Bourtzi

What makes it special

Bourtzi is a small fortified islet at the mouth of Nafplio's harbour, and a characteristic piece of Venetian military architecture. From the boat you see an octagonal tower ringed by gun platforms, placed to command the narrow way into the port.

The name Bourtzi means island fortress. The Venetians once strung a great chain from the islet to the shore to close that entrance, and the harbour became known as the harbour of the chain.

Later the rock became the home of the town executioner and his family for some seventy years, set apart from Nafplio across the water.

Inside, the masonry is thick, there are only two points of entry, and the gun platforms serve as lookouts over the harbour and the gulf.

Visiting

Walk down to the quay along Akti Miaouli, on the seafront by the old town, where small passenger boats wait. The Ephorate of Antiquities lists the fortress as reached by boat from the harbour, and travel guides put the crossing at 10 to 20 minutes each way.

Guides say you pay the boatman separately from the castle ticket, and that in summer the boats leave about every half hour.

At the fortress, buy your entry and walk the ramparts at your own pace before you cross back to the quay.

Tips

The rock has no shade, so in July and August avoid the middle of the day and cross in the late afternoon instead.

For the classic view of the castle, stay on the waterfront at sunset, when Bourtzi sits lit on the water with the gulf behind it. Palamidi, the hilltop fortress above the town, also looks down on it.