Greece: Parga + the Ionian islands tour [PHOTO]

View of Parga

Parga is by far the most charming town and summer resort in Greece that I’ve seen, with spectacular surroundings and four lovely beaches with chilly but crystal clear waters. The town is relatively small, around 2500 inhabitants (grows to 10000 during the summer season), but it’s maze of tiny streets and passages invites you to discover, and there are always hidden corners left to discover.

The central square in Parga

A Venetian fortress overlooks the town and the nearby Valtos beach from a hill that rises from the sea, with spectacular views of the town, the sea, surrounding mountains, and the nearby Paxos, Antipaxos & Corfu islands.

Valtos beach and the Venetian fortress

In the middle of the town bay lies the small island of Panagia dedicated to the Holly Mother of God, with two churches and the remains of a French fortress, easily accessible swimming from Krioneri (main town beach), or by boat from the port (a bit expensive & unnecessary IMO). This tiny island is easily walkable/climbable, and offers some beautiful views of the open sea and the neighboring islands.

Panagia island

There’s plenty of attractions and excursions available from Parga, and one of them is to the world-famous Ionian islands – Lefkada, Kefalonia, Ithaca, Meganisi & the famous Onassis family island Skorpios.

To get to Parga you can land at the Preveza airport, the ports of Preveza or Igoumenitsa, or by the newly constructed higway from Thessaloniki (via Serbia & F.Y.R.O.M.)