Epirus

Epirus is a region in the west of Northern Greece. The beaches of the coast are developed for tourism and well visited, while the mountainous interior receives little attention, even though it is one of the most beautiful landscapes in Greece.

Regions
Epirus consists of 5 underlying regions: Arta, Ioannina, Preveza, Thesprotia and Zagori.

Cities

 * – In addition to some beautiful beaches (Kryoneri, Piso Kryoneri, Valtos, Lychnos) and the winding inner city with the promenade, the Venetian fortress, built around 1570 and overlooking the rugged coast, is probably the most important sight.


 * – Worth seeing provincial town. The main attraction is the old, impressive stone bridge and the castle ruins in the center.


 * – Village 15 km south of Ioannina with a cluster of archaeological sites.


 * – Port city with ferry connections to Italy and Corfu.


 * – Capital of the province and the lake of the same name with many sights, especially in its surroundings.


 * – The gate to the Tzoumerka National Park and with the must-see Kipina Monastery nearby.


 * – A charming location with a beautiful promenade and some remarkable fortifications and the harbor.


 * Along the coast are beautiful coastal towns (e.g. Sagiada, Plataria, Syvota, Ammoudia, Lygia, Pidima Kiras, etc.), which are strongly tourist-oriented.

Other destinations

 * – Mountain landscapes with deep gorges, lakes and waterfalls, varied vegetation, many old stone bridges, traditional villages with stone-roofed houses, wonderful hiking trails, good food in the restaurants and relatively little tourism.
 * – A region with 46 traditional villages known as Zagori villages, the famous Vikos gorge, beautiful stone bridges and many other picturesque nature sights and the Vikos-Aoos-National Park.
 * – A wild mountain landscape with many waterfalls, old stone bridges and romantic villages


 * - The park has almost deserted mountain landscapes and river valleys. It is a little-known but worthwhile hiking area.


 * – In Greek mythology it is Acheron one of the five rivers of the underworld, into which the other, Styx, Kokytos, Phlegethon and Lethe flow. In addition to the Styx, it is regarded as the river of the dead, over which Charon used his ferry to bring the dead souls into the Hades. According to legend, there was an oracle at its mouth. The beautiful landscape is particularly worth seeing.

Understand
Epirus is one of the poorer regions in Greece. The mountainous landscape, which is one of the most beautiful in Greece, is not yet well developed in terms of traffic and tourism - with the exception of the coast. The region was under Turkish rule until the Balkan War in 1912, only then did the southern part of the historical region come to Greece. Unfortunately, this scenic mountain region is hardly known to travelers to Greece, although it is practically on the way for everyone arriving via Igoumenitsa. If you drive along the coast, you will pass a variety of very beautiful beaches, bays and coastal resorts with a strong tourist focus.

By plane
Aktion National Airport near Preveza with seasonal flights from all over Europe.

By boat
Igoumenitsa is regularly served by ferries from the Italian cities of Ancona, Bari, Brindisi and Venice, and there are ferry connections to Patras and Corfu.

By road
At Igoumenitsa is the starting point of the A2 motorway, which goes to Thessaloniki via Ioannina and Metsovo.

Get around
In the mountain regions, your own vehicle is a prerequisite to get to the places of interest for tourists. Public transport also runs, but the time it takes is quite high.

See
There are a number of very interesting ancient and medieval sites in Epirus that are worth visiting and are described in the corresponding sub-articles. Some highlights are Dodona, an ancient oracle near Ioannina, medieval Rogoi Castle near Arta, the ancient Nikopolis and its aqueduct ruins near Preveza, and the Kipina Monastery near Pramanta.

Monasteries
There is a large number of monasteries in the mountainous, lonely landscape of Epirus. The most important ones not mentioned in any city articles, can be found below. Even if you are not religious, a visit to these facilities is worthwhile, as they were mainly built in unique locations.



Further sights
The following sights are inside the region but away from nearby towns and villages.



Do
Those who visit the mountainous interior of the Epirus at the Vikos Aoos National Park will find wonderful landscapes that invite you to go hiking or just to relax. Along the coast, it is bathing fun that attracts visitors. The coast is also a popular sailing area.


 * Beaches – In addition to the wonderful mountain landscapes, the beaches are of course a main attraction for many tourists, especially from England and Italy. The main beaches are: Karavostasi Beach, Valtos Beach, Parga Beach, Lichnos Beach, Loutsa Vrachos Beach, Lygia Beach, Preveza Beach. Less frequented and also partly suitable as a nudist beach: Dei plus Beach, Artolithia Beach, Kastrosykia Beach, Kanali Beach.


 * Thermal Bathes – North of Konitsa there are two thermal baths, worth to go if you are in the area:


 * Sailing – Along the coast of Epirus and the Ionian Islands is one of the hot spots of sailing in Greece. Good, predictable winds, many bays and harbors along the coast or on the islands and low prices of the marinas make it a popular sailing area that is not too difficult for beginners. Because of the many sailors, you always have to be at the known anchorages in good time to get good places.


 * Hiking – The best hiking area is at Zagori and the Tzoumerka Nation Park.

Eat
A specialty of the area are the pittas (pies) filled with cheese (Tiropita), spinach (Spanakopita), wild vegetables (Hortopita), pumpkin (Kolokothopita - sweet or salty) or spinach and feta cheese (Tirospanakopita). The goat and sheep meat of the area is particularly tasty because the animals graze freely and eat many different grasses and herbs.

Drink
In the mountain villages, the nightlife is mostly limited to restaurant visits or in the hotels. In contrast, Ioannina, as a student city, offers a rich nightlife. In the coastal towns, the nightlife is much more pronounced, with a variety of restaurants, bars, beach bars, etc.

Go next

 * Corfu – One of the touristic hotspots of Greece.
 * Meteora – World famous monasteries on the top of rocks.