Bourtzi

Bourtzi is a small island fortress standing in the harbour entrance of Nafplio, built in 1473 by the Venetians to control access to the Argolic Gulf. Its Renaissance walls passed through Venetian, Ottoman, and Greek hands over the centuries, and the structure served at different points as the residence of the town's executioner and as a hotel. Today it is accessible by short boat ride from the Nafplio waterfront and stays open until 21:00 from May through September. From the battlements, visitors look out across the bay to the hilltop Palamidi fortress and the old town below — a genuinely rare vantage point that rewards the ten-minute crossing.