Syvota

Syvota sits among a scatter of small green islands that shelter the coast into a series of channels and coves, giving water that is calm, shallow and an unusually pale blue over white sand. The signature spot is Bella Vraka, where a sandbar runs out to the islet of Mourtemeno and can be waded at low water, with beach on both sides; Pisina, Zeri, Mega Ammos and Gallikos Molos lie along the same stretch. Small self-drive boats are the local way to explore, since many of the best coves have no road, and trips run out to the Blue Lagoon between islets and across to Corfu, Paxos and the Sivota islands. The village itself has a working harbour with yachts and a waterfront of tavernas.

History

The earliest recorded inhabitants of the area were the Thesprotians, a Greek tribe of Epirus, and in antiquity the place was called Sybota, scene of the sea battle of Sybota. In the Middle Ages it belonged in turn to the Byzantine Empire, the Despotate of Epirus and the Republic of Venice before passing to the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century, and during the Greek War of Independence the Ottomans used it as a naval base (Wikipedia, Syvota).

What to look for

• Bella Vraka - a wadeable sandbar linking the shore to a wooded islet.
• The channels - calm shallow water between small green islands.
• The coves - Pisina, Zeri and other beaches along the coast.
• The harbour - fishing boats and yachts on the village waterfront.

When to go

May, June and September for warm sea and space; the area fills in July and August, when the sandbar can be shoulder to shoulder. Boat hire operates from May to October.

Before you go

Development along the coast has been rapid and some beaches are heavily furnished with sunbeds. Bella Vraka is beautiful but very popular, and the sandbar submerges in windy weather. A car or boat is needed to reach the quieter coves.

Nearby

Parga lies south along the coast; Igoumenitsa and the ferries to Corfu and Italy are north.

Key facts