Excursions

Legend says that Paxos and Antipaxos were broken off Corfu by Poseidon's trident as the god of the sea sought a place to retreat with his mistress. The islands still make for a great retreat, and are highly accessible with daily cruises leaving from Pargas port. The cruises will stop for a couple of swims in the crystal clear water of the islands before you have a longer stop at Gaios, the main city of Paxos. During the trip you'll also be able to see some truly remarkable rock formations on the islands west side. And if you're lucky you might spot some dolphins swimming along your cruise on the crossover. 

Connected to the mainland through a bridge Lefkada island is located around 1 hour and 20 minutes south of Parga. The island is quite big, so you should plan for a whole day if visiting. Driving down the east side and up the west side will set you up for a fabulous sunset in the evening. With abundance of cozy villages and beaches with cloudy blue water we recommend you check out Nydri, Agiofilli, Porto Katsiki (pictured), Egkremnoi, Kathisma, Milos and Agios Nikitas when there. 

The Zagori area consists of several small mountain villages. The special stone constructed houses and stone bridges combined with jaw dropping nature makes it a great alternative to a day at the beach. Some villages worth a visit is Papigko and Mikro Papigko (pictured) around 2 hours and 20 minutes east of Parga. In addition Monodendri village offers a great view of the Vikos Gorge, an astonishing canyon enlisted in the Guiness Book of Records for its depth relative to width. The area also offers some great hiking options. 

This small and cozy fishing village is located on the mainland, 40 minutes north of Parga. With a population of around 900 people the village is small, yet charming, and we're sure you'll enjoy a meal at one of the seaside restaurants. There are also several great beaches close to the village. We'd recommend you check out Mikri Ammos, Megali Ammos and Bella Vraka (pictured) for sure. A taxi boat to visit Pisina beach is also money well spent.  

About 2 and a half hours east of Parga you'll find Meteora. Although quite the drive the scenery that awaits is most certainly worth it. In fact it was even used as a location for filming parts of James Bond: For Your Eyes Only. The area consists of extremely steep rock formations with monasteries built on top of them. With history dating back to the 11th century the elevated location was believed to bring the monks and nuns closer to God. In the Great Meteoron Monastery there is even a room containing the skulls of its former residents. If you travel to Meteora remember to dress appropriately as there is a dress code in the monasteries. 

At over 1150m. amsl. Metsovo is another mountain village east of Parga. Around 1 hour and 30 minutes with car makes it a bit more accessible than Zagorochoria, and a good option if you don't want to spend too many hours in the car. The village offers a range of cozy restaurants, as well as coffee shops and stores to buy local souvenirs. As it's on the way to Meteora it's also possible to combine the two in a one day trip.