Excursions

Paxos & Antipaxos

Paxos is a small island in the South of Corfu. This island is the ideal place for those who like sailing, swimming or wandering through olive groves. Its capital is Gaios; a picturesque village with a beautiful square, a well organized port and many restaurants and bars. In the north of Paxos there are two more small islands: Moggonisi and Kaltsionisi. Antipaxos is only 2 nautical miles in the north of Paxos away. It is virgin and wild with many impressive beaches and crystal clear waters.

Parga

Situated on the West side of the coast of Epirus. This small town enjoys the sun rises of the Ionian Sea from its majestic castle.
Next to some beautiful beaches (Kryoneri, Piso Kryoneri, Valtos, Lychnos) and the full of nooks and crannies inner city with its promenade is situated the high above the city Venetian castle from 1570. With its view over the rutted coast it is the most significant place of interest for daily tourists arriving from Corfu, Paxos and and the nearby places.

Ioannina

Ioannina is the biggest city of Epirus and the capital city of this region. It was built on the bank of the Pamvotis lake on a height of 500m and fascinates everybody with its beauty and warm atmosphere. It is a very lively town with a history of centuries.
The old town, on a peninsula, is surrounded by the walls of the fortress (Frourio). In the South is the palace quarter, from which only the foundation walls and the Mausoleum of Ali Pasha are left. In two new buildings is the the Byzantine Museum accommodated. Its precious exhibits document the flourish of the town during the Albanian-Muslim reign. In the North is the Aslan-Oasha-mosque built in 1618/19, which is now the folklore museum with worth-seeing traditional costumes, historic items of everyday use and handmade collections. Under the mosque are the catacombs and prisons, where the resistance fighters were executed during the Turkish occupation. Near to the mosque is another Ottoman library. 4 km from the city centre is the drip stone cave of Perama with a length of 1,5 km and 45 min. visiting duration.

Zagori and the Vikos Canyon

The region of Zagori is one of the most attractive nature regions of Greece with a large part of it being protected as a national park of Vikos-Aoos. Many monasteries are on the cliffs of the river, such as the monastery of Panagia Spiliotissas (Μονή Παναγίας Σπηλιώτισσας) and the monastery of Agia Paraskevi (Μονή Άγιας Παρασκευής) from 1414. There is the possibility of kayaking and rafting in the Voidomatis river. The unique architecture of the villages of Zagori is pointed through the local stone built churches, manor houses, bridges and wells. The feudal houses of rich merchants have covered entrances and have up to four floors. Many of the old houses were renovated through the initiative of the Greek Organization for Tourism (E.O.T.– πρόγραμμα διατήρησης και ανάπτυξης παραδοσιακών οικισμών, 1975–1992) and are available as hotel and holiday accommodation.

One of the most known village is Monodendri (in Greek Μονοδένδρι) with its stone paved alleys and the beautiful village square and where in its restaurant, under a huge plane-tree, someone can enjoy epirotic specialities, such as galotyri (in Greek Γαλοτύρι) and kitsopitta (in Greek Κιτσόπιττα). In the church of Agios Minas you can see murals and a wonderful iconostasis from the year 1619. Through a raved path someone can reach the 700m distance monastery of Agia Paraskevi from the year 1414, over the Vikos canyon. In Asprangeli is the monument of the Woman of Zagori.