Greece Travel Diary: Nafplio Greece – a romantic Peloponnese getaway

One of my favourite parts of our Greece vacation was visiting Nafplio Greece. After spending a few days in Athens, we had planned on going Greek island-hopping in the Cyclades, but some cold, windy and wet weather in Mykonos threw that travel itinerary off course, and instead, we followed the hot weather to the Peloponnese, where we spent three nights in Nafplio Greece. The Nafplio Greece beaches are beautiful, and with hot weather, we enjoyed beach life for a couple days. There are many things to see in the Peloponnese, from archeological sights, museums, and of course the amazing dining. You can rent a car to get there, but it’s only about a two hour, 13 euro bus ride from Athens with KTEL. It was a pretty bus ride filled with olive groves (you’re sort of getting closer to Kalamata) and views of the Argolic Bay.

On our first day, we were a bit tired, so after a quick lunch, we walked around the town and to the beach. The closest beach to town, Arvaniata, is very rocky, but an ideal place to take photographs. I am wearing a cobalt blue maxi dress from Forever 21, Prada minimal baroque sunglasses, Minnetonka fringed sandals and my Rebecca Minkoff Mini MAC in black.

Nafplio Greece Beaches

One of the biggest draws to coming to Nafplio were the beaches. Nafplio Greece beaches are both sandy and rocky, but the water was mostly pretty calm in May since it’s in the Argolic Bay, and not in open water. On the first day, we visited Arvanatia beach, which was rocky, but with the water crystal clear, people were still sunny.

On our second day, we visited Karathona beach, which is sandy and dotted with restaurants with lounge chairs. I swam, for all of ten minutes before my teeth started chattering. I can only imagine how amazing this beach would be once the water heats up! I’m wearing a turquoise crochet lace shirt c/o Chicwish, Victoria’s Secret push up bandeau bikini in mint, a straw fedora and sunglasses from H&M (similar here).

Nafplio Greece Hotels

We stayed at Atheaton guest house. The owners were friendly and helpful, the view from our balcony was stunning, but the hard bed and old-fashioned washroom (my boyfriend couldn’t shave for four days!) were major downsides. If you’re looking for a hotel in Nafplio Greece, there are hundreds of apartments and pensions to rent. I had WIFI, and dozens of cats so I wasn’t too upset!

Nafplio Greece Restaurants

The restaurants in Nafplio are some of the best dining experiences we had in our two week vacation to Greece. Nafplio restaurants are mostly little bistros featuring Greek and Mediterranean fare, but I don’t go to Greece to eat Thai food. For lunch, Mezedopoleio O Noulis was popular with locals and made great moussaka and octopus (according to my boyfriend), while I had gluten-free options like lamb and stew.

If you have a pizza craving, Alpha pizza is a short walk away from the centre and has affordable pizzas that are large enough to share. My boyfriend indulged in this Greek pizza while I watched him eat, salivating.

On our last night, we got a bit hungry and checked out Popeye bistro. I had a large salad (it was two meals in itself) and my boyfriend had pasta. I couldn’t take pictures because it was so dark by midnight, and the restaurant was still buzzing on a Saturday night. They had a fire oven for pizza and my Italian boyfriend was raving about the pasta (proof it’s good).

Nafplio Greece Attractions

There are many attractions in Nafplio Greece. A must-see is the Palamidi fortress, which will be a post in itself. With 999 steps to the top, this fortress offers stunning panoramic views and a huge, sprawling fortress.

The Bourtzi is a little island fortress. To get there, you take a boat for four euros round trip, and you have only about 15 minutes to explore. We were lucky enough to catch the azaleas in bloom, which was an incredible treat!

It was our last day, and I was wearing a floral jumpsuit from Zara (similar here), a statement necklace, Miu Miu glitter sunglasses, a Kate Spade leather bow belt, Rebecca Minkoff Mini MAC, a daisy bracelet from Forever 21 and Minnetonka fringe sandals.

Another must-see is the Archeological Museum of Nauplion. They have many funerary ceramics and masks, as well as an incredible bronze armour from the Mycenaean period that is likely the only one surviving.

The beautiful streets themselves are an attraction. Nafplio was the first capital city of the First Hellenic Republic, and is currently the capital of the area. There weren’t too many foreign tourists in May, and on the weekend, the streets and restaurants fill up with Greek visitors. It had authentic food, and an authentic vibe overall. It was a pleasant surprise on our Greece travel itinerary, and I would recommend the beautiful town to anyone!

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