Nafplio – Bourtzi Tour

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.