A few months ago, during my second visit to Athens, I got to discover new cities. My initial reason for visiting was an utterly magical hotel in Athens but I decided to extend my stay. Not the hardest of decisions when visiting friends in Greece! One weekend, we visited the seaside town of Nafplio but ended up spending more time in neighboring places. Inspired by the places we visited and some we didn’t have enough time for, here are a few ideas for day trips from Nafplio!
All of these day trips from Nafplio are best done with the help of a car. You can do them separately or combine them all into a little road trip. One day, I would love to discover every inch of the Peloponnese. However, exploring the sites surrounding Nafplio was already an amazing start!
Archeological site of Mycenae
The archeological site of Mycenae should be your first pit-stop while driving through the Peloponnese. Not far away from Athens, this historically important place is beautiful even if you’re not a history nerd. Situated on top of a hillside with an impressive view of the valley, it immediately won me over. Not only because its fields of wildflowers were in bloom during March but that helped.
The entrance fee is half the price during the low season, not to mention the small amount of visitors. Aside from a handful of people, it felt like we had the entire site all to ourselves during our visit. As much as I was marveling at the pieces of history surrounding me, I was delighted upon seeing all the flowers. Pink blossoms on the branches, endless fields of wildflowers adorning the hillsides. If we’re talking about best day trips from Nafplio, the Mycenae site won’t disappoint you. Best of all, it’s less than half an hour away from Nafplio so you can always drop by, no matter what time of the year!
Ancient theater of Epidaurus
Another short ride away from Nafplio, the Epidaurus Theater and its complex which is a great day trip idea. The most famous ancient theater in Greece, it’s famous for its acoustics and how well-preserved it is. In fact, it’s still used today during certain events. With a capacity of 14,000, you can still test out its impressive acoustics! Aside from the theater, you can also see other historical sights. Among them are the Temple of Asclepius, a 5th-century stadium, a Tholos, and an archeological museum.
Archeological site of Corinth
Halfway between Athens and Nafplio, you will find the site of the Ancient Corinth. The ruins of Ancient Corinth still give an amazing glimpse into this once-important Greek city. Its most conspicuous monument is the Archaic Temple of Apollo. However, the remainder of the site is equally impressive to look at! The imposingly large archeological site will take up 2 hours of your time but you won’t regret it!
Ancient Agora and theater in Argos
The destination closest to Nafplio, the archeological site of Argos is a beautiful ruin of a once important city. It underwent significant changes during the Roman times. However, it was future city invasions that destroyed its monuments and left it in ruins we can see today. Despite all that, it’s still a charming site to visit. The ancient theater is partially carved into the rock and has an impressive capacity of 20,000. Nowadays, it hosts specific events during the summer. The site is quite expansive and includes an archeological museum. All in all, the easiest day trip from Nafplio and quite interesting too!
Temple of Zeus in Nemea
Another half-hour drive from Nafplio, the Temple of Zeus in Nemea dates back to the 4th century. An archeological museum and the Stadium of Nemea adjoin the restored Doric temple. In fact, this temple is regarded as the last of the great Doric temples! A famed sanctuary of Zeus, it was the center of the Nemean games every two years. Initially held in the town of Nemea, the games were moved to the aforementioned city of Argos.
One short day in Nafplio
In the end, we didn’t spend much time in Nafplio itself. I was excited to visit the Fortress of Palamidi but it closed early due to it being low season. Despite that, we got to enjoy a beautiful pastel sunset over Nafplio. A balmy winter sunset of subdued shades of violet and blue. Followed by a feast of delicious Greek food at Pidalio Tavern. It was one of those eventful days that leave you feeling weary but content. And just like that, it was time to go back. I had barely scratched the surface of the Peloponnese but I loved what I had found. So much so that I cannot wait to return and discover more of it!
