Sightseeing in Igoumenitsa - what to see. Complete travel guide

Igoumenitsa is a small town located among green hills and mountains. It serves as a so called binding link between Italy and Greece and this fact traditionally attracts multiple tourists. Here travellers get an opportunity to visit a neighbor island Corfu, see sights of Easter Island and other interesting places. Igoumenitsa acts as a starting point for many excursion routes, but the town itself has many surprises and entertainments.

The town’s prosperity starts in the second part of the 20th century. Prior to this Igoumenitsa was a small port-type settlement and its inhabitants were mostly involved into trading and fishing. During World War II years Igoumenitsa were severely destroyed, but just a couple of years later it was reconstructed. The majority of buildings in the town were made in 60s-80s of the 20th century, so the town cannot be referred to old settlements. There are not so many sights here, but they are truly charming.

The main street of the town is stretched along the coastal zone, so here you will see beautiful office buildings, banks and numerous restaurants. Almost any restaurant has an open terrace, so you can enjoy wonderful dishes of the local cuisine and enjoy fantastic view of the coast. Period from May to September is considered the best time to visit Igoumenitsa as during these months there are no heavy rains and so visitors will be able to enjoy the rest in this resort at its full. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

The main entertainments for travellers on this resort remain beach rest and walks of mountain regions. Drepano is known as one of the most popular beaches in Igoumenitsa region. It is well equipped for water sports; there are several sports inventory rental spots on the beach, scuba diving and surfing schools.

In the city, there are several beautiful religious monuments. A bright example of national religious architecture is the Church of the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin. It was built at the end of the 20th century. When the church was erected, it was possible to keep all national traditions. The main building material for the erection of the church was light stone, and the church's tiled roof was painted in burgundy color. Inside the church too, is distinguished by its magnificent decoration. Its visitors can see many beautiful icons.

Fans of walks in historical places should definitely go up to the top of the Raion Hill. Here is an ancient Byzantine monastery - one of the few historical buildings of Igoumenitsa, which managed to survive during the Second World War. In this monastery, there are wonderful old frescoes and some other elements of decoration which will be interesting to all curious tourists.

An interesting place for walks is the port area. It was completely restored in 2003. Here you can admire the coast and watch the boats residing in the port. In the port, vacationers are always offered interesting excursions along the coast. Near the port is a picturesque promenade - the location of many popular restaurants, cafes, as well as souvenir shops.

Not far from the port area is the most popular central park in the city. It was founded very recently, so during a walk through the park, you can see mostly young trees and shrubs. In the park, there are convenient shops everywhere and also many paths for walks. Many tourists prefer to stroll through the park in the evening, when it is decorated with pleasant lighting.

In the immediate vicinity of Igoumenitsa is the charming village of Elaea. Excursions to this village are also incredibly popular. This village is located in a fabulously beautiful foothill region, so vacationers can combine studying its historical attractions, with walks in picturesque places. In the village, there is also a beautiful old church. Also here, you can see the traditional houses of locals, which were erected over a hundred years ago. In the village, there are craft shops and small restaurants specially built for tourists. Tourists can try wonderful fish dishes cooked according to home recipes here.