Greece
Nafplio
Stone steps climb to a Venetian sea fortress above a harbour of bobbing fishing caïques.
Nine hundred and ninety-nine steps climb the rock face to the Palamidi fortress, and from the top the Gulf of Argolis opens wide — the Bourtzi fortress floating in the harbour below, fishing caïques bobbing at their moorings, and the terracotta rooftops of the old town spreading beneath the citadel walls.
Nafplio served as the first capital of independent Greece from 1827 to 1834, and the neoclassical mansions built during that brief period give the town a grandeur unusual for its size. The Palamidi fortress, completed by the Venetians in 1714 after only three years of construction, is one of the most complete Venetian fortifications in Greece. The Bourtzi, a small island fortress in the harbour, was built in 1473 as a defensive battery and later served as a hotel. The old town's grid of marble-paved pedestrian streets is flat and walkable, with the harbour promenade running the full length of the seafront.
Couple
Neoclassical boutique hotels in the old town, sunset from the Palamidi after the 999-step climb, and waterfront dining with the Bourtzi lit up across the harbour.
Solo
Walking the old town's museums and bookshops, early-morning coffee on the harbour, and using Nafplio as a base for day trips to Epidaurus and Mycenae.
- The Palamidi fortress is reached by 999 steps carved into the rock — the view from the top takes in the entire Gulf of Argolis.
- Nafplio was the first capital of independent Greece from 1827 to 1834 — the neoclassical mansions built during that brief period now house boutique hotels.
- The Bourtzi fortress sits on a tiny island in the harbour, built by the Venetians in 1473 as a defensive battery and reached by a short water taxi.
- The old town's grid of pedestrian streets is flat and walkable — the harbour promenade runs the full length of the seafront with clear views to the Bourtzi.
Bogiordeto octopus stewed in onion and tomato, a Nafplio staple served in harbour tavernas.
Gelato from handmade shops along the marble lanes of the old town, rivalling anything in Italy.
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