Perivoli means ‘orchard’, and this terracotta-coloured hotel sits right among the orange and lemon groves, high on a hill above the handsome and historic town of Nafplio, with the Argolid Gulf sparkling behind. It’s the perfect setting for a taste of Greek history – besides neoclassical Nafplio, you’ve got ancient Mycenae, Epidavros, Nemea and Tiryns all within easy reach – combined with lazy days on the beach, exploring the region’s rolling Tuscan-like hills, or just chilling on the hotel’s sunny south-facing pool deck. Whether as a self-contained minibreak - it’s only an hour from Athens – or as a stopover en route to the southern Peloponnese, we can’t recommend it enough.
As for the hotel itself, it comes with an airy lobby bar with table football and comfy sofas, a superb virtual breakfast buffet (to cut back on food waste) boasting homegrown or local ingredients, great eco credentials and super-friendly staff. Its 12 bedrooms – spacious, comfortable, perhaps not the height of chic – are spread over two levels, with a choice of direct garden access or better views. There’s also a separate two-bedroom apartment, perfect for families wanting extra independence for a few days. A really great find.
Highs
- The big, sunny pool deck is a wonderful place to laze and graze, or to refresh after sweaty sightseeing
- Kids will love it here: not just the pool, but also the generous staff and most rooms can fit an extra bed
- It’s family-run, and it shows: owner Vangelis and his staff greet returning guests like old friends
- We loved having a secluded hilltop bolthole to escape to, after the (relative) crowds of Nafplio and Mycenae
- Great value, too
Lows
- It’s perched at the top of some steep narrow lanes, well signed but fiddly
- They no longer serve lunch and dinner, but there's an all-day snack menu, and no shortage of eateries in nearby Nafplio
- We found the corridors rather echoey
- The bedrooms and bathrooms are on the functional side
Best time to go
April-May or September-October are perfect if you can travel then: nicely warm, with cheap flights to Athens, and near-empty beaches and sites. In spring there are wonderful wild flowers, in autumn the sea is much warmer - take your pick. July-August is busier of course, but nothing like the islands; and up here in your hilltop hideaway you couldn't feel further from the crowds.
Our top tips
When in Nafplio, make time to walk around the headland on the paved path - ideally at sunset - for some very Greek (and instagrammable) sea views. You can swim off the rocks or small pebbly beach on the south side, too.
- Boutique hotel
- 12 rooms
- Breakfast + all-day snack menu
- All ages welcome
- Closed: Nov - mid March
- Outdoor Pool
- Spa Treatments
- Beach Nearby
- Pet Friendly
- Disabled Access
- Car recommended
- Parking
- Restaurants Nearby
- WiFi
- Air Conditioning
- Guest Lounge
- Terrace
- Garden
- Gym
- Bicycles Available
Rooms
The 12 bedrooms are all spacious, comfy and well kitted out. We think the end-of-corridor Superior room is worth nabbing for its double aspect balconies, with loungers for secluded sunbathing. There's also a wheelchair-adapted triple with huge shower room. Otherwise, the rest are near identical. You get king or twin beds (with room for a foldout third), plenty of desk and wardrobe space, pale green or dusty pink walls (enlivened by Vangelis’ sister's vibrant artworks), and generally a tub with overhead shower in the bathroom. Toiletries, bottled water and a tea-coffee tray are supplied.
You can request ground floor, whose patios have direct access to the gardens and pool; or upper floor, whose balconies offer long views over olive- and citrus-covered hills to the sea. We'd pick the latter.
We also liked the two-bedroom apartment, tucked away in the corner of the citrus groves; you can pick fresh oranges from your window. It comes with a spacious sitting room (including a sofabed), a tiny kitchenette, two bedrooms (one twin, one double), sliding windows to private patios, and simple neutral styling.
Features include:
- Bathrobes
- Hairdryer
- In-room treatments available
- Minibar
- Mosquito net
- Safe box
- WiFi
Eating
The so-called virtual breakfast buffet - all freshly made, locally sourced and freely available, you just have to choose in advance - includes some unusual items, such as traditional trahanas (light pearl barley and tomato soup), cubes of delicious spinach or cheese pie, or hearty baked omelette with pulled pork when we stayed. We also loved their home-baked citrus cake and the strained Greek yoghurt with dollops of their preserved quince and almonds. Take it all out poolside, with fresh OJ from their orchards, and there's no better start to the day.
The hotel no longer serves lunch and dinner, but there's an all-day snack and sweets menu if you're lounging by the pool - tortilla, stuffed vine leaves, tomato flatbread, that kind of thing. And if you're out and about in Nafplio, there's no end of streetside restaurants and tavernas.
Features include:
- Bar
- Breakfast
Activities
- Visit the stunning open-air theatre of ancient Epidavros (Epidaurus), with its amazing acoustic and enchanting pine-shaded setting; there are ruined temples and healing buildings too
- Or hilltop Mycenae - even older and more steeped in gruesome myth - with its cavernous beehive tombs and legendary Lion Gate
- Cool off with a swim at sheltered Karathonas beach, or long and sandy Iria; there are plenty of secluded coves nearby too
- Don't forget to visit the handsome town of Nafplio (Nauplion), modern Greece's first capital in the 19thC, with its elegant Italianate piazza, shop-tastic pedestrian lanes and endless fish restaurants vying for your custom
- There's also the daunting castle of Palamidi, reached via a vertiginous stepped path (or a hairpin road if you prefer), where Greek folk hero Kolokotronis was imprisoned
- If you can stay beyond 3-4 days, ask about the lovely hike to Avgou ('Egg') monastery, local rock climbs, sea-kayaking or off-road cycle tours: all are easily arranged
Activities on site or nearby include:
- Cooking classes
- Cycling
- Hiking
- Historical sites
- Horse riding
- Kitesurfing
- Mountain biking
- Museums / galleries
- Sailing
- Scuba diving
- Shopping / markets
- Swimming
- Wine tasting
Kids
Hotel Perivoli is well set up for families, with a triple / quadruple room and a two-bedroom apartment, and a lovely big pool. Staff couldn't be more welcoming, offering special dishes at dinner, films for a quiet evening in, and liberal hair-ruffling at every passing.
Best for:
Babies (0-1 years), Children (4-12 years)
Family friendly accommodation:
All rooms can take a simple fold-out bed for one child (preferably not a fully grown teenager). The two-bedroom apartment can sleep 4-5 with a double bedroom, a twin, plus a sofabed in the living room if needed.
Kids Activities on site:
Distances:
- Shops: 15 min / 8km (Nafplio)
- Hospital: 15 min / 8km (Nafplio)
- Beach: 20 min / 12km (Karathonas / Tolo)
For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection
Location
Perivoli Country Hotel & Retreat is located above the small village of Pirgiotika (or Pyrgiotika), 8km inland from the harbour town of Nafplio, in the Peloponnese.
By Air
Athens airport (170km, 2 hours' drive) has the widest range of flights. Kalamata (150km, 1 hour 50 mins) is a little closer, but has fewer flights (mostly seasonal charters).
From the Airport
It's an easy drive from either airport, most of it on motorway. You will need a car as the hotel is 1km from the nearest village, Pirgiotika. See our car rental suggestions.
Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.
Airports:
- Athens 170.0 km ATH
- Kalamata 150.0 km KLX
Other:
- Beach 12.0 km
- Shops 5.0 km
- Restaurant 1.1 km
Our guests' ratings...
Based on 6 independent reviews from i-escape guests
Feedback is only from guests who have booked and stayed through i-escape