"Charmed by Parga" Parga by Saagar

Parga is a small town between the bigger cities Preveza and Igomenitsa on the western edge of the Greek mainland. The town slopes down to the sea and ends in a rocky sea front with quays and tavernas framed by a Venetian kastro on one side and a beautiful church on one of the islets on the other. The town has a certain sleepy and calm mood that makes it nice to visit for families and the older crowd. The town is big enough for you to come here empty-handed and obtain all your supplies here whether you are hitting the beach or are a self-contained adventurer.

I was here first time in 1993, and now again in 2011. There has been considerable development, and the sleepy town is not so sleepy anymore. The tavernas have multiplied, but the old stayers are still here. Cycladic blue kitch has moved into the souvenir and handicraft shops, Valtos beach has become "developed" while the outlying beaches still are rather untouched. I was very happy to confimr that Parga has retained its charm. Parga is a place that people don't visit once, but they come back again and again.

Parga island church

Parga itself doesn't have that much to show for itself, apart from nice buildings, the kastro, the church and the harbour promenade. There is one main beach and some nicer, big ones some distance away, but these "commercial" beaches are outsmarted by tiny sandy inlets and beaches on the rough coast north of Parga. Small boats will take you there in the morning and bring you back to Parga harbour in the afternoon. You can take day excursions away from Parga to take in more touristy stuff/sightseeing - the mountains and the city of Ioannina, some monasteries, the islands Paxi and Antipaxi just off the coast south of Korfu, and the coastal areas further south of Parga with a gentler (boring?) landscape and long beaches. Parga itself remains a quiet place. But many are attracted to this place perhaps just becauase of the un-pretentiousness and calm. Me, among them...

• Pros:Charming, concentrated town
• Cons:Quiet, not a whole lot to do if you are a restless soul.
• In a nutshell:Peace and quiet on the Ioninan Sea