With its pastel-painted mansions, palm-lined promenade, and grand Venetian fortress, Nafplio is often called one of the prettiest towns in mainland Greece – and for good reason. Perched on the Argolic Gulf, it was modern Greece’s first capital and today remains a favorite weekend escape for Athenians, as well as the perfect base for exploring the northeastern Peloponnese.

But Nafplio is more than just charming. It sits at the heart of the Argolid, a region rich in archaeological treasures and steeped in mythology. This is the cradle of Mycenaean civilization (c. 1750–1050 BC) – the first advanced and distinctively Greek culture on the mainland, and the setting for many of the myths later immortalized in Homer’s “Iliad” and “Odyssey.” It was here that Heracles battled the Nemean Lion and the Lernaean Hydra, and where the fabled King Agamemnon ruled over a mighty Bronze Age empire. According to Homer, Agamemnon led the united Greek forces to Troy – a tale that fired the imagination of pioneering archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann, who came to these hills in search of Homeric truth.

Within half an hour’s drive from the town, travelers can explore a remarkable cluster of ancient sites – some world-famous, others blissfully overlooked. Whether you’re an armchair archaeologist or simply curious, these day trips promise not just ruins, but stories waiting to be uncovered.

Mycenae: Agamemnon’s Hilltop Citadel

No archaeological journey from Nafplio is complete without a visit to Mycenae – the legendary stronghold of King Agamemnon. Just 23km from town and perched on a rocky spur overlooking the Argive plain, this Bronze Age citadel still radiates the grandeur of the Age of Heroes.

Visitors enter through the iconic Lion Gate, its monumental lintel stone topped with two carved lions (or lionesses?) – the oldest known monumental sculpture in Europe (c. 1250 BC). Inside the Cyclopean walls lie the remains of palatial buildings, workshops, and the royal cemetery known as Grave Circle A, where, in the 1870s, Schliemann unearthed tombs, dazzling treasures, and golden death masks, believing he’d found Agamemnon himself.

Just outside the walls, don’t miss the so-called Treasury of Atreus – a towering tholos tomb with a beehive-shaped chamber and a lintel block weighing over 120 tons. Nearby stands the Tomb of Clytemnestra, named after Agamemnon’s wife, another marvel of Mycenaean engineering.

An excellent on-site museum showcases key finds from the citadel and surrounding tombs, helping to bring the world of Homer’s “gold-rich Mycenae” vividly to life. Arrive early to avoid the heat, wear good walking shoes, and be sure to explore the deep stairway to the fortress’s underground cistern – long associated with the founding hero Perseus.

Tiryns: Cyclopean Might

If Mycenae is the crown jewel of the Late Bronze Age, Tiryns is its architectural rival. Located just 4km from Nafplio, on the road to Argos, this sprawling citadel is encircled by megalithic walls so colossal that later Greeks believed they’d been built by the Cyclopes – think Polyphemus in Homer’s “Odyssey.”

Tiryns may lack Mycenae’s dramatic hillside setting, but step inside and you’ll find a layout no less impressive: long corbel-vaulted galleries, a partially preserved “megaron” (audience hall), and a network of storerooms, ramps, and underground passages that supported a bustling palace economy.

Myth links the citadel to the divine hero Heracles, who carried out some of his Labors at the behest of King Eurystheus. It’s easy to picture the demi-god pacing these stone corridors before battling the Hydra or wrestling the Nemean Lion.

Though Schliemann dug briefly here, it was fellow German archaeologist Wilhelm Dörpfeld who, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, revealed Tiryns’ full scale. The walls – over 7m thick in places – have withstood more than 3,000 years of earthquakes, floods, and neglect.

More intimate than Mycenae, Tiryns is often blissfully quiet. Wander the lower and upper citadel, duck into galleries, and let your imagination do the rest.

For our in-depth guide to Tiryns, click here. 

Ancient Nemea: Temples, Games, and Wine

Some 43km north of Nafplio lies Nemea – once sacred to Zeus and host of the famed Nemean Games, one of the four great Panhellenic Games of antiquity. Today, it’s a serene valley where vine-covered hills cradle some of Greece’s finest ruins and boldest red wines. It’s the perfect outing for those who like their archaeology with a cheeky glass of Agiorgitiko!

Start at the archaeological site, where eight reconstructed columns of the late 4th-century BC Temple of Zeus rise from a field of wild grasses. Nearby, the ancient stadium – complete with its stone seating and vaulted athletes’ tunnel – once welcomed competitors from across the Greek world. Every four years, footraces are still reenacted here in barefoot tribute.

Myth holds that Heracles performed his first Labor here, wrestling the invincible Nemean Lion. The nearby baths, priests’ residences, and early Christian basilica round out the site.

The excellent on-site museum ties it all together, before you head off for a tasting at one of the region’s celebrated wineries – Megas Oenos, Palivos, Semeli, and Gaia Estate among them. Book ahead if you can. The archaeological site itself is flat, family-friendly, and criminally under visited.

Check out our guide to ancient Nemea and local winetasting here.

Prehistoric Lerna: Where the Hydra Dwelled

Just 10km south of Argos and a 20-minute drive from Nafplio, the coastal site of Lerna is also overlooked – but it shouldn’t be. This was the mythic lair of the multi-headed Hydra, vanquished by Heracles in his second Labor. It’s also one of the most significant prehistoric sites in Greece.

Excavations in the 1950s revealed over 5,000 years of continuous habitation, from the Neolithic to the Early Bronze. The star attraction is the so-called “House of Tiles,” a corridor-style building from around 2500 BC – two stories tall, with wide rooms, staircases, and thousands of clay roof tiles. Archaeologists believe it may have served as the residence of a local ruler. After its fiery destruction, it was buried under a great tumulus, possibly as a mark of reverence or awe, or fear.

In antiquity, Lerna sat beside a marshy lake believed to be bottomless – an entrance to the Underworld. Though the lake has long since dried, the mystery lingers in the landscape.

Finds from the site are housed in the nearby Archaeological Museum of Argos, making Lerna a must for mythology fans and prehistory buffs.

Check out our in-depth guide to Lerna here.

For the Adventurous

If you’ve ticked off the big four and you’re still craving adventure, the Argolid has plenty of lesser-known sites to reward the curious traveler. Just north of Tiryns, the hilltop citadel of Midea still lies mostly unexcavated – a rugged outpost of Mycenaean power with vast Cyclopean walls and panoramic views. Its strategic location may have allowed for line-of-sight communication with Mycenae and Tiryns, functioning as a Bronze Age “early-warning system.” Bring hiking shoes and your imagination.

Nearby, in the olive-strewn countryside, is the cemetery of Dendra, where a full panoply of bronze Mycenaean armor was discovered in 1928 – now on display in the fabulous Nafplio Archaeological Museum. Several tholos and chamber tombs remain open to explore.

Further south, Asini offers a coastal detour: its clifftop ruins once housed a Mycenaean acropolis mentioned by Homer and were later fortified by Italian troops during WWII. For a deeper dive into antiquity, the town of Argos itself is well worth a visit – home to a vast ancient theater, agora ruins, and the commanding Byzantine-Venetian Larisa fortress. Finally, catch the sunset at the Heraion of Argos, a peaceful hillside sanctuary dedicated to Hera, queen of the gods.

Travel Tips and Pairings

To get the most out of your Argolid adventure, rent a car. Public transport exists but is patchy, and many of the lesser-known sites are poorly served. With your own wheels (and access to a GPS), you’re free to roam from citadel to vineyard to coastal ruin – and back in time.

Spring and autumn offer the best conditions: clear skies, mild temperatures, and wildflowers or grape harvests depending on the season. In summer, aim for early starts; by midday, the stones can feel oven-hot. Bring sturdy shoes, a hat, and plenty of water – not all sites have shade or facilities.

Pairings? Mycenae and Tiryns can be comfortably explored in one day. Nemea makes a lovely half-day trip, especially with a winery stop – call ahead to book tastings. Lerna is perfect before or after lunch in the adjacent coastal village of Myloi, or a swim at the nearby beach.

Back in Nafplio, the Archaeological Museum in Syntagma Square is a must. Housed in a handsome Venetian arsenal, its upstairs gallery contains glittering Mycenaean finds from all the sites mentioned – including the bronze armor from Dendra.

And if you’re peckish? Skip the polished menus in the Old Town and head for the rustic tavernas in the nearby villages – Nea Tiryntha, Kefalari, or to the outskirts of Argos – where the lamb is local and the olives legendary.