Greece - Korina Miller [277]
Peradzada ( 26840 31683; waterfront; mains €5-10) A bit more authentic than most waterfront restaurants, the new Peradzada specialises in hearty portions of traditional Greek cooking.
O Arkoudas ( 26840 32553; Grigoriou Lambraki; fish €6-9) Down on the waterfront strip, ‘The Bear’, as it’s called in Greek, is a friendly place that serves up a tasty variety of fresh fish dishes.
Castello Restaurant ( 26840 31833; Hotel Acropol, Agion Apostolon 4; mains €8-12) A creative fusion of French, Italian and Greek cuisine is prepared with style at the Castello. It has an elegant, relaxed feel – probably the only place in town where you can hear classic Miles Davis tracks playing during dinner, and definitely the only one whose wine cellar is visible through a glass panel beneath your feet.
Sugar Bar (www.sugarbar.gr; waterfront; 10am-late) While it might at first seem indistinguishable from the other cafes wrapped along the waterfront, laid-back Sugar has substance as well as style, serving 106 different cocktails; the loyal following, like the music, is both Greek and international.
Antico ( 26840 32713; Anexartasies 4; 10am-3am) You can’t stop the rock at this cosy little bar tucked in an upper side street, its walls lined with guitar posters. The friendly bartender is dedicated to a playlist strong on ’70s and ’80s classic rock, with an occasional dip into the ’60s back catalogue.
Getting There & Away
BUS
From the bus station ( 26840 31218) buses serve Igoumenitsa (€5.20, one hour, five daily), Preveza (€6.10, two hours, four daily), Thessaloniki (€39, seven hours, one daily) and Athens (€35.30, seven hours, three daily).
CAR
Hire a car (from €40 per day) at Europcar ( 26840 32777; Spyrou Livada 19) or Budget Rent a Car, located at ITS ( 26840 31833; www.parga.net; Spyrou Livada 4).
WATER TAXI
Water taxis go to Voltos Beach (€4, from 9.30am to 6pm), Lihnos Beach (€7, from 11am to 5pm) and Sarakiniko (€8, from 10am).
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AROUND PARGA
Nekromanteio of Afyra
Νεκροματεο της Αφρας
The ancients feared it as the gate of Hades, god of the underworld; for visitors today the Nekromanteio of Afyra ( 26840 41206; adult €2; 8.30am-3pm) is just the labyrinthine ruin at the end of a beautiful boat ride down the coast and up the Aherondas River.
To ancient Greeks, the Nekromanteio was an oracle: pilgrims made offerings of milk, honey and the blood of sacrificed animals in order to communicate with the spirits of the dead. The remnants of the structure were only discovered in 1958, and with them also the ruined monastery of Agios Ioannis Prodromos and a graveyard. The eerie underground vault is probably the place into which confused ancient visitors were lowered by windlass, thinking that they were entering the realm of Hades itself.
Parga travel agents offer a Nekromanteio day trip, which costs about €40. Otherwise, drive south towards Mesopotamos (19km), and watch for the Nekromanteio sign. The site is 1km off the main road.
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IGOUMENITSA ΗΓΟΥΜΕΝΙΤΣΑ
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Igoumenitsa (ih-goo-meh-nit-sah) is the end of the line for northwestern Greece, a busy, characterless port town 86km from Ioannina. It’s where you take the ferry to Italy or Corfu. Although Igoumenitsa is no tourist destination, the completion of the Egnatia Odos Hwy, linking Igoumenitsa with İstanbul, will enhance its stature as a leading cargo port.
Information
Ethnikis Andistasis hosts currency-exchange machines and major-bank ATMs. The new port has more exchange booths. An EOT booth is outside the new port’s arrivals area.
Café Akadimia ( 26650 29233; Ethnikis Andistasis 80; per hr €2.50; 8am-2am) Internet access.
Milano Travel ( 26650 23565; milantvl@otenet.gr; Agion Apostolon 11b)
Port police ( 26650 22707) Beside the old port ferry