Acheron River

The Acheron is one of the most storied rivers of Greece. In myth it was the river of woe, one of the five rivers of the underworld, across which the ferryman Charon carried the souls of the dead. Today it runs cold, clear and green through the mountains of Epirus, and its springs near Glyki are among the most refreshing spots in the region, where icy water gushes from the rock into pools shaded by plane trees.

The river rises in the Tomaros and Souli mountains and flows west through a dramatic gorge before fanning out into a delta at the fishing village of Ammoudia, where it meets the Ionian Sea. The stretch around Glyki is the heart of the visitor experience: a shallow, stony bed where walkers wade upstream between steep wooded slopes, and the water stays bracingly cold even at the height of summer.

It has become one of the best places in Epirus for gentle adventure. Operators run rafting, kayaking, river trekking and horse riding along the valley, and zip-lines cross the gorge in places. The walking is the simplest pleasure: many visitors just wade the icy river from the springs, following it upstream as far as they dare into the narrows.

The Acheron's mythology is written into the landscape. Above the point where it once met its tributaries stands the Necromanteion of Ephyra, the only known Oracle of the Dead on the Greek mainland, where ancient pilgrims came to consult the spirits of the departed. Its dark underground chamber and thick walls survive on a low hill near the river's lower course, a short drive from the sea.

Most people visit as a day trip, basing themselves in Parga, Preveza or along the coast, and combining the springs with lunch in a riverside taverna. The river is at its best from late spring to early autumn, when the cold water is welcome; in winter it runs high and cold and the activity operators close. Sturdy sandals or water shoes make wading far more comfortable.