Parga
Colourful Harbour Town Under A Venetian Castle On The Epirus Coast, With An Islet Chapel In The Bay, Sand Beaches And Day Trips To Paxos And The Acheron · Parga, Epirus
Parga is a small, steep harbour town on the Epirus coast of mainland Greece, its colourful houses piled up a hillside between a Venetian castle and a bay with a tiny islet chapel in the middle. It looks like an Ionian island town, and for centuries it was one in spirit: held by Venice while the land around it was Ottoman, then briefly by the French and the British, who handed it to Ali Pasha in 1819, when many families are said to have left for Corfu rather than live under him. Today it is a summer resort with sand beaches on both sides of the castle hill, water taxis to coves, and day boats to Paxos and Antipaxos. Inland lie two of the most striking half-day trips in western Greece: wading up the icy Acheron river at Glyki, the mythical river of the dead, and the Necromanteion, an ancient oracle of the dead. It suits families and couples on a beach holiday. Honest caveats: it is compact and busy with package tourists in July and August, parking is scarce, the lanes are steep, and from November to April much of it closes.
Parga on the Epirus coast, Preveza regional unit; the Venetian castle above the town, Valtos and Kryoneri beaches; the Acheron river springs inland, Parga, Epirus, Greece
Parga is a town: its lanes, harbour and beaches are open at all hours and free. The Venetian castle on the hill opens in daytime with a small entry fee, longer hours in summer, shorter or irregular in winter - confirm. The Necromanteion near Mesopotamos keeps state site hours, long in summer and short in winter, closed on the main public holidays. The Acheron springs at Glyki are open all day; wading is only sensible in summer, when the level is low. Boats to Paxos, Antipaxos and the coves run roughly May to October. Book rooms and car hire ahead for July and August; boat trips a day ahead.