Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
driving the well-marked 2.5km to the car park at the highest citadel, passing en route a
clutch of nice cafés taking advantage of the view. At the summit are the remains of
Byzantine baths and an Ottoman mosque, both converted into chapels. The curtain
walls plunge down to the sea, enclosing the higher neighbourhoods and oval-shaped
old harbour in crab-claw fashion (you can climb each rampart for free), with the
original westerly gate giving access to Psáni beach.
Beaches
Most of the town centre faces long, developed beaches. The more popular and less
shaded west beach is
Psáni
, with its frontage road, Navmahías, lined with tavernas and
hotels. To the east is
Grímbovo
, more tranquil and lined with trees (and with easier
parking), where aqueducts bring mountain streams into gurgling fountains.
Thermon
About 16km northwest of Náfpaktos, following signs for “Thérmo 46”, you come to
the valley of the
Évinos River
and the small village of
Háni Baniás
. A farther 10km
northwest you reach
THÉRMO
, a small town with a pleasant plane-shaded square, a
filling station, bank ATMs, shops and tavernas. Of potentially more interest is
ancient
Thermon
(Tues-Sun 8.30am-3pm; free, photography forbidden), well signposted
1.5km southeast of the centre. This modest site, still under excavation, was the walled
political capital and main religious sanctuary of the Aetolians. The main temple,
c.1000 BC, orientated north-to-south rather than the usual west-to-east, was dedicated
to Apollo Thermios; just east lies an even older, smaller shrine to Apollo Lyseios, while
to the northwest are foundations of an Artemis temple. South of the main temple the
sacred spring still flows, still potable and, in season, full of frogs. Beyond the spring
extend two long
stoas
(with the occasional
exedra
), terminating at a
bouleuterion
. he
keeper will unlock the small, one-room museum, crammed with unlabelled.
3
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
NÁFPAKTOS AND AROUND
By bus
Náfpaktos has two bus stations: the KTEL
Etoloakarnanías at the corner of Manássi and Bótsari,
handling services to Pátra, and the KTEL Fokídhas on Asklipíou,
corner Kefalóvrysou, for eastward departures. Local blue-and-
white city bus #5 goes west frequently (6am-9pm) to Andírio
from where there are fast buses to Athens.
Destinations
Agrínio (2 daily Mon-Fri; 1hr 30min); Athens
(via Dhelfí & Thíva, 4 daily, 5hr; via Andírio-Río, 2 daily,
3hr); Dhelfí (4 daily; 3hr); Galaxídhi (4 daily; 1hr 15min);
Háni Baniás (2 daily; 30min); Lamía (2 daily; 3hr 30min);
Mesolóngi (3 daily Mon-Fri; 50min); Pátra (8 daily Mon-
Fri; 30min).
By car
A bypass road is theoretically in the works to siphon
of some of the heavy through traffic that dents the town's
considerable charm.
INFORMATION AND ACTIVITIES
Services
The post office is on Tzavéla just east of the
harbour; bank ATMs cluster further east on the same
boulevard. Market day is Sat (7-11am).
Rafting House Outdoor Activities
Háni Baniás
T
26340 26435,
W
raftinghouse.gr.
Offers 2hr rafting
trips on the Évinos River (primarily March-May; from €55/
person). Also runs climbing, horse riding and hiking trips
year-round.
ACCOMMODATION
Despite ten hotels and nearly as many rooms/apartments, accommodation
can be scarce in summer, and noisy at
mid-town.
Ì
Akti
T
26340 28464,
W
akti.gr.
To the east of the
centre, in the Grímbovo area, with gulf views from about
half the rooms, this pleasant place has an antique-
crammed lobby and an airy, cheerful breakfast salon.
Standard doubles were refurbished with butler sinks,
marble dresser tables and the like in 2008, while three
palatial rooftop suites are worth the splurge.
€70
Ilion
Daliáni 7
T
26340 21222.
About 250m inland, in
Botsaréïka at the base of the kástro, this hotel has the best
views in town from its rooms - redone in 2006 with mock-
antique furniture and wood floors - and from the terrace
bar, where a bacon-and-egg breakfast can be had, though
