is 8 days too long in Nafplio

I think you have a good plan using Nafplio as a base for an extended time.There are many excellent day trips to take from Napflio.

Napflio is lovely, but "day trips" really means a lot of local windy-road driving in the Peleponnese. Olympia for example is about a 3 hour drive west, and then three hours back. On the other hand Mycenae and Epidavros are easily reached from Napflio, and can be done together in one day. Only you can decide how much driving is too much, and what sights you want to see. Maybe picking two 4 night stays including Napflio and a western Peleponnese town would be more driving friendly.

I think it depends what you want to do. I agree that if you want to be sight seeing most days, then you are going to be driving a lot. If you want to hang out in town and just be there at least some of your days, then Nafplio is a very pleasant town.

If you want to sight see most days, I would look at spending half your time somewhere else. You might look at Pylos as it is well located for day trips and would be worth staying for 3 or 4 nights. Gythio is another possibility although I don’t think the town itself has as much to see as Pylos. It is, however, in close proximity to other sights you might enjoy.

I also agree that 8 days in Nafplio will be too much.

Not only for the reasons mentioned above, but also because you'll quickly get tired of returning to Nafplio every evening after the third day. The old town is small and only has about 150 permanent residents. Plus the temporary residents who work in hotels, restaurants, and tourist shops, and there are so many other places to discover in the Peloponnese, as Nick and Beth suggest, another base further west (in Mani) would be a good option.

Nafplio is a lovely, small town with several exceptional day trip possibilities. Pleasant opportunities for strolling and dining along the coast. Honestly though 8 days days seems to me like an a long time. I’m trying to get into the notion of slow travel but that would be very slow. However, I can say without reservation that our stay at the Hotel,Aetoma was among the best of any, anywhere over many years. Spacious room with balcony, charming, accommodating host and a large beautiful breakfast. We took the bus to and from Athens, but I think they offer parking facilities Safe travels.

Hydra might be an option for a couple of relaxing days. I believe it’s quite a short ferry ride from Nafplio to Hydra. We visited both on the Rick Steve’s Greece tour and really enjoyed them both.

It really is a matter of personal taste. We’re in our 70s and, over the years, have spent months in Nafplio. We often go for two weeks at a time. We enjoy the spectacular walk around the headland, visiting the fortress, the restaurants, and just pottering around and drinking coffee in the square. If we’re feeling energetic we go by local bus to the site at Tiryns (15 minutes) or to the Roman ruins at Argos (half an hour). We occasionally used to hire a car and visit Mycenae and Epidavros.

If that sounds like you then Nafplio is a great choice. As other people have said it’s not so good if you also want to take in other places.

Have a good trip whatever you decide.

Alan

PS we are currently in Kavala - another lovely small town but less accessible- and are spending 10 days.

Nafplio is a great town and a good choice for a base to explore as there are numerous archeological/historic sites and lots more within easy driving.

However, what I have done is split my time between Nafplio and another location in the Argolis Peninsula.

Ermioni is a good choice for the southern part of the peninsula which will give you easier access to that area.

That way you can explore 4 days close to Nafplio and 4 in Ermioni. You can even do a day trip from Ermioni to Hydra as there are several ferry departures to/from Hydro throughout the day for only 10 euros each way.

The Argolis Peninsula offers a lot to see in a relatively small area but to reduce driving it may be best to divide your 8 days. Many areas are often overlooked or not even known about. Most guidebooks concentrate on Nafplio, Mycenea, Epidavrous, Tyrns, Nemea, etc., which are indeed worth a look but if you do your research you'll find the Argolis filled with wonders and most areas are can be reached in a short amount of time if you split your 8 days.

Check out the best website for Nafplio as you'll find a lot to do if you decide on 8 days there:
https://visitnafplio.com/

Also check out a great web site for Ermioni to find out what you can do and where you can do in that part of the area:

https://ermioni.info/

Also check out my photos of some out of the way areas of the Peloponnese that is often overlooked:
https://tinyurl.com/39mm5ys6

while pondering your choices, this wonderful detailed online map may be useful -- https://euro-map.com/karty-grecii/peloponnes/podrobnaya-turisticheskaya-karta-peloponnesa.jpg -- easier than Google 3-d, to understand the roads & terrain, see best/easiest driving choices ... especially good showing the easy drive from ATH airport avoiding city, not even tapping brakes, or turning wheel until after Corinth Canal.

This map also suggests a driving efficiency combined with site-seeing. For example, if staying in Nafplio & going to see Ancient Epidaurus, you'd need to backtrack, back to Hotel. If you decide to do Epidaurus on final day in Peloponnese, you can leave Nafplio 9 AM, drive E to Epidaurus, see it in a 90 minutes (its mainly about the theatre). Then continue EAST to the shore & have lunch w sea view. Then drive North on the Coast to Isthmus (the Town of the Canal). You can stop to walk out on Old Bridge & take pix (it's so deep! so Skinny!) of the Canal, which is NOT viisble from the modern multi-lane highway... And after, get onto the biggie highway, toward airport to return car. (if staying more days in Athens, best to do taxi/car service/bus to central hotel... if leaving next AM, stay nearby in hotel llke Avra -- it overlooks water at Ravina, has FREE shuttle from/back to airport (u must schedule it when booking rooms).

Thank you all for the help, now we have a lot to think about. I'm feeling that Nafplio may be too long of a stay. We're not leasing a car so this is all public transportation. This trip will be visiting different small town and islands...mainly for the food, we've done all the sites in Athens years ago. Thanks Again

When you want the best advice, it's good to fill in all the details, so people do not have to guess. It would have been helpful to say up front that you would not be renting a car... then people would not be suggesting many Peloponnese places that really DO require a car. If you are depending on public transportation, Nafplio is the ONE Place on the mainland that I'd suggest you should go!
I'm probably the one person on this thread who has traveled extensively in Greece without renting a car. My 13 trips have included 10 stops in Nafplio ... and on 6 of those stays I managed to see many wonderful sites & views using busses only. And if you're wondering whether a retiree can manage Nafplio & area ... for the last 7 of my Nafplio visits, I was over 75. So yes, it can be done... without rush or fuss, with many discoveries.... and for "foodies", some of my most memorable lunches & dinners have happened in Nafplio and areas nearby.
A big reason is that Nafplio, unlike the small towns you talk of visiting, has LOCAL busses that can take you to small towns, villages, beaches, ancient sites. When you can take your time, and do one "site" trip per day, it's easy to enjoy in a relaxed way. Use resources like your friendly hotelier, the bus-station staff etc. I even heard that an agency in town has revived a local day- tour to both Mycenae & Epidaurus.

BTW, in requesting advice you did not mention the dates of your trip -- Late Spring or Early Fall is best ... people give most useful advice when they know the timing. Hope you'll tell us, and reconsider.

As Janet rightly pointed out, you should have mentioned that you won't be renting a car. This will considerably change the situation and limit your options.

Don't expect to travel from village to village by bus.
Buses have limited routes and schedules, each region has its own KTEL bus company. This means finding bus connections, mainly in larger cities like Tripoli, Sparta, or Kalamata. Furthermore, this may be possible every day, but also only 2 or 3 times a week.

You should also specify the time of year. Archaeological sites have limited opening hours in winter.
From a logistical perspective, traveling from point A to point B by bus can take four times longer than by car, and you may have to postpone or even cancel a planned visit because you arrive too late at point B.

Jolui, Good points, our trip will be April 14 - 29 and arriving in Athens, no car. I'm reading that its best to take the bus over the train to Nafplio. Take bus from airport to Kifissos bus station then on to buse operated by KTEL Argolidas. I have been trying to see if we could take the day trips from Nafplio. Possible take a ferry to Hydra, take a ferry to Spetses and a day trip to Poros. I think we would take a bus which is a short ride to the ferry port for most day trips. Again I have never been but just trying to figure out possible easy days other wise maybe it is best to plan some of our days elsewhere. At the end of our trip we're staying 4 nights in Athens flying home April 29
Thanks for eye openers

Hi Janet, It sounds like you've done what we're trying to plan...i have to look at the maps again. We're done walking ruins but just picture being in simple Greek towns. Maybe we're picking the wrong area. We're open to anything but our flight is round trip to Athens.

On our first trip to Nafplio way back in 2011 we took the bus from Athens and spent 9 days in the town without a car.

However, at that time there were direct buses to Epidavrous & Mycenea which I believe don't run there directly anymore.

I also got the bus to Tolo and spent the day wandering around and some beach time.

We also did a day cruise to Hydra/Spetses from Pegasus Travel.

The rest of the time we explored both the Old & New Town.

There is also a large Farmer's Market, lots of museums and other cultural events we did.

So yes, you could do without a car and possibly hire a driver to get to places but expect to pay a premium.

Since 2016 I have rented a car on all my trips to Greece and for me it's worth the price as you'll go where the buses don't go or don't have convenient schedules.

But if you don't rent a car do as much research as possible do find out what you can do by walking or where the buses run.

Jo: What port are you talking about for ferry trips?

There aren't any close ports near Nafplio to get to other islands.

The closes port would be Galatas/Poros about 1 1/2 hours from Nafplio by car. By bus would take longer and possibly a transfer somewhere.

Maybe another town in the Argolis where there is a port would be best to get a ferry to other islands in the Saronic Group.

Consider Ermioni in the far south of the Argolis. It's a nice town with two long waterfront, more than enough services for shops, markets and tavernas and a port to get to Hydra, Poros or Spetses.

For convenience you can get a ferry from Piraeus to Ermioni and there is decent bus service to surrounding towns.

Here's that link I posted about Ermioni on another post:

https://ermioni.info/

Tommy, Tolo is the cruise port. Pegasus cruise from Tolo to Hydra and Spetses is a full day excursion. I seeing that to take a Pegasus cruise from Nafplio you can be picked up by bus in Nafplio or meet the cruise in Tolo. Departures from Nafplio may include pick up points outside the Zafiris tourist office on Sidiras Merachias street or at Filellinon square. Maybe this is old information?

Jo:

You are correct there is a "port" in Tolo but it's only for the Pegasus Cruise to the two islands.

We took it and it was OK.

However, you spend more time on a boat than each island, maybe 2-3 hours at most on each island.

If you are OK with that then by all means take the cruise and enjoy the day.

The Pegasus cruises are very handy, but the internet states they are for the Summer Season ... they go into October, but I wonder very much if they start as early as mid-april. You'd have to email Pegasus directlly.

Switching to another "base" will not necessarily make things easier... and few other "base" candidates have Nafplio's advantages: • beautiful Old Town with car-free streets • site at tip of peninsula, surrounded by sea, so can feel like an island • university nearby & cultural programs only offered off-season • livelier weekends due to influx of savvy Athenians doing a getaway.

Here's another option that might enable a couple of days on a nearby island...without extended-travel stress:
I'm guessing Ap 14-29 includes to/from Greece so -from Noon Ap 15 thru Ap 28 = 13 1/2 days. Consider this:
• DEST#1 - On Arr Ap 15, bus to KTEL Station, then 2.5 hr bus to NAFPLIO, stay thru Tues 4/21 (7 days)
- TRANSFER DAY: Ap 22 late-morning bus to ATH - check into hotle for ONE NIGHT - relaxed dinner & evening. At local ticket agency, buy tix for Conventional (open-deck) 1-hour Ferry to AEGINA next day
• DEST #2 - Apr 23 - Scenic seascape sail to AEGINA; check into port-town hotel, take local taxi for stop @ stunning hilltop ancient temple, then to beach lunch, bus back to port. Stay 2 nights to explore village, relax
• DEST #3 - ATHENS - Ap 25: Ferry back to PIRAEUS for 4 final days in ATHENS. (NOTE - Metro to/from PIRAEUS takes 30 minutes; taxi/car service reasonable & takes you directly to ferry on-ramp. Here's a photo-journal of a day trip there - http://www.flickr.com/photos/36264706@N03/sets/72157621604646139/detail/

To get the most from trip, a good travel guide can be invaluable.... , not just telling HOW to get to a place, but WHY you'll want to go, and what's there to discover. Your local library has some, try Rough Guide to Greece. Happy searching!

If your plan is a relaxing trip, I think 8 nights in Nafplio is fine. My wife and I arrive in Greece this Sunday. We will stay 4 nights in Athens and 5 nights in Nafplio with several nights on the road in between. We have day trips each day. I only built one full day in town to see the many sights and relax. I know this is not enough.
We still try and maximize the number of places we visit and have a fairly aggressive itinerary. Depending on how far you are willing to drive each day, you could visit one or more major archeological sites each day. We are seeing places like Kalamata and Mystras before we get to Nafplio, but they are options for day trips. From what others have said on the forum, Nafplio itself is worthy of at least a couple of days, especially if you want to relax.
If a relaxing pace is your style, I think Nafplio is the place for it. Happy travels.

Travelscamp, OP did not share travel modes in her original post, but after many suggested plans involving cars, added that they do not plan to drive and will depend mostly on public transportation.. Sometimes, before contributing, we need to scroll down & find key details. She also then gave trip dates, which will be offseason, In April. This thread is a work in progress!

All the comments have been so helpful, thank you all for helping me plan this trip, it's bringing to light what we really want to do. I'm sure you'll be hearing from me with more questions This such a great forum, been helping us since our first trip in 2006

Glad that we could help you to sort out your options. BTW, if you decide on a "transfer" in Athens that involves staying only ONE night, be aware that most central hotels are very accustomed to guests doing this, because of various short tours. You could arrange to leave major luggage in their secure baggage room, and just take smaller bag(s) for a 1-2 night island visit. On return, you may get same room, but if a different room it will be similar; this can be ascertained when booking online, or upon first arrival.

Janet, That's a great suggestion, like maybe stay less days in Nafplio and longer in Athens with a few days on an island. Do you have a favorite?

Jo, please check my earlier posts for recommends. There are many islands that I'd suggest for a visit from Mid-may to Mid-June, or in Early September. But because you are coming defnitely OFF-season, in Mid-April many of these will still be "shut down" with little for visitors. I recommended AEGINA specificlly because Thousands of Greeks live there year-round and commute daily to Athens for work -- so it's a "home" island, with people, schools, activity, 365 days a year. And the link I provided about a day-trip there shows that it's a green & fertile island full of Spring Flowers in April, and lots to see and do. Go back & look at that photo-sequence.

But don't be so quick to leave Nafplio! You keep writing about wanting to wander in villages,., and (Because it has LOCAL busses), Nafplio is the BEST place for finding nearby villages to explore. You were given the BEST link to Nafplio - http://www.visitnafplio.com -- but I guess i should have re-emphasized, urging you CLICK EVERY LINK! Right up top of its opening page is a lilnk "Nafplio and Nearby" . .. Scroll down past all the Old-Town wonders & you'll see "3 cute villages in the East" and "3 cute Village in the West" -- most of them available on LOCAL Bus. On your 1st day, spend time at the Information counter in the tiny bus station, and you can work out village-visits galore. I myself have visited at least 3 by local bus. All you need is research and a spirit of adventure!

Janet, I will be carful and look deeper. Since we're flying round trip to Athens I really have to do more research. Is this crazy, is there a way to organized? Now Meteora looks beautiful! Maybe stay there in Kalambaka 3 nights. I was getting nervous that we would get bored in Nafplio. If Meteora is a highlight would it even be possible? At first our plan was to take the bus from the airport directly to Nafplio (explore and do ferry trips from Tolo port) end our trip in Athens and take ferry to Aegina or another island.....maybe staying over night as possible suggestion. We have to be realistic since Meteora is now a main area we would like to see. We arrive in Athens April 15 and leave April 29. Plan public/taxi transportation. We've stayed in Athens before seeing the sites in the area, but never wandered much further than local restaurants. Maybe there is more in Athens area that we missed. My husband has cope walking is fine but at times brings oxygen just in case. I appreciate this forum and all the help, I have work to do. The link is GREAT!!!

Each time, a little more information "leaks out," which changes what people may advise. Now you share that your husband may have breathing and energy problems. Then I am worried that you are considering Meteora. There are no elevators... visits to Monasteries atop pillars involve climbing hundreds of feet on steep steps. Anyone who travels with oxygen, not a good idea. On visiting the fortress of Mycenae, several times I've seen people from bus tours sitting down by the ticket booth, forlornly, because the climb to the site entrance was too steep for those with breathing problems -- and that was just a ramp road not steps. I urge you to enjoy Meteora via video from the library, and for GReece, stick to places where you can both go without physical stress.

You write about possible boredom in Nafplio, despite several options that could reduce your time there to perhaps 5-6 days, and numerous responders describe how they've repeatedly enjoyed stays of many days. What is needed to stave off boredom? Perhaps more research, as you mention.. Check about those Tolo day trips, as I noted, because very likely they do not start by mid-April. Click on the links I suggested about villages. Check the Hendersonville Library for ROugh GUide or Rick Steves guidebook. With homework, you can answer many questions - and it's fun!

Going to the Monasteries in Meteora would be impossible except for maybe one. The whole area looks beautiful. We're looking into a bus tour or even a driver that would take us just to the lookout points. Again I'm not clear as to how to fit this into our trip. Still working and planning

It is a long ways to Meteora. And not easy to get to by public transportation. I would spend your time in Greece doing something else if you cannot easily access the monasteries. We went to one of the look out spots to take pictures at sunset. It was still a bit of a climb up. There are many other places in Greece you would enjoy more.

Thanks for the input Beth. Italy, I have no problem but I'm having a hard time with Greece. We probably made a mistake getting tickets without a plan, but we love Greek food! I'll keep working on a plan. Maybe the original idea of basically staying in Nafplio.

The more you research and the more advice you get makes it harder to pin point where to stay, what to do and how to get there.

Concentrate on one area and what to do near by and you won't be disappointed if you "miss out" on other areas as just about any where in Greece will offer a great experience.

Nothing wrong with 8 days in Nafplio as we stayed there for 8 days without a car and used the bus to get to nearby areas.

Continue to use visitnafplio.com and you'll find so much to do in and nearby to keep you happy.

You're right Tommy, will do. Again I have to thank everyone on this forum, so very helpful