One of my favorite Greek cities
Nafplion is one of my favorite cities in Greece. The city has a rich history as the first capital of modern Greece. When you arrive in Nafplion, the Fort and the Bourtzi reveal that there’s a lot to discover. During the summer, many of our customers visit the Peloponnese. Thus I thought it would be good idea to make a blogpost with a few tips. In travel guides you read a lot about the archeological sites the Mycene and Epidavros, but I would like to give you a few alternative tips for your stay on this part of the mainland.
Where are the best places to stay?
The old city of Nafplion is beautiful and has a Venetian ambiance. For me personally there is nothing more fun than waking up in a small-scale pension in one of the streets in the old city. Here you will find colorful houses with small balconies and wooden shutters in front of the windows, deliciously smelling Bougainville and hear the noise of the city in the early morning. I stayed in pension ‘Amymone’ in a street right behind the boulevard. The rooms are nicely decorated, the staff is really friendly and, for me the most important part of all,…. the breakfast is amazing!
The breakfast is a traditional Greek breakfast; delicious fresh bread, kagiannas (scrambled eggs with tomato and feta), tiganites (sort off baked dough with honey), spanankopita (spinach pie), Greek yoghurt, fresh fruit and delightful sweets.
What to do?
Nafplion is the perfect city to do nothing, you can wander for hours through the small streets with lots of shops with souvenirs, clothing and local products. Drink coffee on one of the cozy terraces and have an extensive lunch/dinner in one of the traditional taverna’s. Because I’m always busy I can really appreciate a lazy day of wandering around. But soon I will get resteless and looking for ‘something fun’ to do, I want to discover something new. I’ve been in Nafplion many times, so I’ve already seen the most touristic places. I’ve climbed the Palamidi fort, I made a boat trip to the bourtzi and I’ve visited the nearby theater of Epidavros.
Tours in Nafplion
In my search for ‘something fun’ I found Grecopaths. The owner Stavroula has been organizing really fun tours in and around the city of Nafplion for 5 years now. Biking, Kayaking, walking, everything is possible. The great thing about these tours is that you get to know the real Greek life. For example, there are tours where you get to visit a Greek grandmother for a cup of coffee, cycle trough the traditional villages just outside Nafplion or you can combine the city with the mountains and sea.
Tasteful dinners in the old city
After a busy outdoor day I love to enjoy a great dinner. Personally, I prefer to have dinner in the old city. It’s not every day you’re in Nafplion so it would be nice to go and dine at a location with a nice atmosphere. All the restaurants are eye pleasing but unfortunately there are some touristic places which are not so good. Because of that I have a few restaurant suggestions where I like to go and where the food is delicious.
Aiolos tavern This restaurant is almost next to the hotel. The walls are decorated with children’s drawings and the food is amazing. We chose baked feta cheese with sesame and honey, eggplant with tomato sauce and grilled oyster mushrooms with garlic.
3sixty wine bar This is a trendy wine bar with some great recipes. After your dinner you can stay a little longer to enjoy a glass of wine or a nice cocktail
la Gratella Done with Greek food? In this tratoria you can enjoy delicious bruschetta, filled ravioli, risotto and pizza.
Lets meet in Nafplion
Are you also getting excited about Nafplion? You can perfectly combine the Peloponnese with your city trip in Athens. I’d love to give you some advice about the possibilities and I can even arrange a whole trip for you. Do you want more information? You can send an email to info@meetinathens.eu
