OVERVIEW
This trip is ideal for guests that will visit Greece and they want to combine – the most visited Archeological sites of the country – Athens – 2 or 3 Islands.
Well, if your flight from Greece back to your country is a late afternoon flight, we recommend you to stay once you arrive in Athens – if your flight back to your country is an early morning flight, we recommend you to stay that last days of your vacation in Athens.
Let’s consider that in any case, you prefer to play safe and spend the last days of your vacation in Athens, avoiding the pressure of the last day trip from any destination to the airport…. (click on the maps for directions)
Once you land at Athens airport, rent a car and drive to Nafplio.
Once you are in Nafplio, you can spend the evening in the city, walking around the old city centre and the port and rest. We recommend you to stay 2 to 3 days in Nafplio, so that you will have enough time to visit the Mycenae Archeological site, the Epidaurus Ancient Theatre and of course to explore the city. You can read information regarding the city’s landmarks here. You can read information about the beaches here. You can find photos of the city here.
Below you can find the maps and directions to visit Mycenae Archeological site and Epidaurus Ancient Theatre from Nafplio city.
Mycenae:
Epidaurus:
After your 2 or 3 days stay in Nafplio, having the chance to visit two of the most visited Archeological sites of the country, your next destination is Spetses island.
Spetses is one of the most beautiful islands of the Argosaronic Gulf. It is a small island with almost zero cars. You can enjoy the amazing beaches of the island and walk to the old port which is very romantic. From Nafplio you have to drive until Kosta port.
You can safely park your car at Kosta Port – Parking. From there, you get the taxi-boat to Spetses island and in almost 10 minutes you will arrive at Spetses port. (there is no need to make a reservation – there are always available taxi – boats).
The closest beach is Agia Marina beach. If you like riding, you can hire bikes or motorbikes and drive to back side of the island at the Agioi Anargiroi beach. Do not miss the chance to enjoy fresh seafood at Patralis restaurant.
We recommend you to spend 1 or 2 days to Spetses, so that you will have enough time to enjoy the island. (find a property in Spetses here).
Next destination is Hydra island. From Spetses, you get again the taxi boat and you arrive back to Kosta port. From there, you drive to Metochi – it is a port from where you will take a boat to Hydra island (it is a 20 minutes trip by boat to reach the island). You could also take a boat to Hydra island from Ermioni port, but we recommend Metochi for 2 reasons – first because the daily boat trips to Hydra are more than from Ermioni port plus it is closer to your next destination, after Hydra island. (you can find information for the boat trips to Hydra here).
Check below the location of the Metohi port :
Hydra island belongs to Argosaronic Gulf islands and it is very unique as per its beauty. Small, without cars, with an amazing downtown. You can walk all the small pedestrians streets around the port – downtown or get the local bus to visit the beaches. Do not miss to visit the Gatto Nero Hydra restaurant!
We recommend you to stay 1 to 2 nights. (find a property in Hydra here).
The next destination is Poros island. From Hydra, you get again a boat and you arrive back to Metochi port. From there, you drive towards Poros island – follow the directions to Galatas port:
From Galatas port, you take a boat and in 1 minute you will arrive to Poros island.
Sightseeing is few in Poros island. Apart from a picturesque town, Poros also has fantastic beaches with lush greenery and blue-green waters. Love Bay and Askeli are the two most important beaches on the island, although there are many other nice green coves for a swim.
We recommend you to stay 1 or 2 days. (find a property in Poros here).
Then, your next destination is Athens. You get the boat from Poros to Galatas and then you drive towards Athens.
Once you are in Athens – we recommend you to stay 2 to 4 nights for sure – so that you will have enough time to visit all the Archeological sites (The Acropolis, the Theatre of Herodes Atticus, the Ancient Cemetery of Kerameikos, the Filopappos Hill, the Ancient Agora, the Stoa of Attalos, the Temple of Hephaestus, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, the Panathenaic Stadium, the Roman Agora, the Arch of Hadrian, the Theatre of Dionysus, – all of these archeological places are located next to the downtown. You can also visit the Temple of Sounion).
Regarding your accommodation in Athens we suggest the following areas/locations:
If you prefer to stay close to the downtown (Psiri, Filopappou, Thiseio, Petralona) – you can use public transportation
If you prefer to stay close to the downtown but not exactly at the town centre (Abelokipoi, Panoromou, Neos Kosmos) – you can use public transportation.
If you prefer a more high end location (Kifisia, Marousi) – you can use public transportation.
If you prefer to stay close to the sea across (Palaio Faliro, Alimos, Glifada, Voula) – you recommend you to rent a car.
Booking.comFAQ
Is this tour for me?
Well, if you really want to visit the must visited archeological sites of the country and enjoy some of the most beautiful places of the country (Nafplio, Spetses, Hydra, Poros), yes, this tour is for you.
How many days shall I stay in the country?
We recommended you for each destination the number of the days that we believe are more than enough for you – if you have more days available, Nafplio, Athens and Spetses are the places that worth to stay more.
Is it safe to drive all these areas?
It is totally safe! You will enjoy for sure driving around all these places.
Is it suitable for families with kids?
Yes, of course! It will be a very nice experience for you and your family! All these areas are totally families friendly.
Do you think renting a car is better than using public transportation?
Honestly, we would not choose this trip if we did not want to rent a car. (We hope that is helpful for you).
Well, we hope that this page is useful for you! Do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or if you want us to support you. By the way, we can also support you with your accommodation. We operate family holiday apartments in Nafplio. Review our properties here. If you decide that you want a newly renovated apartment for your holidays that can easily accommodate 2 to 4 guests, just contact us:
via email at vida@vida-hospitality.com or by filling our contact form here or if you prefer the fastest reply, call us at +30-6979005260 or text us on whatsapp here.
You can read from our guests how we added value to their vacation here.
If you want to know more about our apartments, you can read some answers to your potential questions here or read more about us here.
