Memphis Gokart

In Nafplio, in Argolis in the north-east of the Peloponnese, Memphis Gokart lays out an open-air karting track of five hundred and thirty-four metres, along the coastal road that leads to Nea Kios. The layout is fully lined with tyre walls for safety, and children are welcome from the age of five, with a dedicated fleet of six karts. You drive outdoors, facing the wetlands and the sea.

The track opens in the late afternoon on weekdays, from four to ten at night, and more widely at the weekend, from one o'clock on Saturday and ten on Sunday. People come with family or friends for a few heats, in an open, quiet setting by the sea. It is an easy-going sporting outing, a stone's throw from the town's historic centre.

Nafplio was the first capital of modern Greece and remains one of its loveliest towns, crowned by the Palamidi fortress and watched over by the fortified islet of Bourtzi in the middle of its gulf. The region gives access to the great ancient sites of Mycenae and Epidaurus, a short way off. Memphis Gokart adds a thrill-seeking activity, welcome between two visits to old stones. Fully fenced with tyres, the layout reassures parents bringing young drivers, and the setting, between the protected lagoon of Nea Kios and the outline of Bourtzi on the water, adds to the pleasure of a few laps at the end of the day.