I have yet to share details on our last stop in Greece, and possibly our favorite – Nafplio. This picturesque town is located on the coast of the Peloponnese Peninsula, about 2 hours outside of Athens. After a ferry ride back to the mainland from Hydra, we rented a car and headed down the highway to our destination. (We found the main Greek roads to be updated and easy to navigate.)

We arrived in Nafplio early evening, with just enough time for a quick walk around town and dinner. Once again we enjoyed a Greek feast – a delicious pork dish, meatballs, chickpea salad (the closest thing to hummus we found), stewed fava beans with tomatoes, stuffed grape leaves, and of course a Greek salad with plenty of bread. We ended the meal with a dessert of candied oranges and an aperitif from the restaurant owners (in fact, every dinner in Greece we were given dessert on the house – so nice!)

The next few days we spent time touring the famous ancient ruins in the area, including Mycenae – the capital city of a civilization dating from 1600 BC – and Epidavrus – the best preserved Greek theater in the world. We also climbed the 1,000 steps to the top of the Palamidi Fortress, which towers atop a cliff above the city.

Although not an ancient ruin, another famous spot in Nafplio is the Antica Gelateria owned by an Italian transplant. It was delicious and we made sure to stop by every day just to say hi…and we may have tried the gelato a time or two. 😉

Most importantly, we made sure to soak up the Greek culture during our last few days in the country. Our time flew by, but I think we had a very good introduction and I know that we’ll be back for more. Until then, yassas to Greece!