Nafpaktos, the Venetian Harbour Greece Doesn't Tell You About

In Nafpaktos the sea doesn't wait for you at the end of a stroll: it greets you at once, enclosed in a tiny crescent-shaped harbour sealed by two stone towers. Fishing boats bob beside the café tables, and the water is so close you could reach out from your glass. We're in Aetolia-Acarnania, on the northern shore of the Gulf of Corinth, far from the well-worn routes of the islands and the great archaeological sites.

The Venetian castle

Above the harbour climbs a Venetian castle, its walls rising in terraces up to the hilltop. It's a slow ascent, among lanes, stairways and houses looking out over the blue: each level opens a wider view of the gulf and, on clear days, of the mountains of the Peloponnese across the water. At the top the silence is almost total, broken only by the wind and the odd goat. Here the walls are not fenced off by ticket booths and crowds: you walk wherever you like, at your own pace.

The memory of Lepanto

Nafpaktos is also memory. In its waters, in 1571, was fought the famous naval battle that historians call Lepanto, the old name of the place. Today that same bay is a spot to sit and watch the sunset over fresh fish and ouzo, with nothing to hurry you. The prices are those of a real Greek town, not of a tourist destination.

When to go

To truly enjoy it, choose spring or autumn: the climate is mild, the Greeks are still at work and the terraces stay half-free. From here you can reach the nearby Rio-Antirio bridge, the quiet beaches of the coast and the inland mountain villages. Nafpaktos is not a stop to tick off: it's a place to slow down and let lesser-known Greece tell you its story in its own time.

Related guides: Less touristy Greek islands: where the sea stays authentic · Tired of Santorini? The Greek islands with the same blue domes and half the tourists.

Getting there

The nearest airport is Patras (Araxos), about forty kilometres away, from which buses run to Nafpaktos; alternatively you can arrive from Athens international airport, far better served, with a journey of around three hours by coach from the Kifissos station. By car the town is easily reached via the Rio-Antirrio bridge, which links the Peloponnese to mainland Greece just to the west, or along the coast of the Gulf of Corinth.

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