Historic Nafpaktos makes an ideal short family escape, with safe pedestrian streets, playgrounds and family hotels beneath its castle.
The castle looks out over the Rio–Antirrio Bridge to the mountains of the Peloponnese. If children grow bored, a leisure park on the Evinos River also lies close by.
Why historic Nafpaktos suits families
In the heart of historic Nafpaktos, children’s voices echo along the Grimbovo promenade. Large plane trees, planted in the 1950s, shade the walkway, while their cool air mixes with the sea breeze.
Along the clear water, friends linger over coffee or a meal, gazing at the open horizon and the bridge. Since adults and children do not keep separate hours here, everyone enjoys the day together.
All year round, Grimbovo beach delivers everything that makes children happy.
A stroll around the old Venetian port
Families fill Instagram with photos as they tour the Venetian harbour of historic Nafpaktos, which curves like an embrace.
Its mouth measures about 35 metres. In the past, a thick chain closed it off to invaders, while Venetian towers still rise on both arms.
On the western arm stands the statue of the fireship captain Giorgos Anemogiannis. Right beside it, a park holds a bust of Miguel de Cervantes. The author of Don Quixote fought at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571, losing the use of his left hand.
Outside the walls, Psani also offers a second big town beach, a fine spot for a seaside walk.
At the tip of the eastern arm, near the lighthouse, rises the Fethiye Mosque. Built after Sultan Bayezid II captured historic Nafpaktos in 1499, it was the first mosque in town. Following restoration between 1999 and 2001, it opens its doors during summer.
Stylish restaurants and cafes also surround the harbour. Nearby, Stenopazaro, the old market street, leads to Agios Dimitrios church and the house of writer Georgios Athanasiadis-Novas.
Climbing to the castle on the hill
Ready for a climb? You can reach the castle entrance by car or on foot, through the old neighbourhoods of historic Nafpaktos.
Walkers may tire a little, though. Even so, the effort pays off, since the route takes children on a journey through the past. Remember sports shoes, because the cobbled paths inside get slippery, and keep younger children off the ramparts.
The hill above historic Nafpaktos first gained walls in the 5th century BC, with further work in Byzantine times. However, the castle owes its present form to the Venetians, who saw the site as vital against the Ottomans.
After taking the town, they added mighty walls, five defensive zones and about 30 towers. As a result, from 1407 to 1499 it was one of the few European castles with five rings of walls.
On foot, start at the Sideroporta gate near the Botsaris tower. Along the way, you pass fountains, stone houses of Souliot captains, the Ottoman bath and the restored house of Tzavelas.
Inside the old fortress of Lepanto, pines, cypresses and benches soften the stone. Higher up lie cisterns, tunnels, barracks and two chapels, while excavations have also uncovered an early Christian basilica and a mosque.
Finally, at the summit, known to the Turks as Its Kale, a small square overlooks historic Nafpaktos and the Corinthian Gulf.
Lepanto and 3,500 years of stories
During their rule, the Venetians called the town Lepanto. Its story spans about 3,500 years, and most accounts name the Ozolian Locrians as its first inhabitants.
Due to its strategic position, Athenians, Messenians, Thebans, Macedonians and others fought for it. After a long period in obscurity, it joined the Despotate of Epirus in 1204. About two centuries later, it passed to the Venetians.
In October 1571, historic Nafpaktos gave its name to one of the most important and bloodiest naval battles in history.
On one side stood the Ottoman fleet of Sultan Selim II, with about 300 ships. Opposite, the Holy League, built around Spain, Venice and the Papal States, sent about 200 ships. Don John of Austria commanded the allied fleet.
Although more than 30,000 men died on both sides, the allied victory proved decisive. It marked a turning point, because it halted Ottoman expansion towards Europe.
Back in town, the 15th- and 16th-century Botsaris Mansion hosts an exhibition on the Battle of Lepanto. After the town won its freedom in 1829, Augustinos Kapodistrias settled there. Later, the house passed to the Souliot general Notis Botsaris.
A drive around Lake Mornos
For something different, Lake Mornos offers a lesser-known road trip from historic Nafpaktos. Its dam, 126 metres tall, began operating in 1981 to supply Athens with water.
Starting from Lidoriki, about 60 kilometres from town, the road around the lake runs for about 70 kilometres. Along the route, short detours lead to villages such as Lefka, Doriko and Avoros, amid fir, oak and plane forests.
The real highlight, though, is Kallio, at the foot of the Vardousia mountains, with its ancient acropolis and spring. Once called Velouchi, it ranks among the oldest settlements of Roumeli.
When Lake Mornos filled, the old village sank beneath the water, so its residents moved uphill and built a new one. Down on the shore, children can also spot the stone houses of the drowned village rising from the water.
Source: travel.gr
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