I always find it difficult to decide where to go on vacation. A limited amount of time one can dedicate to vacationing coupled with a limited amount of financial resources, makes deciding on a destination for one’s vacation a real heady topic.

I’ve always had an admiration for people who can decide, on a whim, where they will spend their summer or winter vacation, but I’ve never been one of those people. I need to plan. I have to plan. For me, there is no worse feeling than getting on a plane, without certainty of shelter, and a general idea of where the best places to eat are.

Admittedly, I’m not so anal-retentive as to not allow for any variance, or the input of locals especially when it comes to dining out, but in general I like to know where I’m going, and have an idea of what it is I want to see, and what I will be seeing.

This past summer, my wife and I along with another couple decided on Greece. We had ten days at our disposal, and after doing some research decided that although Athens seemed like a wondrously fascinating place, spending the entire ten day vacation in Athens seemed a little much.

After talking it out with the other couple, we decided the best course of action would be to divide our time, and visit the new capital of Greece as well as the old capital of Greece.
This is how we ended up spending five nights in Nafplio, the capital of the First Hellenic Republic 1821-1834.

After scouring the internet for lodging in or around Nafplion, the gods smiled upon us, and we discovered an offer on Luxury Link for the Nafplia Palace Hotel & Villas Nafplia Palace Hotel & Villas - Ancient history, modern luxury - Homepage.

I was brought up to believe that if something looks too good to be true, it probably is. As such, I was quite skeptical of what we would discover once we arrived in Nafplio, because the price for this excursion was ridiculously affordable, and the implied amenities were luxurious indeed.

First, just getting to the Nafplia Palace Hotel & Villas is an adventure all its own.
If you’re driving, you have to make your way up a steep, meandering, and often narrow-enough-for-one-vehicle street, until you reach the top. If you want to take the elevator up from street level, then you have to walk through an illuminated cave cut into the rock, reminiscent of James Bond back in the days of Goldfinger or From Russia with Love.

The property itself is nestled under the ancient walls of a castle, overlooking the bay of Argolis, and the old town of Nafplio. It is the perfect blend of history, culture, luxury, and modern day amenities.

As you exit the elevator from street level, you are met with a view of the infinity pool overlooking the bay, and the old executioner’s fort. The view itself is in one word…breathtaking. I would readily wager any amount that it is in the top three best views in all of Greece. Even before seeing the villas, we were already blown away.

As we went to check in, Anastasia, the desk clerk, informed us we had been upgraded to a presidential villa, and a villa with an outdoor Jacuzzi respectively, and breakfast would be included for our entire party throughout the stay. That’s what I call starting one’s vacation off on the right foot.

The villas were everything Luxury Link described and more. From wall to ceiling windows overlooking the marina and the bay, to the newest gadgets, and some of the most comfortable beds in all of Europe, it was an unforgettable vacation, and we are sure to return to both Nafplio and the Nafplia Palace Hotel & Villas in the near future.

Needless to say, we racked up a lifetime’s worth of memories during our five day stay in Nafplio, enjoying everything from the accommodations, to the view, to the history, to the people, to the food, to the atmosphere.


Photos courtesy of nafpliapalace.gr