Avra Hotel

Drive inland to Ioannina

by cps1954

Ioannina is the capitol of the Epirus region. It is a medium sized city with one of the largest universities in Greece.
Due to the large number of students, you can be sure that the city is alive and vibrant. Not noisy and rowdy though, just a lively friendly atmosphere.
Some of the buildings in the city still show the Turkish influence within Ioannina.
This region was part of the Ottoman empire until the early part of last century. Ali Pasha, the terribly cruel ruler, resided in Ioannina, and his castle is now one of the city museums.
A short boat trip to the island (Nisi) in the lake takes you to another Ali Pasha museum which although very small, is certainly worth the couple of Euro's entrance fee. Lunch or dinner on the island is excellent and affordable at one of the many taverna's at the harbour.
From Parga, make sure to take the road through Karvounari/Paramithia/Dodoni and your trip to Ioannina will be lovely, with some beautiful scenery.
At Dodoni you will find the ancient Oracle of the Dead, in ancient times second only to the famous one in Delphi, and a large amphitheatre.
All in all, a worthwhile trip which can be completed in one day, but you'll need to leave early, and count on a rather late return. Another option would be to stay overnight in Ioannina. I can personally recommend it.

Worth it for the view

by Juliemo about Lichnos panorama restaurant

The menu was limited and there was definitely nothing wrong with the food, but we didn't feel that it was as good as many of the others we had been to. However, the view from the restaurant is fantastic, it is at the top of the cliff and looks out over the sea. Worth a visit just for this, it really is amazing, especially when the sun is setting. I had stuffed beef burgers which were nice but not overly exciting.

Valthou bay

by JLBG

This photo was taken from the Venetian castle and shows Valthou bay with Panaghia island from the other side. The chapel is just showing in the center of the island. In the background. Pavlouka islet is not much more than a rock 10m x 10m. Many small boats moor in Valthou bay where there are no ferries traffic.

Parga, a piece of heaven on earth

by cps1954

"The town itself"

A lovely little town tucked away inside a peaceful bay. Although it can get very busy in the summer months at the height of the tourist season, it has still somehow managed to remain very charming. Romantic is maybe even a better description.
The boulevard is of course lined with taverna's and restaurants offering, for the most part, good food, but the further you get from the sea, the more authentic the cooking becomes. Beware of one or two tourist traps at the entrance to the pier (or jetty). They offer food which no self respecting Greek would eat. Not just basic, but expensive and tasteless.
There are many nice villages and towns within a one, to one and a half hours drive from Parga (Preveza, Ioannina, Arta), and some of the ancient sites are especially worth a visit. (Dodoni, Nikopolis)

"Looking down from the hill near the castle"

As you can see, Parga looks lovely.

"Driving further inland"

Make a point of hiring a car just for a couple of days to drive inland to see some of the surrounding countryside. The views and locations can be breathtakingly beautiful, or be pure and peaceful.