Peloponnese 2023, part 4 (Nafplio, Karathonas Beach, Aria, Asine)
Whatever name you choose to call it, Nafplio or Nafplion or Nauplio or Nauplion, this city perched on a rocky cape in the northeast of the Argolic Gulf is certainly both exceptionally charming and highly significant, especially for modern Greece, as it was the capital of the newly liberated state from 1829 to 1834.
After an afternoon rest in my hotel room, I went out for a leisurely stroll around the city, getting to know some details and familiarising myself with the place and its immediate surroundings. My path first took me through Kolokotronis Park.
The park is named after Theodoros Kolokotronis (1770–1843), a Greek general and national hero from the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire (1821–1829). In the centre of the park, you can also see an equestrian statue of Theodoros Kolokotronis.
In the previous photograph, you can see one of the notable sites in Nafplio, which is the Palamidi Fortress, built by the Venetians on top of a rocky hill between 1686 and 1715. It is even better visible in the next photograph.
When I left Kolokotronis Park, I ventured into the old part of Nafplio that is incredibly beautiful, filled with various picturesque details.
At one point, I emerged onto the promenade along the Argolic Gulf and what caught my attention first was an islet in the middle of the entrance to the harbour in Nafplio, where the Venetian fortress Bourtzi from the 15th century is located.
Still, wonderful things were happening in the sky, so in addition to my walk and the lovely weather, I also enjoyed the celestial beauties.
Since I had eaten very well for lunch, instead of dinner, I went out for a beer.
By the time I finished my beer and started heading back to the hotel, the sun had already set behind the mountains to the west, while significant landmarks in the city were illuminated for the evening.
I retired to my room early, chatted a bit with a friend by phone, but my main priority was to go to bed on time to get a good rest and I did just that.
Although I had planned for the next day to be completely “free,” meaning I would do absolutely nothing and not venture outside the city centre, since I had slept well the night before and felt perfectly normal, I decided to go out and explore a bit. Nafplio is a beautiful city, but there aren’t that many sights to visit during an entire day, and I can only consume a limited amount of food and drink in a given time.
My first destination was the Palamidi Fortress, which towers above Nafplio. It is indeed possible to climb the steps leading from the town and according to what I read there are about 900 of them. Both the number of steps and the view of the fortress are quite impressive, but the elevation difference is only about 200-300 meters, which isn’t really that much. However, since I had a car, I drove up to the fortress while it was still not crowded.
Formally, the Palamidi Fortress is situated at an elevation of 216 meters, which I believe refers to the first clearing encountered after purchasing the ticket, as its various parts are distributed along the steep slope at the top of the hill. I have already mentioned that it was built during the late period of Venetian rule from 1686 to 1715. Then it fell into the hands of the Ottomans, while in 1822, after the liberation, it became part of Greece. From 1840 to 1920, it served as a prison for those sentenced to life imprisonment and death. Today, it is a peaceful archaeological site.
The fortress includes eight bastions, each equipped with a water reservoir, storerooms for ammunition and food, as well as places for the installation and use of weapons, moats, machicolations and space for housing soldiers. Except for the Bastion of Miltiadis, which stands independently almost in the centre of the fortress, the other bastions are interconnected by walls that provided additional protection for the defenders. And although the walls are relatively low and narrow, this is undoubtedly an extraordinarily constructed military fortification.
Before I began exploring the fortress, I noticed beautiful wild cyclamen.
I first started climbing toward the bastions situated at the highest points. I must admit that it wasn’t easy for me to climb, so I took occasional breaks to catch my breath. Although wars are a terrible aspect of human existence, I am always impressed when I think about the people who had to fight on such steep slopes.
Today, some areas have undergone modern interventions in order to make it easier for visitors to explore.
In some places, I was even able to peek into the rooms that have survived to this day.
But, despite the effort I felt, climbing to a greater height had its significant advantages – I occasionally enjoyed a wonderful view.
It’s worth noting the small “tower” visible on the right-hand side of the previous photograph, as it can also be seen rising on the left-hand side of the next image; by that point, I had descended a bit after completing a loop around the higher parts of the fortress.
Nonetheless, the view of Nafplio and the Argolic Gulf from this height was outstanding.
South of the Bastion of St. Andrew, there is a large gate in the wall, so I continued along the path.
Although my plan was to visit the Bastion of St. Andrew, I first took the path towards the initial “square” within the fortress, photographing various parts along the way, so that I could approach the desired bastion from the lower side.
Thus, I passed by the Bastion of Miltiadis, but I had also planned to get to it from the lower side.
So, now I could head towards the Bastion of St. Andrew.
This is the oldest bastion within the fortress and above its gate there is a preserved relief of a lion, the symbol of St. Mark the Evangelist, who is the patron saint of Venice. Above it, you can also see a belfry.
I first climbed up to the belfry, from where there is a spectacular view of Nafplio and the Argolic Gulf.
Now I could explore the interior of the bastion a bit, which includes, among other things, a small chapel dedicated to St. Andrew.
Next to the church, but at a higher level, there is a square room that likely served as a powder magazine, although it’s often said today that it was a prison cell. Besides taking a picture by the entrance to show how low the passage is, I, of course, had to crawl inside to see what it looked like. To do that, I had to go on all fours and be very careful not to hit my head – there was stone all around me after all.
Now I could go to the Bastion of Miltiadis, where a beautiful machicolation was visible at the entrance.
Then I walked around the inner courtyard, occasionally peeking into some rooms or climbing to a higher level in order to get a better understanding of the bastion.
After visiting the fortress, I practically descended to the nearby Karathonas Beach, which is considered one of the prettiest in this part of Greece. I took a short walk and then went for a quick swim.
The water was a bit chilly for me, but still acceptable, so swimming was very enjoyable and refreshing.
Later, I noticed a plant with lovely flowers at several spots along the beach. I later found out it was silverleaf nightshade (Solanum elaeagnifolium), which originates from the Americas. In some countries, like Greece, where it was inadvertently introduced, it is considered a noxious weed primarily because it is completely poisonous – both to humans and animals.
After I dried off a bit and finished taking photos, I went to one of the cafés to refresh myself and then I strolled along the beach for a little while – and that was that. I got in my car and drove to visit the Agia Moni monastery on a hill near the village of Aria, 3 km east of Nafplio. Along the way, I realised that this Greek “agia” is actually pronounced “aya,” while I had been using “agia” when travelling. I think it’s time for me to switch to the correct pronunciation.
It is a small convent founded around 1150 near a natural spring believed to be the mythical Kanathos Spring. At the entrance to the courtyard, there is a small chapel where both the Mother of God and Christ are celebrated, as well as the spring itself. However, I can’t say for certain if the spring water is located behind the closed doors beneath the mosaic.
I entered the monastery courtyard in order to visit the church located there and everything exuded a sense of overall harmony.
When I left the courtyard, I explored the surroundings a bit more and found a spot not far from the chapel with the mosaic, where water definitely emerged from the ground. So, this is most likely the mythical Kanathos Spring.
According to the legend, the goddess Hera would bathe in the Kanathos Spring once a year in order to renew her virginity. Apparently, Zeus had some twisted affection of his and she simply fulfilled his wishes. I had no need for the renewal of anything other than being thirsty, so I drank some water, which was truly wonderfully refreshing.
This particular spring was built around in 1836, as clearly indicated on its façade.
Although I hadn’t originally planned to visit the Archaeological Site of Asine, I came across information in my guidebooks indicating that it is a very important site. It is the acropolis of an ancient city mentioned by Homer in the Iliad (he mentioned everything he could in his works). The remains of the city walls excavated in the third decade of the 20th century represent a mixture of Mycenaean, Archaic and Hellenistic periods. The site, however, is strategically well-positioned, so it was also used in the 20th century – by the Italians during World War II.
To begin with, after purchasing my ticket, I approached the Church of the Assumption of the Theotokos, located on the perimeter of the site.
Already further on, the first larger sections of the remains of the ancient city can be seen.
But, much more than these ruins, the view of Asine Beach right next to the site left a strong impression on me.
As for the site, as is often the case in life, everything is relative. The location of this so-called important fortified city is truly spectacular, but that’s about where it ends. I walked the entire circuit of the site, but there wasn’t much to see and I was drawn to the beach I had seen next to the site.
Still, I had come here, so I began my exploration. First, I actually reached a cave that the Italians created with explosives in 1942 so they could take shelter in case of an aerial assault.
As I climbed toward the top of the hill, I often turned around and found myself drawn again to the beauty of the nearby beach and its surroundings.
Along the coast, there is also the town of Tolo and its famous beach, Tolo Beach.
As for the site, I saw the remains of ancient cisterns, as it was essential to secure water in such a location. In several places, I also encountered the remnants of various structures, such as a house or an agricultural press, along with the remains of an Italian bunker from World War II.
When I reached the end of the promontory, I had a lovely view of the Argolic Gulf from above, including some of the islands, such as the islet of Koronisi.
On the other side of the promontory lies the larger Asinis Beach.
I descended from that side, took a few more photos around the site and then I was ready to head to the beach for a swim.
I have already mentioned that there is also the beautiful Tolo Beach nearby, but I wasn’t interested in exploring various beaches at that moment. Instead, I went to this small, but quite wonderful Asine Beach. The water was warmer than at Karathonas Beach and I truly enjoyed it. On the other hand, both beaches had exceptionally clean and clear water.
After swimming, I went to a restaurant for coffee, as I needed to hurry back to Nafplio.
The day before, I had purchased a combined ticket that included a visit to the Archaeological Museum of Nafplio, which closed at 3:30 PM. So, I had to rush. I didn’t mind, as I had planned to swim at other beaches in the coming days, while I intended to have lunch in Nafplio anyway. And that’s exactly how it all went.