SEA KAYAK TOURS
Nafplio
An excursion starting beneath the castle of Palamidi, leading through culture and through centuries of history, to a unique life experience.
DURATION: 4:30 hours
PRICE: 75€ / person
PERIOD OF OPERATION: All the year
MEETING POINT: Get Directions
- Single or double Sea Kayaks and all equipment (buoyancy aid, spray deck, paddle)
- Certified Friendly English speaking guides
- Sea Kayak handling/safety briefing
- Homemade Cooked Traditional meal and refreshments.
- Snorkelling equipment
- Big dry bag for your necessities
- Photos and videos sent at a later date GoPro Camera provided for your use
- 1st Aid and Sea Kayak safety equipment carried by your guides
- Personal Insurance
- Swimming knowledge
- No Back Problems
- No Expectant Mothers
- No Serious Medical Conditions
- Level of difficulty: Most travelers can participate
- Please do not forget to write the country code of your phone
Nafplio Tour Guide
We will start from Karathona beach, favorite of locals. A beach that has the ability to turn you off from the stress of everyday life and make you part of an image, almost exotic, in few minutes. It stretches behind the Rock of Palamidi for about three kilometers, with palm trees, eucalyptus and a small island which is a place where seagulls give birth to their young ones. Passing near it, we might have a chance of watching how they teach them to swim and catch fish on their own.
In the background we can see the majestic Palamidi, the fortification build by the Venetians called Akronafplia, even the fortress of Argos in the distance. Akronafplia is the imposing rocky peninsula that once was the Acropolis of Nafplio. The Turks used to call it “Its-Kale” that means “inside the fortress”.
We will continue paddling under the shadow of the great fortress, following the magnificent coastline through picturesque beaches only accessible by sea. We will arrive at “Bourtzi” and the fortifications that protected Nafplio from pirates.
“Castello dello Soglio” was the first name of the Venetian castle, which along with Palamidi, is considered one of the landmarks of Nafplio. Nevertheless, the name that finally prevailed is Bourtzi, which in Turkish means “Island – Fort”. It was built on the islet of St. Theodoroi in1473 by the Italian engineer Gabelo and that is why its first name is Italian, meaning “castle of the throne”. Moreover, if you have heard people refer to Nafplio as “the chain harbor” (Porto Cadena), this is because there was, indeed, a moveable chain which connected Akronafplia with Bourtzi and whose purpose was to protect the harbor and the city from sea invaders.
Leaving Bourtzi behind, we will arrive at a beautiful beach to rest and relax, have some lunch, swim a bit and return to where we started.