Classic yachts, built for the pace of coastal cruising and designed to be looked at as much as sailed in, suit Nafplion better than almost any other Greek port. The town’s Venetian architecture, the mosque-turned-cinema in Syntagma Square, and the neoclassical mansions of the old town all share the same proportional discipline as a well-drawn classic hull. Arriving by water and mooring within sight of the Bourtzi fortress is the natural way to arrive, and the classic yachts available through Greek waters and accessible from Nafplion range from restored wooden caiques to large traditional gulets carrying twelve guests with the ease of a small hotel. Cabins have been brought up to modern standard: air conditioning, en-suite bathrooms, updated navigation and communication systems. Crews of three to seven include a skipper with Peloponnese coastal knowledge and a cook who sources from local markets. Rates begin at approximately 25,000 euros per week for a smaller wooden vessel and reach 150,000 euros for the largest and most refined examples. The advance provisioning allowance of roughly 30 percent covers fuel, provisioning, berthing and day expenses. Classic charters tend to move slowly and stay longer in each place, which suits the Argolic Gulf: there is enough to see at anchor in the gulf itself that a week can pass without needing to go further afield.
