A fortress of disputed steps, a castle in the bay, two ancient sites half an hour away

Nafplio is a walking town between two fortresses, with a third in the bay; Mycenae and Epidaurus are each within 40 minutes by car. With one day I'd do Palamidi early, Bourtzi after lunch and the old town at dusk.

1. Count the Palamidi steps yourself

The official page says 999 steps up to Palamidi; Discover Nafplio counts 857. The Venetians built it between 1711 and 1714. Entry is €20, €10 reduced; until 15 October it's open 08:00–18:30, then 08:00–18:00, and 08:30–15:30 from 1 November.

2. Take the boat to Bourtzi

Bourtzi is €7, and the boat out is €5 an adult, so €12 each. The Ephorate dates the castle to 1471; Discover Greece says 1473, and the Ephorate wins. In October it opens weekdays 09:00–17:00, weekends 09:00–18:00.

3. Walk up to Akronafplia

Akronafplia is the oldest of the town's castles, with walls older than classical Greece. Go for the view down over the roofs.

4. Find the bullet mark at Agios Spyridon

Greece's first governor, Ioannis Kapodistrias, was shot on the steps of Agios Spyridon on 9 October 1831. Discover Greece says the bullet hole is still visible.

5. Look at the Vouleftiko off Syntagma Square

The Vouleftiko is a former mosque where the Greek parliament met from autumn 1825 to spring 1826.

6. Drive to Mycenae for the Lion Gate

Mycenae is about 24 km, 25 minutes away. The ticket is €20, and the Lion Gate dates from about 1350–1200 BC.

7. Sit in the Epidaurus theatre

Epidaurus is 28–35 km away, €20, open 08:00–18:30 until 15 October.

Palamidi, Mycenae and Epidaurus are €20 each, €60 a head. I'd pick two.

Open in Google Maps ↗

Gogges, Agiorgitiko and Argolida oranges

1. Order gogges and giosa

Gogges are a handmade pasta served with cheese and olive oil. Giosa is goat cooked until it falls apart, and bogana is lamb slow-cooked with potatoes in a clay pot.

2. Eat the oranges in season

Argolida grows roughly half of Greece's oranges. Iria artichokes carry a protected regional status; order them when you see them.

3. Drink Nemea Agiorgitiko

Nemea, the wine area for the red Agiorgitiko grape, is about 45 minutes from Nafplio. I'd order it by the glass with the goat.

4. Eat back from the water

Dinner on Akti Miaouli buys you the view of Bourtzi. For the evening ice cream, Syntagma Square is where the town ends up. I couldn't check any single restaurant on its own site, so I'm not naming one.

A free fortress in October, choirs in November, yachts in May

1. Climb Palamidi free on 28 October

The Ephorate lists 28 October as a free-entry day; 6 March, 18 April and 18 May 2027 are free too.

2. Book early for the choral festival

The 12th Marilena-Nafplio Artiva Choral Festival runs 5–8 November 2026.

3. Expect a busy waterfront for MEDYS

MEDYS 2027, the Mediterranean Yacht Show, is set for 8–12 May 2027. I'd park early those days.

4. Watch for the July music festival

The 35th Nafplio Festival ran 11–18 July 2026. The 2027 dates weren't out when I checked.

A first capital, a governor's death and a potato trick

1. Remember Nafplio came first

The new Greek state was governed from Nafplio until 1834, and its first military school opened here on 1 July 1828.

2. Don't believe the potato story

The tale says Kapodistrias put guards on crates of potatoes so people would steal them and plant them. Historians call it an urban legend, though he did push potato farming.

3. Mark 30 November 1822

That's the date the Greeks took Palamidi, after more than a century of Ottoman rule since 1715.