Nafplio

Nafplio sits at the head of the Argolic Gulf in the Peloponnese, a town of Venetian fortresses, Ottoman-era mosques, and neoclassical mansions stacked along narrow streets. Bourtzi Castle rises from a small island in the harbour, visible the moment you step off the tender. Above the old town, Palamidi Fortress sits on a steep hill, reached by 999 stone steps, with views across the gulf and the surrounding mountains. The old town is a tangle of cobbled alleys, with bougainvillea trailing over balconies and small squares filled with café tables. Nafplio was briefly the first capital of modern Greece in the 1820s, and that history shows in its public buildings and churches. Try the local galaktoboureko (custard pastry) at one of the bakeries near Syntagma Square. The town is compact enough to cover on foot in a few hours.