Parga, Greece: A Cosmopolitan Flavor Of A Small Greek Town

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Parga is a small, beautiful Greek town located on the northwestern coast of Greece in the Epirus region. It’s an amphitheater-shaped town on the outskirts of the Venetian Castle, at the foothills of the Pindos Mountains. It is situated in a sheltered bay, and the houses are built on the slopes of the mountain and spread down to the seaside.

Its unique architecture is influenced by Ionian style. The olive and orange covered mountains, picturesque bays, beautiful, golden, endless beaches and the colorful flowers attract visitors and locals alike.

Parga boasts the cleanest and the most unspoiled beaches in the entire Greece. There are many historical sites and mystical places to be explored.

Even though Parga is situated on the Greece mainland, it has the atmosphere of an island.

The View of Parga

A Little Bit of History

Parga was known as Hypargos in the ancient times and it was inhabited by a Greek tribe called Thesprotians.

The village was originally built on the top of the Pezovolo Mountain, but was later transferred to its present location, to avoid Albanian attacks.

The Parga fortress was built with the help of the Normans, who were ruling Corfu. In 1401, the Ionian Islands came under the Venetians, who highly respected the Pargian lifestyle.

Parga Beach

The French took over the Ionian Islands including Parga in 1797, but as the French fortunes failed, the people revolted against French rule and sought British protection.

However, with a treaty signed in 1817 the British gave Parga to the Ottomans.

The Pargians exiled themselves and settled in Corfu, to avoid the cruelty of the Turks.

After the victory of Greece in the Balkan Wars in 1913, Parga and the rest of Epirus were freed from Ottoman rule, and the inhabitants returned to their birthplace.

Pargina is the main festival of Parga and the Kanaria Festival is celebrated in memory of the return of Parga’s residents from Corfu.

Apart from this, a number of painting and photography exhibitions, as well as some local celebrations are held throughout the year.