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Parga castle on its wooded headland above the sea

Parga: an island town that is not on an island

A tiered amphitheatre of pastel houses under a Venetian castle on the Epirus coast, looking and feeling like an Ionian island town without being on an island.

An at a glance card for Parga. What it is: A pastel amphitheatre town. Why it looks Ionian: It was governed with them. Above it: A Venetian castle, free. Out from it: Paxos, by boat. Inland: The river of the underworld. One row is marked out as the thing that decides the visit. The conclusion reads: An island town that is not on an island. No prices appear.
An island town that is not on an island.

Diagram by Greece Trips. Free to reuse with credit - CC BY 4.0.

The town

Pastel houses in tiers around a small bay, a Venetian castle on the headland above, and stepped lanes running down to a waterfront of tavernas. Above the town on the opposite hill stands the ruin of a second fort, built by Ali Pasha of Ioannina.

The castle walk is short, free and the best thing in the town. The lanes below it are pedestrian and pleasant, and thoroughly geared to visitors.

The beaches

Unusually good for a town beach:

  • Kryoneri, right in front of the town, with the little island of Panagia a swim offshore.
  • Valtos, over the headland behind the castle, long and sandy, reached on foot in fifteen minutes or by water taxi.
  • Lichnos and Sarakiniko, east and west, both sandy and both easier by boat.

What you go out to see

Parga is a base as much as a destination, and the trips are genuinely good:

  • Paxos and Antipaxos, a day by boat, for the blue caves and the water.
  • The Acheron river, half an hour inland, which the ancients believed ran into the underworld. The springs at Glyki are icy and clear, and people wade upstream through the gorge.
  • The Nekromanteion, the ancient oracle of the dead, near the Acheron mouth.

Getting there and how long

The nearest airport is Preveza, about an hour south. Corfu is also close by ferry and road via Igoumenitsa.

Three nights, which covers a Paxos day, an Acheron day and the town.

Last checked August 2026. Boat trips are seasonal - see our editorial policy.

Common questions

Why does Parga look like an island town?

Because it was governed with the Ionian islands rather than the mainland, under Venetian and then briefly British rule, and it was built in that idiom.

What is the castle at Parga?

A Venetian fortress on the headland above the town, free to walk into, with a second Ottoman-era fort built by Ali Pasha on the hill opposite.

What are the best beaches at Parga?

Kryoneri in front of the town, Valtos over the headland behind the castle, and Lichnos and Sarakiniko along the coast.

Can you visit Paxos from Parga?

Yes, as a boat day trip to Paxos and Antipaxos, which is one of the main reasons people base themselves here.

What is the Acheron?

A river half an hour inland that the ancients believed flowed into the underworld. Its springs at Glyki are cold and clear, and people wade up the gorge.

Plan by category

The Parga guides

3 guides, each scoped to a decision you actually have to make.

  • Ancient marble temple columns against a blue Greek skyAttractions

    Things to do

    What is worth your time here, and what to skip.

    See the attractions →
  • Whitewashed Cycladic hotel buildings with a pool overlooking the seaHotels

    Where to stay

    Which area suits your trip, what it costs, and who it suits.

    Compare the areas →
  • A turquoise Greek bay with a beach below dry hillsBeaches

    The beaches

    Which shore, which sand, and how you actually get there.

    See the beaches →

Next

Read Paxos, Sivota, or Ioannina.