Highlight
Bourtzi Island Fortress
Take the five-minute boat to the Venetian sea castle in the middle of Nafplion harbour.
Typical duration
75 min
Price
€7 boat return + €7 entry (≈ $7.6)
From port
0.4 km / 0.2 mi
Transfer time
5 min
Indoor / Outdoor
outdoor
Queue risk
medium
🕐 Best time to visit
Morning or late afternoon; boats about every 30 minutes
Bourtzi is the little Venetian castle on an islet in the middle of Nafplion harbour, built in 1473 to guard the entrance with a chain stretched to the shore. Later it served as the home of the town's executioners and, in the 20th century, as a hotel. After a long restoration it reopened in 2023 with exhibition spaces and an accessible lift. The boat ride takes five minutes and leaves from the start of the harbour roughly every 30 minutes in summer; allow about an hour for the round trip and visit.
Getting there from the port
Walk to the boat jetty at the start of the harbour, then 5 minutes by boat