Greece’s Peloponnese region is the European getaway you can’t afford to miss | Canada Voices

To reach Neraki Beach from our rental apartment in Nafplio, Greece, we walk down a series of steep, narrow lanes. Fuchsia bougainvillea flare out from white plaster walls, plucky street cats approach at almost every corner and the emphatic conversations of yiayias – Greek for “grandmothers” – ring between shaded balconies as we make our way toward the Argolic Gulf, which pokes up into the Peloponnese peninsula from the Mediterranean.

At the base of the hill that leads into our neighbourhood, Pronia, whose name is derived from a word that means “to provide for,” we buy cherries and apricots at the busy biweekly market where farmers also sell honey, olives and wine.

Turning onto a leafy path, we pass the 857 vertiginous stone steps switchbacking up to the Palamidi, a sprawling 18th-century fortress that presides over this small city, then pause to feed some cats in the parking lot of Nafplio’s main beach, where packs of teenagers splash in the waves and the resto-bar is blasting Europop. Fifteen minutes farther along the cliff-lined shore, we’re at Neraki, a rocky crescent-shaped cove.

It’s early afternoon, searing sun, 30 degrees. Dropping my towel, I dash into the sea. My wife, Lisa, and our twin daughters, Daisy and Maggie, soon follow. Other than one other family and a young couple, we’re the only people here.

“Everywhere we go on this trip,” Lisa says, floating on her back in the turquoise water, “is the most beautiful place I’ve ever been.”

Our holiday in June was a university graduation gift for the girls. Mostly campers and road trippers, we wanted something exotic but also easy and affordable. Compared to prices at home in Ottawa and in much of Europe, the Peloponnese is reasonable. Plus, we had a connection.

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One of my sisters-in-law is first-generation Greek-Canadian, with family in the region. She told us about Nafplio, which draws mostly domestic tourists. A two-hour drive from Athens, it has the charms of the Greek islands – postcard-perfect beaches, dreamy tavernas, a historic car-free downtown – without the costs or ferry logistics.

Vacationing with young adult children can be tricky. Everybody wants something different. Daisy is fascinated by ancient mythology. Maggie loves cats. Lisa and I are runners and hikers. We all like to eat and drink. After seeing pictures of Nafplio, we were sold.

The view from our apartment terrace validates this choice. Stepping from the cool, marble interior into the brilliant afternoon, we look over a warren of red-clay roofs tumbling toward a slash of water. That evening, as the clouds turned pink over the silhouetted peaks in the distance, we eat juicy kebabs from a nearby grill house and are serenaded by bells and chanting from the church a couple blocks away.

My sister-in-law’s cousin, Stamati Stavrakis, took us out for dinner the next night. We met for drinks first at Skarpeta, a café/bar/restaurant (many eateries did all three) in a charming garden with a waterfall, the ruins of the 18^th century gate to the city and kittens.

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Born and raised in Toronto, Stavrakis moved to Nafplio after retiring a few years ago. “It’s too early for dinner,” he grumbles playfully at 8 p.m., leading us to his favourite restaurant in the adjacent Old Town, a bustling labyrinth of cobblestone pedestrian streets. “Greeks eat late. I’ve become a local.”

Sitting under a canopy of pink oleander in an alley outside Taverna Vyzantio, Stavrakis orders for us: Greek salad, calamari, meatballs, bread, wine. “The food is amazing,” he says, carving up the block of feta atop the salad, “and they charge village prices.” Mouths full, we nod in agreement. A similar meal would cost twice as much at a strip mall in Ottawa.

The consummate guide, Stavrakis also teaches us a few key phrases. Ola kala – “everything’s okay” – becomes our mantra.

Still stuffed the next morning, Lisa and I climb the stairs to the Palamidi and are rewarded with a vista of the Old Town and mountain-fringed bay. But we forgo the €20 entry fee (even though it’s one of the best-preserved fortresses in Greece) and walk down to another fortress.

Acronafplia, on a rocky headland, was the original settlement. People have been hunkering down here for centuries and we wander amid the remnants of Bronze Age walls, a Venetian castle and a graffiti-adorned post-Second World War hotel.

This rhythm of eating and exploring continues for the rest of our trip. One afternoon, we drive 40 minutes along the western side of the gulf to Paralio Astros, which is fronted by a wide sandy beach. At Thalassa (tag line: “all-day waterfront leisure”), we discover that umbrellas and lounge chairs are free with any order. Within minutes, we’re in the shade with a pail of ice, beer and cola, alternating between swimming, reading and petting the cats that saunter through.

Dinner that night is one the best of our lives. Stavrakis had recommended a restaurant called Liotrivi in the hills just outside Nafplio. Our table, on the edge of a patio across the road from a village square, overlooks a green valley. The sky is tinted crimson and fragrant purple jacaranda blossoms flutter onto our shoulders. Every dish is magnificent. Fried goat cheese, wrapped in phyllo and drizzled with honey, is the standout.

That might have been my holiday highlight, were it not for the day trip Stavrakis suggests. We drive to the village of Kosta and take a water taxi to Spetses, a small island with no private cars. Disembarking in the main (and only) town, we cool off with a swim, stroll along tiny streets and decide to circumnavigate the island by renting e-bikes.

None of us have ever ridden an e-bike before, but the instructions are clear and soon we’re zipping along the smooth blacktop of an empty coastal road, stopping at lookouts to gaze down at the sparkling sea. On the far side of Spetses, we descend to the shore, pull over at a beach, swim again, then order a round of iced coffees at the café.

“Ola kala,” Lisa says. “This might be the most beautiful place I’ve ever been.”

If you go

It’s an easy drive from the Athens airport to Nafplio. Frequent buses from central Athens take about two hours, with tickets starting at around $30. Accommodation in Nafplio is plentiful, both hotels and rental apartments. Availability and prices are better in May, June, September and October, when the weather is ideal for cold-blooded Canadians.

We loved our meals at Taverna Vyzantio and Liotrivi, takeout from Psito Lemoni – and Mouts Mouts was our favourite café (all located right in Nafplio, except Liotrivi, which is a 10-minute drive from the city centre). The timing didn’t work for us, but you can do a day-long boat tour from nearby Tolo that includes stops on Spetses and Hydra, another car-free island, for just €45 per adult.

We wish we had heeded my sister-in-law’s advice and packed fewer pairs of pants. Even in early June, it was hot. We also should have ordered fewer dishes at restaurants. Portions were large and we always had leftovers.