Karathona is Nafplio's town beach — a kilometre-long curve of coarse sand and pebbles on a wide bay south of the Palamidi headland. The water shelves gently and stays calm enough for kids; a string of beach bars and tavernas along the back of the beach handles the food and drink.
It is reachable on foot from the old town in about 45 minutes via the coastal path that continues past Arvanitia, or in five minutes by car. The path walk is the better arrival — the views across to the Argolic Gulf are excellent. Karathona gets crowded on summer weekends with locals from Argos and Nafplio; midweek it is much quieter.