Parga

Parga is built amphitheatrically up a steep green hillside on the Ionian coast of Epirus, its tiers of pastel houses spilling down towards a horseshoe harbour crowned by a Venetian castle. Though firmly on the mainland, in the Preveza regional unit between Preveza and Igoumenitsa, it has the feel of a Greek island, and its romantic setting has long earned it the nickname the 'Bride of Epirus'.

The town wraps around a small bay guarded by the islet of Panagia, with its tiny white chapel, which sits just offshore and can be reached by pedalo or a short swim. Above the rooftops, the castle begun by the Venetians and later strengthened against Ottoman attack offers wide views over the coast and the island of Paxos on the horizon. The lanes below are a warren of stepped alleys, bougainvillea and small shops that come alive in the evening.

Parga's beaches are its great draw. Valtos, a long sweep of sand and pebble just over the headland from the castle, is the largest and best organised. Lichnos lies in a wooded cove to the south-east, while Kryoneri sits right in front of the town, looking straight out at Panagia islet. Boats leave the harbour through the day for these beaches and for excursions to Paxos, Antipaxos and the mouth of the Acheron.

The town is also a natural base for the wider region. The mythical Acheron River, with its icy springs and rafting runs, is a short drive inland, and the ancient Necromanteion of Ephyra, the Oracle of the Dead, lies near its mouth. Preveza, Nikopolis and the Zalongo monument are all within an easy day's reach.

Parga is busiest and warmest from June to August, when the harbour and beaches fill and the tavernas stay open late. Late spring and September are gentler, with warm water, softer light and room to breathe. It is a place for swimming, boat trips and long dinners by the water rather than quiet solitude, and in high summer it repays an early start on the beach.