What To Do on the Ionian Islands

A holiday on the Ionian mainland will give you the choice of a different beach each day. Many of the beaches close to the port of Syvota have a beachfront restaurant and bar with comfortable sunbeds.

Inland from Syvota is a beautiful interior of forested mountainsides hiding hamlets and villages. Syvota has a good choice of waterfront tavernas, bars and shops but does not have any throbbing nightclubs.

Hiring a boat will open up coastal exploration as many of the sandy beaches and coves are only accessible by sea. Some beaches like Mega Ammos, Agia Paraskevi and Karavostasi have watersports and tavernas and other beaches are natural and often deserted.

The drive from Syvota to Ioannina, on the shores of Lake Pamvotis, takes around 90 minutes and from Ioannina to the mountain villages of Zagoria, a further 50 minutes. Here there are many walking trails with dramatic views over forested valleys, twisting rivers and ancient stone-arched bridges. Large swathes of hillside pine forests hide hamlets and villages of stone-roofed houses. A 1-hour drive from Syvota to the river Acheron takes you riverside tavernas, springs and river swimming and rafting.
The mouth of the River Acheron is in the village of Ammoudia, 3 km from the Nekromantio oracle. Sandy beach, lovely tavernas along the river and an opportunity to have a small cruise along the river and the cave of Persefoni on the coast.

Further afield are the fascinating archaeological sites of Albania.