Nafpaktos

Nafpaktos, also known as Lepanto, is a small city in western Greece near the western entrance of the Corinthian Gulf. Positioned between Delphi and Olympia, it is an ideal base for daily excursions towards central Greece, the Ionian Islands and the Peloponnese via the Rio-Antirio bridge, the largest cable-stayed bridge in the world. Throughout its history Nafpaktos was a city of great importance because of its strategic position. The city originally was a shipyard, hence the name Nafpaktos, a compound word which means "builder of ships"  from the words Nafs and Pignimi. Today the city is a very popular tourist destination in Greece although it is somewhat unknown to the rest of the world even though it hosted one of the greatest naval battles in history. Nafpaktos is the capital of the municipality of Nafpaktia, a region of vast mountainous territory that merges with the sea, a land privileged enough to combine both natural environments in such a picturesque way. 

History

The first documented historical event that mentions Nafpaktos is that of 1104 BC, when the Dorians arrived in Nafpaktos and build ships to pass the Corinthian Gulf, in order to reach the Peloponnese. 
In 454 BC, the Athenians, led by Admiral Tolmidi, occupy and colonize the city with their allies, the Messinians. Eventually the Messinians were forced to flee Nafpaktos after the historical defeat of the Athenians by the Spartans wich ended the Peloponnesian war. At the city's peak, it became the capital of the Aitoliki Alliance. The city's important strategical position had everything to do with its prosperity but was also its curse. In the years to come Nafpaktos came under the rule of the Romans. In post-Christian centuries, enemy attacks deriving from the Huns, the Slavs, the Bulgarians and the Saracens, plundered the region, leaving a devastated city and financial ruin behind them. Only after the year 1210 when the city became a part of the dominion of Ipirus, Nafpaktos starts to recover.

In 1407 the city is conquered by the Venetians. The Venetians immediatly started a large scale construction project that included new state and house buildings, trade stations, warehouses and much more. The most important Venetian contribution was that of the reconstruction of  the city's castle to the form we see today. After 92 years of Venetian occupasion the city is yet again conquered, this time by the Ottomans who on their part built the castles of Rio and Antirio.

A landmark in the history of Nafpaktos is the year 1571. In the marine area, once known as the Gulf of Lepanto, took place one of the greatest naval battles of world's history, the "Battle of Lepanto". 

The Ottoman Empire's expansion towards the Mediterranean  began to create problems for Christian leaders in Europe. Aware of the Ottoman's intentions of dominating the west, the states of Venice, Spain, the Vatican and Malta created a fleet and with the blessing of Pope Pius, prepared to confront the Ottomans. The two naval powers finally met on October 7, 1571, the Gulf of Lepanto. The forces of the Christian fleet won one of the greatest battles against the Ottomans. In the year 1699 Nafpaktos is recaptured by the Ottomans and is led to decline. Nafpaktos was finally led to freedom during the years of the Greek revolution  in 1829 by Augustine Capodistrias.

Must see

Nafpaktos

The most striking part of the city is the picturesque Venetian port. Walk through the beautiful streets of the old city around the port and into the street "stenopazaro" until Botsaraika neighborhood. The port connects the city's two beaches bordering the Corinthian Gulf, the east called Gribovo and the west called Psani. The city's beaches are renowned for their unique plane trees that grow next to the beach because of the freshwater in the region. Enjoy the spectacular views in Gribovo towards the Rio-Antirio bridge and the Venetian Castle. The Castle of Nafpaktos is one of the best preserved examples of castle architecture in Europe. It is built on the hill above the town and  'embraces' the city with two arms of stone that extend to the port.


Rio - Antirio bridge

The Rio-Antirion Bridge connects western Greece with the Peloponnese and is world's longest cable-stayed bridge. A once 45 minute ferry trip ride from Antirio to Rio can now be accomplished in two minutes. The bridge is located 10 kilometers west of Nafpaktos and literally connects Nafpaktos to western Peloponnese's largest city, Patra, which is only 15 minutes away. The port of Patra is the largest port in western Greece and is a gateway to western Europe. The bridge is at the junction of two large national roads,  the highway connecting the three biggest Greek cities, Patras, Athens, Thessalonica, and the Ionian Road, the highway that runs through the western regions of the country. A walk on the bridge's pedestrian walkway over the Corinthian Gulf is highly recommended. 

Villages around Nafpaktos

Monastiraki and Hiliadou

Just ten kilometers east of Nafpaktos on the road to Delphi are two seaside villages, Monastiraki and Hiliadou. Monastiraki is a one of the most beautiful villages of the Corinthian Gulf  with an amphitheatical landscape and a traditional character. Hiliadou is a very popular summer destination with a well organised beach with taverns and bars.

Ano Hora and Kato Hora

The region of Nafpaktia is mostly mountainous with hundreds of villages amongst the beautiful landscape. The largest mountain village of Nafpaktia is Ano Hora. At an altitude of 1050 meters,  Ano Hora is built on the hillside of mount Korakas. The village is surrounded with pine and chestnut trees. Taverns and hotels coexist harmoniously with the stone houses and tiled roofs  within the village. Enjoy the sounds of nature with the image of a forgotten Greece where man and nature live in harmony. On the other side of Ano Hora at a distance of 5 km is Kato Hora, a small traditional village worth a visit. 

How to get to Nafpaktos

From Athens, the easiest way to reach Nafpaktos is to follow the Athens-Patra national road and just before arriving to Patra, take the exit towards the Rio Antirio bridge. After crossing the bridge turn right on the first exit. Nafpaktos is located 224 kilometers west of Athens. If you are arriving to Greece from Italy, the Port of Patras is only 15 kilometers away.

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