Karathona: The long sandy beach of Nafplio
Swimming in Nafplio means Karathona, a long sandy beach with beautiful natural scenery that contrasts with the surrounding mountains.
There you meet all kinds of people, locals, greek visitors, foreign tourists, groups of young people, couples, families, babies, elderly people, everyone goes there. It is also shallow which makes it suitable for small children.
The best time to enjoy it is in the afternoon as the sun sets right in front of you creating a magical atmosphere. Many people sit after sunset until nightfall and continue swimming in the landscape that has been painted red.
It has canteens and beach bars the most famous being Utopia and Asimakopoulos. I always sit next to Asimakopoulos — not under his umbrellas, I have mine — but I enjoy the beats he plays. It also has a shower so that's convenient.
There is generally no charge for beach umbrellas but you have to make an order from the bar, which is normal since the people who frequent there are greeks and mainly locals from Nafplio. There are very few foreign tourists so this keeps the prices within a completely reasonable range.
In Shambala, in the middle of the beach, there are municipal showers.
The hotels I recommend you to stay at:
- (€€) Ilion Hotel (⭐ 9.1) a small luxury hotel that takes you back in time to the alleys of Nafplio
- (€) Althaia Pension (⭐ 9.0) a small hotel too with simple luxury in a historic building
- (€) Park Hotel (⭐ 8.5) I recommend it for cheaper stay in Nafplio old town
There is no shade so an umbrella is essential. In the morning some people sit in the shade of the palm trees. Parking is sufficient even on weekends in August I have not encountered a problem.
Caution is needed on the right side of the beach because from time to time there have been incidents of stings from sea anemones, in some cases requiring the patient to be transported to the hospital.
To get there follow the signs for Palamidi - Karathona, go up the uphill street 25th March in the Pronoia area.
The advantages in brief:
- it is a closed bay and is protected from all winds except the western
- you can see the sunset in front of you so you can sit until the last light of day
- the beach is shallow and sandy suitable for children
- the landscape is untouched by man since it has no cottages or hotels
And the disadvantages:
- I don't consider the beach particularly clean at least for my taste
- It is often filled with the smell of garbage from the nearby dump
Below I made a map with the exact location of the beach.
