Our town is a town in West Greece, situated on a bay on the north coast of the Gulf of Corinth. It's built between Antirio and the estuary of the Mornos River. It's the third largest town of Aetolia-Acarnania, after Agrinio and Messolonghi

-part of the municipality of Nafpaktia

Nafpaktos is a town with a long history. It is said that it took its name from the words “naus" and “pigmymi", meaning "ship".

It first appeared in 1104 BC. with the Dorians, who, on their descent, used Nafpaktos to build rudimentary boats (rafts for accuracy), so Nafpaktos became a heritage.

The city originally belonged to the Hesperian Lokros.

Nafpaktos changed hands many times during the Crusades and the Ottoman-Venetian Wars. It was under Venetian control in the 15th century, and came to be known by the Venetian form of its name, Lepanto.

Under the Ottomans, Naupactus (Nafpaktos) was known as İnebahtı and was the seat of a Turkish province, the Sanjak of Inebahti. The mouth of the Gulf of Lepanto was the scene of the great sea battle in which the naval power of the Ottoman Empire was nearly completely destroyed by the united Papal, Spanish, Habsburg and Venetian forces (Battle of Lepanto, October 7, 1571)

Nafpaktos is an authentic destination in mainland Greece; one of the country’s best kept secrets; a combination of history, culture and natural seaside beauty .

It is a place of history that is best discovered in person.

Look to your left or right here and there’s something linked to its storied past.

If you were to draw a picture of what represents Nafpaktos, you’d be drawing a big ‘ol castle. The Venetian Castle of Nafpaktos is one very large and incredibly preserved structure that you simply can’t miss. It can be seen from the harbor and from many points in town. The castle is what gives this place – set on a sparkling aqua blue corner of the Corinthian Gulf – its defining charm.

Explore the Storied Venetian Castle..One of the top things to do in Nafpaktos is walking around the Venetian castle.



You can freely walk around and see what remains from the fortification that was once an important bulwark for Greeks, Turks, Venetians, Englishmen and pirates.

Each conqueror of this castle influenced how it looks today.

Look out for the small church of Prophet Ilias, which was built on a former site of a byzantine basilica and a 16th century mosque.

Traces of the 16th century mosque

Learn About Local History at the Botsari Museum

The Botsari Museum is part of the Venetian Tower of Botsaris. It is a historic landmark that is located close to the main square of Nafpaktos and operates as a museum which belongs to the Foundation of Dimitris and Egli Botsari.The tower was built in two phases, in the 15th and 16th century. It is worth a stop to view a collection replica paintings and engravings that give insight into the great Battle of Lepanto of 1571.

The Harbour of Nafpaktos

The harbour of Nafpaktos has always been the centre of prosperity for the city. During the medieval times, the Venetians were the first to design its defences by incorporating it into a castle city with five enceinte.The harbor is a central meeting point for locals. What makes it special is that its cafes and restaurants are in the shadow of the city’s historic walls.On a sunny day you can sit outside in one of the cafes and soak in the sun’s rays while watching the little fishing boats float in the harbour.