Karathona

Located to the south of the city of Nafplio, Karathona Beach ­­­­­­­­­­­– also called Paralia Karathonas and Karathonas Beach – is a popular, long, and crescent-shaped beach with light brown sand, many small pebbles, and nearby mountains.  

Karathona Beach has received the Blue Flag designation due to its cleanliness.

Karathona Beach has many amenities including lifeguards on a seasonal basis, showers, restrooms, volleyball courts, and rental facilities for sunbeds, umbrellas, and water sports equipment which are available mostly in the summers.

Karathona Beach offers many fun activities including sunbathing, rock climbing, fishing, wildlife watching, swimming, kayaking, scuba diving, canoeing, windsurfing, kitesurfing, snorkeling, paddleboarding, boating, flyboarding, surf-skiing, jet-skiing, water-skiing, wakeboarding, and parasailing.   Karathona Beach is ideal for beginner snorkelers, swimmers, kayakers, canoers, and paddleboarders because the water here is usually clear, shallow, and calm.  If you are planning to swim, kayak, canoe, scuba dive, paddleboard, or snorkel near Karathona Beach, we recommend being careful because the water here can have unpredictable rip currents.  In addition, the water here also has sea anemones, jellyfish, and stinging seaweed that can cause painful stings.

If you like rock climbing, the cliff sides near Karathona Beach are popular rock-climbing sites for advanced climbers.

Karathona Beach does not offer wheelchair access for visitors with disabilities.

Getting to Karathona Beach is easy – this beach is easily accessible from the nearby city of Karathona.  As an alternate access option, you can also access Karathona Beach by walking south along a three-kilometer-long trail that starts from another separate beach named Arvanitia Beach.

There are multiple free parking lots near Karathona Beach, along with multiple free street parking spaces nearby. 

We recommend visiting Karathona Beach early during summers because this beach can get crowded.

If you like taking pictures with beautiful views, Karathona Beach offers amazing Instagram-worthy views of the eastern Peloponnese shoreline, the nearby fortress of Palamidi, and the Argolic Gulf. 

There are many attractions near Karathona Beach.  Palamidi is a fortress that was built by the Venetian rulers of the Peloponnese region in 1714 – this fort has a chapel and a former prison.  Nafplio’s Syntagma Square (also called Syndagma Square) is a popular site that has many beautiful historic buildings around it and it also has many shops and restaurants near it.  National Gallery – Department of Nafplio is an art gallery that has many interesting artworks that mainly depict the Greek fight for freedom from Turkish rule – in addition, this museum also offers educational programs for kids.  The Archaeological Museum of Nafplion is set in a Venetian-style early 18th-century building and it has many interesting exhibitions on Greek history – the museum has many interesting artifacts and the most famous antique here is the “Dendra” armor from the Mycenaean era.  If you are looking for another attraction near Karathona Beach, Kolokotronis Park is a recreational park that has the statue of Greek revolutionary Theodoros Kolokotronis and it also has many amenities including gardens, walking paths, benches, a pond, and a playground.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Karathona Beach.  Valaora Restaurant serves a variety of delicious Greek and Mediterranean dishes with modern culinary influences including seafood, poultry dishes, salads, pastas, steaks, and moussaka.  Pidalio is a popular restaurant that serves amazing barbecued dishes, chicken, Greek and Mediterranean cuisine, salads, and seafood.  Alaloum Restaurant offers amazing views of the Mediterranean Sea and is known for serving outstanding Greek and Mediterranean dishes including barbecued seafood, pastas, salads, and souvlakis.  Scuola Pizza is known for serving outstanding pizza and it also serves other excellent dishes including pasta, calzones, steaks, and risotto.  If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Karathona Beach,  Sambala Beach Bar Restaurant that serves delicious salads, pizzas, pastas, burgers, and Greek dishes.

If you are looking for a hotel near Karathona Beach, there are many great nearby options.  The 5-Star Nafplia Palace Hotels & Villas offers many amenities including multiple pools, rental services for yachts and cars, helicopter transport services, and multiple restaurants and bars.  Another upscale hotel is the 4-Star Grand Sarai Nafplio that offers many amenities including a bar, a patio, a common area with board games and magazines, loaner facilities for beach towels and umbrellas, and complimentary breakfast.  Another great and popular hotel is the 4-Star Amalia Hotel Nafplio that offers many amenities including a restaurant, a pool, a lounge bar, a café, a seasonal barbecue, a garden, a gym, and tennis courts.  If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Karathona Beach, 3-Star Hotel Tolo offers many amenities including a lounge, bar, restaurant, and a garden.