Nafplio Day Trip From Athens

Why go to Nafplio?

If you’ve never heard of Nafplio, you will probably wonder what’s so special about it and why you should take an Athens to Nafplio day trip.

The short answer is that Nafplio is a charming, picturesque coastal town in the Peloponnese. It has interesting sightseeing, excellent choices for restaurants and accommodation, and lovely beaches all around the area.

The long answer has to do with Nafplio’s place in Greek history and its important role throughout the centuries.

If you’ve never heard of Nafplio, you will probably wonder what’s so special about it and why you should take an Athens to Nafplio day trip.

The short answer is that Nafplio is a charming, picturesque coastal town in the Peloponnese. It has interesting sightseeing, excellent choices for restaurants and accommodation, and lovely beaches all around the area.

Nafplio has been a significant Greek port city since ancient times.

The first fortifications of the Akronafplia Castle date from pre-classical times, and all subsequent conquerors, i.e. the Byzantines, the Franks, the Venetians and the Ottoman Empire, fortified and expanded the walls further.

The Venetians also built the castles of Bourtzi, on a little island just off the coast, and Palamidi, up on the hill.

In 1829, after the end of the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire, Nafplio officially became the first capital of the newly founded Greek state. In 1834, King Otto decided to move the capital to Athens.

One additional note: You may find that this town has numerous different spellings in English. These include: Nafplio, Nafplion, Nauplia and Nauplion among others!

Nafplion is located in the Argolis region of the Peloponnese, and is on the coast of the Saronic Gulf. There is a map showing where Nafplion is in Greece below. 

Athens to Nafplio day trip

The easiest way to get from Athens to Nafplio is to take a day tour. This way, your transport is organised for you, and you get to see the most important places in the company of a guide.

Here's a a very good tour from Athens top Nafplio: private trip from Athens to Myceane, Epidaurus and Nafplion.

The only thing with the organized tours from Athens to Nafplion, is that they don’t allow for a great deal of time to explore the town.

Athens to Nafplio by car

Renting a car, and driving from Athens to Nafplion yourself will certainly allow for more sightseeing time. As the distance from Athens to Nafplio is only 137 km / 85 miles, most of it being on a modern highway, you can easily drive the Athens to Nafplio route in less than two hours.

You will then get the chance to explore some of the Nafplio attractions, and even to go to one of Nafplio best beaches if you feel like it. If you have plenty of time, you could then continue a road trip in the Peloponnese.

What is there to see in Nafplio?

The first thing that will strike you about Nafplion Greece is the imposing castles and walls. You will immediately see the Akronafplia castle, the Palamidi Castle, up on the hill, and the little island close to the coast, which is home to Bourtzi Castle.

Walking around the town, you can’t fail to notice the number of well-preserved neoclassical buildings, souvenir shops and tasteful restaurants.

As the town is built on a hill, there are several levels of it to explore, so put your walking shoes on and get ready to discover Nafplio!

Nafplio Day Trips

If you decide to base yourself in Nafplio for a few days, you have many options for day trips from Nafplio. The obvious ones are Nafplio to Epidaurus, and Nafplio to Mycenae.

It is a half hour’s drive from Nafplio to Epidaurus, known in Greek as Epidavros. Epidaurus is famous for its massive ancient theatre,. It was built in the 4th century BC and has some of the best acoustics in the world.

The Epidaurus theatre can seat up to 14,000 people, and hosts the Epidaurus Festival showing ancient Greek plays on summer weekends.

In modern days, Epidaurus theatre has been hosting plays since 1954. Most of the plays are in Greek, and the actors who have played are well known around Greece. Occasionally, foreign artists are invited to the Epidaurus theatre. An example is Kevin Spacey who performed as Richard the 3rd in 2011.

If you are not interested in a show at the theatre, you can still visit the theatre and the Sanctuary of Asklepios during the day. The experience of a show in the Epidaurus theatre will stay with you for years though!