Growing up a Canadian with a Greek background, I never realized how beautiful Greece truly was until I visited two years ago. I grew up seeing the photos in travel books and on the internet but getting to actually be there in person is a whole different experience. However, when looking at photos prior to my trip, I would always see pictures of Mykonos, Santorini and Athens, leading me (I assume many other people) to forget that Greece is huge; there are so many different places that everyone overlooks in favour of the white buildings with blue roofs. But after travelling all over Greece for a month and a half, my favourite place, Nafplio, is one I didn’t even know existed until I ended up visiting some family members who live there.
Nafplio is a town in the Peloponnese, located right along the sea. Much of it is made up of original architecture. Since Nafplio is also a port town it contains multiple castles that are open for anyone to visit and explore as well as multiple historical sites. Nafplio isn’t widely talked about and as such is not as busy as the islands like Santorini and Mykonos. I personally enjoyed this more because it allowed me to feel fully immersed in the Greek culture and connected with my heritage without an onslaught of tourists. People in Nafplio do speak English, but not as well as the people in Santorini, who have learned English to participate in the tourism industry. This wasn’t a problem for me because I was with family members who could speak both Greek and English, but it is important to note that there will be a slight language barrier if you visit anywhere in Greece, not just Nafplio. Do not let that deter you though because the beauty of Nafplio and the rest of Greece deserves to be visited.
Since Nafplio is a port town it also contains beaches! Make sure if you visit to at least take one day to lounge on the beach and experience the Mediterranian waters. Nafplio also has tons of different food spots ranging from fancy to street food, as well as a bunch of different and cute shops to visit so you can pick up a couple souvenirs to remember your trip by. If you’re willing to experience driving on Greek roads, you can also rent a car and drive to different neighbouring areas to explore all parts of Greece! Another thing I personally love to do is visit the local grocery store and pick out different Greek treats. I love their honey as well as different types of sweets, but they also carry a ton of different foods as well.
If you ever have the opportunity to travel to Greece I highly recommend visiting Nafplio for a day. It is definitely worth the visit and allows you to see a different part of Greece that you may not have originally thought of visiting!