A Greek Adventure, Part 1: Nafplio – Paulette and Dave

Paulette and Dave, of Annapolis, Maryland have traveled extensively in North America and Europe, but they had never been to Greece. They wanted to see the highlights, but get off the beaten track as much as possible. The problem was that they only had ten days. Could we create an itinerary that would give them what they wanted?

After they got home, I spent some time with them to find out how the trip went. We’ll share their thoughts and Paulette’s beautiful photos over the next few blog posts.

(Note: You can click/tap any image to see the uncropped photo in a larger view!)

Days 1-4: Nafplio

Brian: How was your trip from the Athens airport to Nafplio?

Paulette: Your professional input was so beneficial. The transfers you set up worked perfectly. We had an especially friendly driver from Athens to Nafplio. The car rental in Nafplio was so easy.

Brian: What was your first impression of the Peloponnesian town of Nafplio?

Paulette: We enjoyed our historic hotel in a very central part of the town. We especially liked sipping wine in the lovely courtyard.

Dave: On our first morning, we walked two blocks to find the farmer’s market in full swing. Farmers from all over the region had stands selling fresh fish, bright red strawberries, delicious oranges, delicate bundles of grape leaves, artichokes, sheep cheeses, unlabeled bottles of white and red wine, honey, olives, almonds, and pistachios. We’d never seen a market quite like it before.

Fresh strawberries piled in a market display with yellow flowers; price sign reads 4€.

Pile of large green leaves with lemon halves arranged on a table; a bottle sits in the center and a chalkboard sign is nearby.

Blue bins filled with green and brown olives, with metal scoops resting inside, at a market stall.

Roadside fruit stand with orange bags of fruit hanging in crates under a corrugated roof, hillside in the background.

B: How did you like being on the Peloponnese Peninsula in late April?

P: We loved seeing the red poppies on the hillsides and smelling the orange blossoms as we drove through the countryside. We liked that there weren’t many tourists yet, even at the main sites. The weather was fine except for the day we had to cancel our trip to the island of Hydra because of high winds. We later learned that this kind of weather is more common in winter and quite rare in late April — just one more reason to go back!

Red poppies growing on a lichen-covered rock under a blue sky with wispy clouds.

Red poppies in a sunny garden among green leaves and small white daisies.

Orange tree with ripe fruit among green leaves and white blossoms.

B: Did you visit any of the nearby archaeological sites?

D: Yes! We went to Epidaurus and Mycenae. The theater at Epidaurus was breathtaking — we couldn’t believe how perfectly sound carries to every seat after 2,400 years. We actually liked Mycenae even better than the Acropolis in Athens, because it felt so much more raw and uncrowded. Standing at the Lion Gate and walking through the Treasury of Atreus, we really felt the weight of history without the distraction of enormous tour groups.

Fragment of a vintage painting showing a rider on a brown horse with red tack, texture and cracks visible on the canvas.

Coastal town with dense red-tiled rooftops along the shoreline, framed by bare tree branches and distant mountains in the background.

B: Do you have any other memories of Nafplio you’d like to share?

D: We enjoyed our visit to the Palamidi Fortress. We decided not to walk up the 999 steps to the top. It took us about 10 minutes to drive to the top entrance. The panoramic view over the town and the Argolic Gulf was incredible.

Stone fortress perched on a rocky hill above a street-level cafe and outdoor seating area.

Hilltop stone fortress illuminated in warm orange lights at dusk, perched on a rocky hill above buildings with a palm tree in the foreground

Stone fortress ruins perched on a steep rocky hillside, with arches and purple flowers against a bright blue sky.

P: One evening we walked by the Taverna Busavilo and were tempted to join the folk dancing, but instead just watched the locals laughing and moving so naturally to the music — one of those spontaneous moments you can’t plan for and never forget. We also loved seeing the bougainvillea blooming everywhere. Nafplio felt very relaxed and comfortable. We could have easily stayed longer.