| The Greece for Greek Tourists I spent a day and a night in Megalo Chorio, the touristic center of gravity in the region. But that needs context. Just 150 people or so live in this teensy community of stone houses with red-tile roofs. Every so often a car drives through, but more of the time all you hear are birds and voices carried on the breezes drifting through the mountains. Knick-knack shops and small, family restaurants populate the few streets, and the smell of grilled meats that sneak up on you is so tempting it’s basically entrapment. My hotel, called Levanta, offered a spacious and elegant room of white stucco walls, red floor tiles, and wood beamed ceiling, opened onto a small deck with a table and chairs overlooking the valley below and the mountains on the other side. Somewhere in the distance a rooster called out. You’re not going to find traditional Greek holiday fare here. No beaches, no clubbing, no oceanfront strolls before heading back to a Zen resort with celebrity restaurants. What you will find, however, is peace, aside from that exuberant rooster. And hiking trails. One, in particular, winds its way to the top of Mt. Kaliakouda, a nearly nine-mile, eight-hour journey out and back that rises almost 4,400 feet to the summit. Heavenly views from the top, or so I’m told. To quote Meatloaf, “I’ll do anything for love. But I won’t do that.” Locals alight here for the cooler mountain air in summer, “because Athens is so humid you sleep wet,” the hotel owner told me, and because the Prousos Monastery is a 40-minute drive through the Switzerland of the East. The hotel owner told me I should see it. Be warned: This is not the autobahn. Roads are windy, and the only separation between you and a crumbled car at the bottom of a ravine is, well, paying Olympic-like attention. Guard rails here aren’t even a suggestion; they simply don’t exist in many places where one would rightly think they should. Let’s call it adventurous driving. But it’s really picturesque and enjoyable, save from those moments you and a tour bus meet on opposite sides of a hairpin turn. That can take some finesse. I found the monastery and stopped for a spell. It dates back 1,200 years, according to legend, though the inner chapel—an incense-stained cave—dates to the 13th century. Either way… old. And quite lovely. The monastery hangs off the side of a cliff over a deep ravine. It’s fairly small and compact and can feel crowded when tour buses disgorge loads of Greeks coming to worship. But if you enjoy ancient religious monuments, it’s worth the stop. Chances are you won’t hear any other language than Greek. Like I said, truly local traveling. From Peaks to Ports: Journey to the Ionian Coast Back on the road again, I made for the Ionian Sea and the coastal towns of Parga and Preveza. Tourists will be found here because this stretch of Western Greece reflects the Greece that everyone knows: sun, sand, and Grecian blue waters. The only difference is size and cost. Parga has a permanent population of just 2,200 or so. Preveza by comparison is a virtual megalopolis with 20,000 residents. But you don’t go wanting for anything. Parga wraps around a crescent-shaped bay, an island just offshore keeps the cerulean waters calm. The seafront promenade is lined with a string of al fresco eateries, most local Greek fare and lots of fresh seafood pulled from the Ionian Sea that day. The town itself, a patchwork of pastel homes and crimson-tiled roofs, rises up the side of a hill that ends at the sea. The streets here are slopey and steep, so I’d suggest a hotel in the center of town, unless you like hiking up and down hills. My boutique hotel, the Racconto, was just €144 ($165) in mid-May, a good 35% less than similar hotels in Mykonos and Santorini for the same night. Just be aware that the walk to the town is 15 minutes, and the walk back is uphill. If I were to return with my wife, I’d pick a hotel closer to the center. At the western edge of the crescent-shaped harbor, the remains of Parga Castle stand on a rocky prominence 200 feet above the waters, overlooking the town. The foundation dates to 11th century Normans, though Venetians and Ottomans both rolled through this region and claimed the castle at one point or another. The path to the top runs through the city; just be prepared for the ascent. I stopped at one point to rest and heard the panting, male half of a young, backpacking Aussie couple say, “Do we really have to do this?” “Don’t be so wet,” came the reply. The view from the castle ruins is worth the walk, and as a treat you’ll find a quaint coffee shop—Enetico—built into the castle walls. The outdoor terrace is a well-earned spot for an espresso or a glass of wine with snacks, while sitting beneath a canopy of pines and watching the boats move through the harbor below. Preveza has a harbor, too, but much larger and filled with yachts—from the truly humble to oligarch-lite. A much larger central district runs through Preveza with far more shopping and dining options, an old castle and church to explore, and a long pedestrian walkway along the yacht harbor lined with eateries. The warren of narrow streets and alleys slicing through the center of the city are packed with bars and eateries as well, and I found a shrimp saganaki dish for dinner one night that was so good I’d return just for that. That meal, with bread and white wine, was just €20, or less than $23. The hotel I found, the Dioni Boutique, is perfectly located and delightful at just $145 per night. And that was a deluxe one-bedroom suite of 375 square feet with a separate living room and a nice balcony sitting beneath the shade of a wide tree canopy. Compared to major Greek destinations, that’s basically free… |
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