoon
The last boat leaves 50 minutes before closing, which in July and August is at 21:00. You come back with the town lit up.

### Bring your ID
With it, EU citizens under 25 get into the sites and Palamidi free.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### How many days do you need?
Two nights for the town, Palamidi and one of the excursions. Three to see Mycenae, Tiryns and Epidaurus without a rush and have a beach afternoon.

### Can you go without a car?
Yes. The bus arrives from Athens in about 2 h 10 min and everything in the town is done on foot. For Mycenae and Epidaurus, few buses or an excursion with a driver.

### How many steps does Palamidi have?
About 850 up to the entrance. The figure of 999 is a local legend. You can also drive up to the east-side gate.

### Can you visit Bourtzi?
Yes, all year. You get there by boat from the port, which is paid separately, and admission costs €7.

### Is there a beach in the town?
Arvanitia, 200 m long and with a blue flag, ten minutes' walk from the centre. Karathona, about three kilometres of sand, is reached by a coastal path or by car. Tolo, 12 km away, has shallow water.

### Can you camp wild or sleep in a motorhome at the port?
No. In Greece wild camping and overnighting in a motorhome outside authorised campsites is banned. There are campsites in Tolo and Vivari, 12–14 km away.

### What is the weather like in winter?
With short days: the sites close at 15:30 and some tavernas open only at weekends.