Greek Geography
Nafplio
The first capital of modern Greece, a Venetian sea-fortress town in the Peloponnese, 1h 45m from Athens.
Nafplio (Ναύπλιο) sits on the Argolic Gulf in the eastern Peloponnese. It served as the first capital of independent Greece from 1828 to 1834. The old town is a maze of neoclassical lanes climbing to the Venetian Palamidi fortress (1,000 steps to the top), and there is a swimmable rocky beach at the foot of the cliffs.
From Athens: 1h 45m drive each way. Frequently combined as a day trip with Mycenae (Lion Gate) and Epidaurus (ancient theatre) into a single "Argolid loop".