The picturesque port, the amazing flavors of the dishes you will try, the ancient and symbolic monuments, the … acquaintance with the dolphins of Amvrakikos and the fun of the locals complete a unique travel “package”
By Vangelis Kioulhatzis
We are in the beginning of June, a period during which most of us arrange our summer vacations or otherwise take advantage of the good weather to escape from their daily routine even for three days.
So wandering the Greek map, looking for our next destination, let us turn our gaze a little to the left towards Continent. There we will find many alternative coastal places and at its southern end we will find, “the island” of Epirus, the Preveza.
From the historic city located at its entrance Amvrakikos gulf, nothing is missing comparing it with other popular summer destinations of mainland Greece. The picturesque port with taverns and cafes all around, the amazing flavors of the dishes you will try, the ancient and symbolic monuments, the … acquaintance with Dolphins of Amvrakikos and the fun of the locals complete a unique travel “package” generously offered by Preveza.
So, at the invitation of the municipal authority, we took the opportunity to visit it and we will present our experiences from our two-day stay there.
Irresistible flavors in a place full of history
THE 4 hours journey, if you are coming from Athens, it will lead you to the entrance of the port where you must make a stop for food before continuing your tour of the city. There is no better way to “introduce” Preveza to you than to taste them delicious shrimp of.
Of course in an area where dealing with fishing is a “science” any seafood dish and try it you will not regret it. However, in no case should you skip the risotto with the shrimp dipped in red sauce. Those of us who were at the table that day agreed that it is one of the best shrimp we have ever eaten.
In our company was also the Deputy Mayor of Tourism of Preveza, Mr. Leonidas Argyroswho spoke to us about the steps that have been taken towards the tourist development of the wider area by the mayor Mr. Nikos Georgakos while then he took us on a tour of the city.
Our walk starts from Androutsou Square where the statue of the leader of the Greek Revolution, Odysseas Androutsou who was born in Preveza, dominates. Also, the port from 2018 adorns the Aktia Mermaidderived from the drawings of the great archaeologist Petros Themelis.
As we said, Preveza is a historical place and we did not take long to realize that. “The course of history has changed here,” Mr. Argyros told us, referring to naval battle of Aktio which took place at the entrance of Amvrakikos in 31 BC. This is one of the most important conflicts of antiquity as it marked the end of res publica and beginning of the Roman Empire.
Unraveling the tangle of the history of the area, we learn that the city passed from the hands of the Ottomans, to the control of the Venetians and then for a year in 1797 was under French occupation. It was then ceded to Turkey before its liberation and accession to the Greek state in 1912. However, the city was marked by the poet’s suicide. Costa Karyotaki and unnecessarily carried a negative reputation. But she was overwhelmed by her beauties.
The locals and their traditions won us over
The imprint that history has left on the region is strong to this day, culminating in the imposing Clock Tower in the heart of Preveza which has been there since 1790 during Venetian rule.
The city center is adorned with cobbled streets and colorful buildings, while flowers and blossoms appear in the alleys that pulsate with life.
In one of them we had the pleasure to meet her Roubou family which has been active in the production sector since 1949 ouzo. They welcomed us to their traditional store and after they offered us a shot of liqueur with cinnamon, they told us about their “from generation to generation” business that stars in its field.
Ouzo has been identified more than any other drink with the Greek culture and this very legacy, as Mr. Bissarionas pointed out to us, he tries to respect and preserve his family. Definitely worth a visit to the Roubos family shop, if you are in the city.
The end of the day found us in the most famous alley of Preveza called “Satan Bazaar” or otherwise “Devil’s Market”.
Behind his name is a special story carved in stone on the street and states that: “During the Turkish Occupation, a Turkish military commander was in Preveza, very hard and violent. One night, the residents of this street soaped the cobbled path, at the point where it had the steepest slope. When the next day, the commander passed by here, his horse slipped and he himself fell shouting: “Satan Bazaar”, that is, “Devil’s Bazaar”.
So this strait will lead you to the store of the lovable Mr. Stavrou for an unforgettable rebetiko night.
There in the small cafe “Ano Vlanto” the “Aptalides” with their rich repertoire of folk song, they really woke us up. Under the sounds of the music of George Zambetas and Grigoris Bithikotsis, the people of Preveza proved to us that a bouzouki and a glass of wine in combination with good company are enough to experience the ultimate Greek feast, as the ancients did. In other words, that night we appreciated the simple things, which in life are, after all, the most beautiful.
Time travel in the ruins of Ancient Nikopolis
We have previously referred to the historical significance Battle of Aktio in 31 BC. The Roman emperor Octavious who prevailed in the fleet of Antonios and Cleopatra built the Nikopolis to celebrate his victory, just ten kilometers outside Preveza.
It is one of the largest cities in ancient Greece and today has an archeological site in nature, covering hundreds of acres. From our visit there we singled out the huge Early Christian Wallsbut also the Royal Basilica of Jupiter with its impressive mosaics of great technical perfection that are preserved to this day.
For those who want to immerse themselves more in the historical events of the area, it is definitely worth a visit to Neos Archaeological Museum of Nikopolis with the copy of a Roman map depicting the then known world (and the idea that the Romans had of it) being one of the most interesting exhibits.
Maybe this walk will turn out to be a bit tedious so to relax immediately after a swim we suggest you take a dip in the most famous beach of Preveza, the Monolith. With an area of ​​more than 20 km stretching in front of a lush forest, it is one of the largest sandy beaches in the European Union. Its waters are crystal clear while for 2020 and 2021 it was declared the safest beach in Europe.
A show for … a role in the waters of Amvrakikos
We move on to the best part of the trip. A cruise off the coast of Amvrakikos with friends sea ​​turtles, silver pelicans, herons and playful rhinoswho gave shows swimming with us.
The whole process to admire the dolphins up close, of course, requires a special … ritual. You must first get up early in the morning and be at the port around 9 to board the boat. Then grab a good seat in the front because that’s where dolphins usually like to jump. The captain will put the speakers to play classical music to attract dolphins as they have proven to be big fans of opera (and yet this is true and this is not a joke). All the visitor on the boat has to do is applauds and cheer the dolphins so that they get courage and start their tricks.
As he explained to us Dimitris, the young captain, dolphins are social beings, they understand that there is positive energy in the boat and so they like to show off. “They are very smart and have the ability to understand the sound waves from the camera so they know us and do not bother,” he added, and the first dolphins were not long in coming.
Amid applause and whistles, the dolphins were sailing alongside the boat. They gave us images that you do not encounter every day with the spectacle being truly unique. We succeeded when they went out to hunt for their favorite food, sardines.
Also the wetland of Amvrakikos is a paradise for birdwatching. It is impressive that in the area there are 300 species of birds when in all of Greece there are a total of 400. Six of these species are endangered and specially protected as silver pelicanthe heaviest bird in the world (weighs 15 kg) that can and does fly, with wingspan over 3 meters.
Last stop before our return to Athens, its lagoon Πωγωνίτσας where we talked to them local fishermen and we saw them use a special and environmentally friendly environment, fishing technique.
This is fishing with “springs”, ie with traps, in which the fish are trapped in a small space and the fisherman spreads his net to get them out of the water. The following fish as we will see was very good.
We closed as we opened our trip, by the sea enjoying the local delicacies. THE fresh sea bream on the coals along with a little ouzo was the perfect ending to a two-day event full of unprecedented experiences.
Preveza may seem like a classic port city, but it hides many secrets and when you discover them you will love it. Some of them are invaluable, such as having a good time, which for the people of Preveza is a way of life.
