It is no secret Steve and I love the ancient sites in Greece and Ancient Asine captivated our interests. When I first heard about Ancient Asine, I was excited to find out it was only 12 minutes from where we would be staying in Nafplio during our 2026 trip to Greece. This fact instantly put this site on our “must see list.” One thing that I love about Ancient Asine, is this site has ruins from prehistoric times up to WWII and many eras in between.
Location
Located on the Kastraki Peninsula along the Argolis in the Peloponnese, Greece, Ancient Asine overlooks the town of Tolos. It is only about a 15 minute drive south of Nafplio.
You can park in the lot by the beach and easily follow the old walls to the entrance. Now when you first arrive at Ancient Asine, it doesn’t look like much, yet surprisingly it is a more expansive site than first meets the eye. Plus the views! Overlooking the Argolic Gulf and the city of Tolos, the views from this site are especially beautiful.
History
The Lower Town consists of ruins, some dating back thousands of years. Graves and simple housing foundations were also discovered here dating back to the Early Helladic era (3200-2000 BC). In addition, a settlement was here during the Middle Helladic Period (1700 BC) with more elaborate houses that contained courtyards. The Lower Town was also used as a cemetery at one point in time.
During the 12th century BC Mycenaeans enjoyed a flourishing settlement here as a lively seaside trading town with connections to Mycenae and Tiryns. During this period, Homer wrote about Asine in Iliad. In 700 BC the Lower Town was abandoned.
While many Mycenaean communities in Greece died out during the Early Iron Age, (1100 BC-800 BC) , Ancient Asine enjoyed continuous population. Although in the late 8th century, Asine fell to Argos. Survivors fled to the Messenia area and settled in the area of modern day Koroni.
The city was recolonized in 300 BC and built the defensive walls still standing today. They enjoyed prosperity, building olive and grape presses and trading their goods. All was well until Rome conquered the region and the area declined.
Around 400-500 AD, under Roman control, the Asine area once again became active with houses, workshops, cisterns and baths.
After 500 AD, the area was abandoned until medieval times when once again the Acropolis became a stronghold under the Byzantines. Slowly, after the Byzantine Era, the area was once again abandoned. By the 7th century AD, Ancient Asine of Greece was totally abandoned.
Touring Ancient Asine
I have written this post in the order in which we walked through the site.
The Entrance Gate
The main entrance of Asine is on the northeast side and at this area, the fortified wall met with the steep rock on which the Acropolis once stood. This was a defensive gate with a double wooden door. During both the Roman Era and the Byzantine Era, using original materials, the gate was reconstructed. Once through the gate, you would have entered a small hall possibly connected to a staircase that ascended to the town. Unfortunately, in WWII the gate sustained a lot of damage.
Currently, this is the entrance and where you purchase your tickets.
Church of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary
Just inside the archaeological site we saw the postcard pretty Church of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary. This well maintained Greek Orthodox Church is believed to be built on top of the remains of a three aisled basilica from the 12th through 14th centuries.
Lower Town
Just after the church you can see the Lower Town. You will also start getting nice views of the sea from here. You can see most of the ruins from a viewing area or you can walk down and into what was once part of the Lower Town. These are the Roman Baths.
The Roman Baths
They are located next to the church mentioned above. Looking at the site today it is hard to believe they were once luxury baths when first built between 400-500AD. When compared to Roman Baths we have seen at other sites, these baths are small. Just 4 small rooms.
The Lower Town extends to the cliff. We took the short path around the area and enjoyed the views of the sea.
There is a WWII pillbox along this path, you can see why it was a defensive spot not just from the ancient times but modern warfare as well.
Cistern and Hellenistic Well
In the western area of the lower city you will come across the ruins of a Cistern and a Hellenistic Well. The wellhead was above the underground three chambered cistern. Together they were part of the 300 BC water management system that once collected and stored water for later use.
House B
House B is from the middle Helladic Period around 1600 BC. Instead of a single family home, this long rectangular ruin is believed to be an ancient multi family apartment complex. Each having its own entryway and group of rooms.
Hellenic Press Installation
The press installation was quite important and used mostly for pressing olives into oil and grapes into wine. During the 4th through 2nd centuries BC, this was a major economic boost for the town.
WWII Exhibition
Leaving the Lower Town area and walking towards the acropolis, we took the path that branched off of the main path and ascended up wooden steps. Not knowing what to expect, we climbed up stairs leading to a cavern. This cavern sits just above the base of the acropolis. This cavern was used by Italian Troops during WWII and used as both storage space and also as a bunker.
Much to our surprise, currently this cavern contains a WWII exhibition with billboards containing photos and information about the WWII occupation in this area.
As we climbed up and down the stairs, we enjoyed the views of the city of Tolo and the sea below.
Up the Acropolis
Back on the main path, we followed more steps that would loop around the Acropolis citadel on the Kastraki Peninsula. The stairs were stone but well maintained and easy enough to ascend.
Press Installations
We first came across another Ancient Press Installation. Today, officials have identified seven of these press installations. Whether they were all working together or were each an entity on its own is unknown.
Early Hellenic House
This house, at just about the peak of the summit, is all that remains of a house from the 3rd millennium BC. What remains is the foundation of a single room. This room would have been part of a multi-room complex spread across the crest of this hill.
During the Middle Helladic times, people used this ruin as a place to bury their dead as evidenced by two graves in the middle of the floor. It was custom in this era to bury their dead in ruins or even beneath the floors of houses.
WWII Italian Occupation Pillbox
Just a few steps away, we fast forwarded to more modern times and explored the WWII Italian Occupation Pillbox. To be honest, I found this area so interesting. Seeing how this Acropolis and the wider site of Asine had been used for defense and also other purposes throughout the centuries really put the area into perspective.
After visiting the Italian Pillbox we continued on the path, which was a bit hard to find at times until we reached the opposite side of the peninsula and viewed Plaka Beach below. Next we followed the path to the fortifications.
The Fortifications
The fortifications of Ancient Asine encircle Kastraki peninsula’s steep rocky hill, and the tallest original wall is 9.5 meters tall (over 31 feet). Builders constructed these defensive walls during three distinctive periods.
The oldest fortification still standing dates to around 300 BC. Visitors can see this at the north gate and also the east tower, where the walls are 9.5 meters high.
During the Medieval Era, the Byzantine and Venetians rebuilt and reinforced the falling down walls, building them up to protect their harbor. You can see these reinforcements at the north gate and also around the perimeter.
The last of the fortifications were added in WWII between 1941-1944. At this time, the Italians added pillboxes, trenches, and machine-gun bases.
Conclusion
You should definitely add Ancient Asine to your itinerary when you are in this part of Greece, even though it is not a large built-up site. I love the way this site shows how people have lived and also defended this peninsula over thousands of years. I also loved how I was able to envision the different time periods that unfolded on this peninsula.
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Lots of ruins, lots of history! Looks like a good time spent at Ancient Asine 🙂
We enjoyed it! Can’t seem to get enough of all these ruins!
What a fascinating place! I love sites where different historical periods overlap, revealing centuries of occupation, conflict, and architectural evolution.
I love these type of sites as well. So many people over these eras living and defending this area shows so many years of human resilience.