I returned to Athens from my last excursion to Lefkas (which you can read about in a previous post of mine) only a couple of days ago. However, I did see and experience so much more than just Lefkas during these five days that I was out on new adventures. On my way there I chose to stop halfways for one evening – to split the trip into two smaller parts – so I spent the rest of the day and night in the small town Nafpaktos located on the mainland of the Corinthian bay next to the “Rio bridge” which takes you from the mainland to Peloponnese and Greece’s third largest city – Patras. The drive from Athens takes about 2,5-3 hours depending on whether you want to take the bigger new road or the smaller old roads which I personally think are much nicer. Whatever you choose, the roads are in good condition and the driving is easy.
Nafpaktos is a picturesque little town that has about 14,000 inhabitants and is much visited by both Greeks and foreign tourists but also manages to preserve its very special character. The Venetian castle with its beautiful view, the medieval harbor with its romantic atmosphere, the old buildings, the paved alleyways, the many cafés and restaurants make up an incredibly charming image all together.
The more you walk around and discover this beautiful city – something you can easily do in a day as it’s not that big – the more you understand what rich history it has.
Here you can see many great aristocratic old buildings, many statues around the town, many squares and churches from different periods. The truth is that Nafpaktos (or “Nafpaktos – Lepanto”, as the city was called in the beginning) was a political and military center from the early 4th century AD. In 1571, the important naval battle of Nafpaktos – where the Ottoman naval force was destroyed by the allied Christian naval forces – took place here. The town took part in the Greek Revolution in 1821 and was freed from the Turks in 1829.
But enough about the historical aspects. If you visit Nafpaktos and want to learn more about its history, you can look into two of the town’s museums: “Botsari” and “Farmaki”, both of which are found in the center. But what else can you do and see here in Nafpaktos?
There are plenty of beaches in the area for the sun lovers. You can even swim in the town as there is a fantastic beach with all comforts (sun loungers, umbrella, cafes nearby, etc.), which runs just from the medieval harbor wall and towards the Rio bridge, as well as towards the other side. A short drive from the town you can also find the beautiful beaches of Chiliadou and Monastiraki.
The town is built as an amphitheater, climbing the hill, and provides – with its many narrow alleys and stairs leading up to the beautiful old castle – a chance for some exercise. The road up is amazingly nice with colorful houses, both older and new, and a lot of flowers that bloom everywhere. The higher you get, the more beautiful the view becomes and if you go all the way into the castle and to the bell tower, you will see the whole of Nafpaktos and the Corinthian bay with all its high mountains, from above. This is a stunning view. Close to the harbor is Nafpakto’s central street, where you also will find all sorts of shops, cafés and bars.
The harbor is the town’s gem. It’s so small but so pompy at the same time and in the evening when the sun falls into the ocean and the harbor lights light up, the picture is magical. Here there is also a lot to discover – the statue of Miguel de Cervantes, who participated in the Nafpaktos naval battle, among other things, as well as all the beautiful narrow alleys just around the harbor, which today are filled with bars and restaurants. It’s actually hard to stay away from it so I, like so many others, chose to have my dinner at a nearby restaurant with a view of the harbor.
I can recommend the restaurant “Kouzina” located on the harbor’s right, slightly calmer side. Here the food is great and you get it in big loads and at a good price served by very friendly staff. It has it all! They offer both Greek home cooking and some more classic options and everything tastes amazing. And if that wasn’t enough, after the meal, they offer you a large portion of dessert and that can only make things even better! I was actually lucky enough to be part of a power outage throughout Nafpaktos town when I ate there because of a lightning storm that came in unexpectedly, but that total and complete darkness, the little lighted candles everywhere and the tasty dessert made the whole experience even better.
Where to stay
In Nafpaktos there are many hotels, as the town is well visited through out the year. I booked a room at the hotel “Apollon Library Suites”, located just on the central road that goes through the town, less than a 100 meters from the medieval harbor. Each of the hotel’s rooms has their own theme and at a very good price we got something out of the ordinary. The room me and my friend stayed in was about 25 square meters in size on the top floor with a spectacular view of the castle and the leafy mountain. We had our own kitchen and the room was very well decorated as well as clean and fresh. The staff working here are very nice and helpful with tips about the city and future visits. Also, the morning I was going to leave to continue my trip to Lefkas, I probably enjoyed my life’s biggest and best breakfast here at “Apollon Library Suites”!
I can only recommend that you, who plan to visit Nafpaktos in the future, check if there is any available room at “Apollon Library Suites”. You will not be disappointed, believe me.
