3 days in Nafplio

Yassou! This travel diary is about a recent trip of members form our team to Nafplio that took place in March, 2025. Stick with us to get some ideas about your own short getaway to a small n’ sweet place just an hour and a half away from Athens.

Getting to and around Nafplio

By far the easiest way to reach this small yet iconic town is by coach just like we did. You can easily book your tickets online and catch one of the many busses that do the route throughout the day from the Kifissos Bus Terminal. Then it’s just around 1:30 hours of driving until you reach Nafplio.

Getting around Nafplio will prove to be a breeze: everything you will need is within walkable distance from your accommodation – trust us. To make things even cuter, there are cheap bike rental services that allow you to experience the place in a totally unique way.

Sights and places that are worth it

Nafplio is a picturesque seaside town with a significant role in the history of Greece. This is where modern Greeks chose to host their first capital city alongside their governor, Ioannis Kapodistrias. You’ll see his name popping up all around Nafplio, plus points if you already know some modern greek history and can recognize him!

Its main attraction is called Palamidi, a fortress where famous heroes of the Greek Revolution were imprisoned. Nestled on a tall hill above the town, you’ll need to climb around 900 steps of stairs to enjoy a breathtaking view of Nafplio and the Argolic Gulf. Bourtzi is another iconic landmark. It’s a castle floating right in front of the Nafplio Harbor. It’s open to visitors and you can reach it by small boats that make the route.

Nafplio has it’s fair share of museums as well. We visited the Kids Museum, a small space with amazing events and workshops, perfect for some family quality time. The Peloponnesian Folklore Museum offered us a thorough look into the greek 19th century, showcasing technological items and lots of spectacular traditional costumes.

Just a sneak peek of Old Town’s beautiful streets in the early morning

Nearby Beaches

In the hot months of the summer it’s always a good idea to look for a place with access to beautiful beaches. From the Nafplio bus station you can hop on a bus route that takes you to amazing nearby beaches such as Tolo, Karathona and Kondyli while of course you can also rent a car or hike to Karathona specifically.

Eat and shop in Nafplio

You already know how it goes in Greece: small cities are always big on food. We had an amazing greek style breakfast in “Kalimera” with homemade jams, sourdough bread, top notch eggs, coffee, OJ and local produce like feta and olives. Simply fantastic – the space was cozy, traditional with a twist.

You simply can’t miss the Italian king of gelato at Antica Gelateria di Roma- original, homemade, timeless. For more traditional flavors, our top pick has to be Aiolos Tavern, with a wide variety of fish, roasted meat, special recipes and good wine. If you’re looking for a drink, head over to Mavros Gatos, the most popular bar of the city, or go to Hedgehog like we did, where fine art students usually chill.

Simply delicious

For shopping there’s a bunch of souvenir shops, local producer stores where you can shop the best traditional flavors and many awesome shops for clothes. All in all Nafplio is the perfect getaway for a romantic weekend or a fantastic short summer break with friends. Cobbled streets, the view from the harbor, the secret trail of Arvanitia, countless beautifully kept old houses with flowers climbing on their outside walls… all of this and so much more waits to be discovered!

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