Nafplio or Delphi?

Frank A really difficult decision! For Nafplio: it's a really pretty little town, it has a number of good restaurants, there is a brilliant walk round the headline, it has a massive venetian castle. For Delphi: it is up in the mountains with incredible views, the site itself has some incredible buildings (far more so than Mycenae), the trip is more interesting than that to Nafplio the first half of which is along probably the ugliest road in Greece. It probably comes down to personal taste and to where else you will have been in Greece. If you've already spent time by the sea then my vote goes to Delphi, but either is great. Alan

Hi Frank, Having been to both, I would choose Nafpilo - it's a perfect Greek town, beautifully situated. Delphi has some history, of course, but outside of the archaelogical site, there's not much else. Peter

I have only been to Nafplio but I can tell you it is one of the favorite places I have visited. It was beautiful, and had a wonderful laid-back ambience. Great restaurants and plenty of beautiful seaside scenery. The walk along the sea is spectacular and I would return in a minute.

You'll have to decide but here are my takes on both: Delphi - a stunning ruin site with amazing views and vistas of the mountains, olive groves and Gulf of Cornith beyond. But the town is mundane and not really worth a stay - I recommend an overnight in Galixidi about 20 minutes beyond and set right on the Gulf. There is also a fantastic Byzantine monastary - Hosios Lucas - along the way between Athens and Delphi. Nafplio - a stunning town with great character and restaurants. Lots to see for a day or two. Myceanae is a nice ruin, but lacks the drama and scenery of Delphi and others. Epidavros is also an easy and quick stop on your way there or back. Both trips have some stunning scenery going to and fro and some mundane landscapes. I assume you will spend at least one night? Delphi is very doable as just a day trip from Athens but Nafplio really needs to be at least one night (I'd do 2 if possible). If staying overnight for Delphi, look for an option like Galixidi and explore some of the other nearby towns.

Having just returned for the second time to Greece I find it difficult to recommend one over the other. Delphi has an amazing since of place. If you get to the ruins when they open at 8:30 a.m. you can have it almost all to yourself and really enjoy it without the busloads of school kids and horribly dressed tourists. Hosios Loukas is worth the side trip, too. We (4 students and 3 teachers) stayed at the Fedriades Hotel. Great place. Napflio is a great city and from there you can do Mycenae and Epidauros in a day, easy. Both sites are great. In Napflio we stayed at the Pension Marianna, another great place with an incredible view of the city.
The museum at Delphi is wonderful: small, compact, just enough to supplement the tour of the ruins. The museum at Mycenae is also very good but the museum at Epidaurus is terrible and should be skipped if you are short on time.

Frank, That's a really difficult choice, as both places are incredible. The decision will probably depend on what you're most interested in seeing at that point, and how well it "fits" with the other segments of your trip. The Museum and historic site at Delphi are fantastic, and you can spend many hours exploring. As I recall, the Stadium at the top the site where the Pythian games were held, is much the same as the one at Olympus. The history of Napflio seemed a bit more "modern" to me. It was the first capital of Greece, and also has a Syntagma Square. If you're energetic, you can hike up to the Palamidi Fortress, which was occupied during WW-II. Nafplio has a greater abundance of posh shops, and a beautiful waterfront. The Hotel in Nafplio was one of the highlights of my visit to that area. If I had to make the same choice, I'd probably be leaning towards Nafplio. Good luck and happy travels!

Thanks to everyone for your helpful replies. Since I was leaning toward Nafpilo and it's received such great comments, I'll plan 2 nights there and either save Delphi for my next visit or do it as a day trip while in Athens.

For those planning to visit Nafplio, I would HIGHLY recommend staying at This Hotel. There are lots of stairs but my stay there was one of the highlights of my tour of the Pelopponese! BE SURE to book early though!!!

I'm also in the (early) planning stages for a trip to Greece. These are helpful comments for me as well. Thanks. And hey, everybody -- it's spelled Nafplio.

Thanks Sue for pointing out my spelling error. I've corrected the topic title for the benefit of anyone doing a search.

Well, there's several different ways to spell the name as Rick pointed out in his book so I wouldn't look for one "official" spelling. And yes, I highly recommend the Pension Marianna also. Great hotel with wonderful hosts. Perfect location with a great view of the city and the bay.

Sue you are right about the spelling - Nafplio. John - I personally am a terrible speller so the one thing I love about Greece is that there are so many ways to spell most words that I don't have to worry so much about mis-spelling something ;-)