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With a history of 3,500 thousand years, Nafpaktos immediately wins the visitor with its small and picturesque Venetian harbour, the imposing and well-preserved castle, the beautiful old town and the long beaches overlooking Achaia and the impressive Rio Antirio bridge…
History of Nafpaktos
The history of Nafpaktos begins somewhere in 1,500 BC when the Dorians stopped there in order to build the fleet they needed to cross to the opposite coast of the Peloponnese.
Its prominent geographical position at the entrance of the Corinthian Gulf made it a bone of contention both in antiquity and in post-Christian times.
During the 15th century it was conquered by the Venetians and finally liberated by the Greeks only in 1829.
The Battle of Nafpaktos and Don Quixote
A landmark date in the history of Nafpaktos and the whole of Europe is the 7th of October 1571 when in the Bay of Nafpaktos the united European fleet achieves an overwhelming victory against the hitherto dominant Turkish fleet, thus ending its domination of the Mediterranean waters and any aspirations the Ottoman Empire had at that time for its expansion in the Western world. (Read more about the Battle of Nafpaktos in the Wikipedia article).
In fact, the then infamous Spanish sailor and later famous author of “Don Quixote”, (full title:“The imaginative, eupatric Don Quixote of Mancha“), Miguel de Cervantes, fought in it.
From the frigate Marquesa he fought heroically against the Ottomans and was seriously wounded in his left arm, which has been paralyzed ever since.
He was decorated and continued his military career for several more years until he decided to take up novel writing.
Today’s Nafpaktos is a relatively small but beautiful town, with a large part of it built amphitheatrically on the slopes of a green and pine-covered hill, on which the impressive castle dominates.
Castle of Nafpaktos
It is one of the largest and best preserved castles in Greece which, after many interventions over the centuries, reached its present form at the beginning of the 16th century.
It can be easily accessed by car, although it is best to start from the Venetian harbour and drive up to the castle through the old town with its flowered courtyards and stone cobbled streets.
You will see from the impressive white-washed old mansion of the Botsaris family, now a private museum, and you will cross one of the gates with the old wooden gate, battered by would-be conquerors.
In the middle of the route you will find two or three cafes with excellent views of the city and the Peloponnese, while from there you will continue on the road walking in the shade of dozens of pine trees. After a few hundred meters you will reach the main entrance of the castle. It is sure that the unique view will reward you for the effort to get there.
Then visit the small and beautiful Venetian port, which was the first level of the city’s defensive fortification and have your coffee or drink in one of the many tasteful cafes overlooking either the
the bridge at the Rio Antirio
or the illuminated castle and the picturesque little houses hanging below.
Accommodation in Nafpaktos
See the available hotels and compare prices and reviews written by other visitors of Nafpaktos through booking.com (Nafpaktos)
Access and distances to Nafpaktos
The distance Athens-Navpaktos is 218 km via the Athens-Patras highway and the bridge of Rio Antirio, while if you prefer the route that passes through Arachova and Delphi then you will travel 281 km.
Access to Nafpaktos, if you are coming from Athens, can be made by following the Athens-Patras highway and crossing the Rio Antirio bridge . An alternative, more time-consuming but beautiful route (now with the works on the Athens-Patras road it may be shorter) is the one that passes through Arachova , the Delphi , Itea and the Galaxidi !
From the capital of Achaia, Patras, Nafpaktos is only 24 km away.
text/photos: Yannis Tsouratzis
Photos from Nafpaktos
Map of Nafpaktos
Δειτε φωτογραφίες από την Γέφυρα στο
Ρίο-Αντίρριο “Χαρίλαος Τρικούπης”
Castle of Nafpaktos, Δράκου, Μποτσαρέικα, Municipality of Nafpaktia, Aetolia-Acarnania Regional Unit, Western Greece, Peloponnese, Western Greece and the Ionian, 30300, Greece
Useful phone numbers Nafpaktos (26340)
- Health Centre : 23690
- Police of Nafpaktos : 27258
- Traffic Police of Nafpaktos : 27258
- Fire brigade : 22199
- Antirrio Port Station : 31296
- Nafpaktos bus station : 27453
Accommodation in Nafpaktos
See the available hotels and compare prices and reviews written by other visitors of Nafpaktos through booking.com (Nafpaktos)
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