EPIROS COAST

Imagine the Cote d’Azur without high rise hotels, tightly packed rows of millionaires’ yachts squeezed into glitzy marinas like so many floating caravans, traffic jams, crowds of beautiful people and hype, and you have a secret Greek Riviera that runs for 60 miles from the small village of Sivota down to the mouth of the River Acheron, the legendary Styx, entrance to Hades.

In fact the Epiros coast, although administratively and geographically part of the mainland has much more in common with the islands. The hills and mountains rising behind and the panorama of the Ionian Sea and Islands in front create an impression of being cut off from the mainland world. There is only one sizeable town, Parga and even this bustling resort has one of the most picturesque locations on the coast sitting at the head of a number of small bays, each one guarded by a headland or offshore islet. Sivota itself, is just a cluster of houses and shops at the head of a narrow inlet. The sea front has been recently pedestrianised, with a large town square or plateia.

The main village sits in a wide valley with tree clad hills on either side. A narrow road twists upwards from the roundabout, climbing a steep spur, and just beyond, overlooking the lower reaches of the creek, is one of the Ionian’s finest hotels, the Agios Nikolaos. This makes the perfect base for a leisurely exploration of this fascinating region, either by sea or land.

Seasonal ferries and caiques run to Corfu, Paxos and Anti Paxos, or a motor boat can be hired to discover the innumerable little bays and islets in the vicinity. By car, the town of Ioannina, gateway to the Zagori and Pindos mountains, is a two hour drive east through fascinating countryside on relatively traffic free and well surfaced roads.

Side roads lead through fertile valleys to traditional villages, far removed from tourist development, where rush hour might consist of more donkeys than cars! One can even visit Hades from here! The Necromantion of Ephyra, standing above the modern village of Mesopotamo southeast of Parga is the legendary site from where Charon rowed departed souls across the marshy lake of Acherousa to the Styx and Acheron rivers.