Sun, sea and good food was on our mind when a good friend and I found ourselves pining for a sun-kissed week-end and decided, on the spur of a moment, to banish off any city blues and head down to Nafplio and check out its nearby sandy beaches . . . in the middle of February!
With an early Friday morning start we reached Breathtaking Nafplio in less than 2 ½ hours and after checking into the Byron Hotel, a lovely spotlessly clean and centrally located boutique hotel, we left Nafplio equipped with our beachwear and drove directly to Tolo beach, only about 7 km away!
Contrary to everything I had heard about Tolo in the past, I was amazed and thrilled to encounter an empty beach, clear blue skies, calm seas and bright sunshine that cheered us up and undoubtedly topped up our D vitamin in a few hours . . . something I found a bit mind boggling for that time of the year!
Making our arrival at the Tolo beach even nicer was finding the perfect parking spot, only a few steps away from The Steki seafront tavern where we ended up basking in the sun and enjoying drinks and tasty, fresh and well prepared food at reasonable prices . . . for three days in a row!!!
Although best known for its fresh seafood, the menu at The Steki has plenty of choices for all tastes . . . with lots of delish mezedes, salads & vegetarian dishes but also something for meat lovers, like the grilled sausages that we tried & were tops.
I also really liked the braised octopus with beans and the perfectly grilled fresh calamari with a simple green salad. If you feel like a nibble or a snack with a drink, order some local cheese with (or without) their thinly sliced fries that I thought could become quite addictive!
Apart from the food and the beachfront location, we really liked the impromptu music and singing by some of the locals . . . that I was told happens frequently but is also scheduled as entertainment on Sundays around lunchtime . . . when a reservation is highly recommended!
On a final note, please note that Tolo gets extremely crowded in the summer holiday season . . . but on sunny days leading up to late spring and summer it’s a great destination for a mini break and perhaps a whirlwind seafront adventure!
Nafplio though, even if it’s busy, will always remain as one of my all-time favorite getaway destinations (from Athens) . . . all year round!
