Crystal-clear waters, pristine coves, quiet beaches and fabulous seafood are all great reasons to explore Sivota on the Ionian coast of Epirus, Greece. This lovely region is easy to reach with direct international flights but it’s still surprisingly under the radar.
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Why visit Sivota Greece
I’ve visited the Ionian islands several times in the last few years but never hopped across to mainland Greece. Yet it’s only a handful of miles from Corfu. Ionian Villas invited me to a two-centre stay in Corfu and Sivota so along with my son Ed, I flew out from London in May to explore.
Disclosure: I visited Sivota Greece as a guest of Ionian Villas on the understanding that all opinions expressed in this blog post are entirely my own
Sivota, also spelt Syvota, is a picturesque fishing village on the north-west coast of Greece. It lies opposite the southern tip of Corfu, and despite being on the mainland it shares the same relaxed and secluded island feel.
Just like the Ionian islands, Sivota has translucent azure waters and plenty of beaches along its rocky coastline. Thickly-forested hillsides slope steeply down to pretty coves and little roads wind through the countryside, linking small traditional towns.
Unlike some of the most popular Ionian islands, Sivota doesn’t have any large-scale resorts. Visitors stay in villas or small hotels and enjoy the region’s secluded beaches, coastal views and authentic Greek way of life. It’s a low-key vibe that we loved.
How to get to Sivota
You can fly direct from London to Preveza (Aktion) aiport on the Greek mainland. From here it’s an easy 75 minute drive along the coastline to Sivota.
Alternatively you can do as we did and fly to Corfu first, spend time on the island and then transfer by ferry from Corfu Town to Igoumenitsa on the mainland. We enjoyed the 90 minute ferry ride and the fabulous views of Corfu’s fortress as we left the port.
Plan a 2-centre trip to the Ionian islands
The Ionian islands are well-placed for Greek island hopping without spending hours on a ferry. Here are some more easy two-centre combinations to choose from:
- Sivota and Lefkada Drive from Preveza airport across the causeway to Lefkada island.
- Corfu and Paxos Reach peaceful Paxos by hydrofoil in under an hour from Corfu Town.
- Lefkada and Meganisi Enjoy watersports and superstar beaches on Lefkada then transfer to secluded Meganisi with just a 30 minute ride by ferry.
- Kefalonia and Ithaca Kefalonia has lots to explore, then take the ferry from Sami or Fiscardo to picturesque Ithaca.
Ionian Villas is a family-run villa company with decades of experience in the Greek Ionian islands. As well as villa rental they can tailor-make an itinerary for you and arrange meet and greet services, transfers, car hire, boat tours and villa chefs. Contact Ionian Villas here, mention Map&Family and let them help you plan your next trip to the Ionian islands.
Things to do in Sivota
We picked up a hire car at the ferry port in Igoumenitsa and followed the coast to Sivota. Our hotel lies just outside the town in a little bay with one of the best beaches in the area. Find out more about our stay in the laidback and affordable luxury of Arete Lifestyle Hotel.
From here we spent a few days exploring the coast and nearby beaches as well as enjoying our hotel’s soothingly peaceful location and delicious food.
Visit Sivota village
We spent a couple of evenings on the pretty waterfront area of Sivota village. A promenade, punctuated with iron lampposts, overlooks the harbour with its typically Greek island scene of colourful wooden fishing boats tied up alongside sleek yachts and launches.
The quayside is lined with restaurants and bars all facing in the direction of Sivota’s arresting sunsets. This is a small tourist town with a low-key relaxed feel. You’ll find shops for the local community here as well as boutiques geared to holidaymakers.
We walked round the harbour and followed a little path to the nearest beach of Galikos Molos. It’s a narrow strip with beach beds and parasols and one or two bars behind it.
Sivota harbour is a great base for boat tours of the area. You could take a sunset cruise, a day trip to Paxos and Antipaxos, or simply hop on a boat to visit the local beaches and the famous Blue Lagoon. You could also enjoy the calm waters on a sea kayak tour, or take a snorkelling trip to some of the area’s secret beaches on off-shore islets.
Best Beaches in Sivota
Agia Paraskevi
If you’re staying at Arete Lifestyle hotel then you’ll be greeted with close-up views of Agia Paraskevi and its peaceful islet when you step out onto your balcony each morning. A little chapel stands on a promontory to the side of the beach, whilst the densely wooded islet in the middle of the bay shelters the sands. As you paddle into the limpid calm waters shoals of tiny silvery fish dart around your feet. And you can swim or paddleboard to a tiny beach on the secret little island.
Agia Paraskevi was almost empty when we visited in May. We padded barefoot from room to seashore and back as if it was our own private beach. It’s more popular in the summer season when it becomes an organised beach with sunbeds, parasols and other amenities, supplied by the small hotels nearby. Book Arete Lifestyle hotel here.
Bella Vraka
One of the most famous beaches in the Sivota area is Bella Vraka, thanks to its USP: a shallow submerged spit that connects it to the islet of Mourtemeno. Visitors can paddle across the bar with turquoise water to either side, giving desert island vibes.
Bella Vraka beach is a 5 minute drive from Sivota. As it was early in the season we parked easily and followed the little paved path down to the beach with glimpses of the pretty bay framed by wild flowers.
A few people were walking across to the islet and we joined them. The reality of our crossing was more thigh-high wading than casual paddling but we made it to Mourtemeno’s pebbly beach without getting soaked. The water was pleasantly warm for swimming and the bay was beautifully quiet and peaceful.
Bella Vraka doesn’t have much in the way of facilities – you’re here for the scenery rather than beachside pampering. But it does get much busier in summer. Its calm shallow waters, protected by the rocky wooded islet, makes it popular for paddle boarding and kayaking. We loved swimming there – but take water shoes like these (paid link) as the pebbly spit is difficult to walk on in bare feet.
Mega and Mikri Ammos
If you’re looking for beaches with bars, restaurants and sunbeds then these two popular bays fill the bill. Mega Ammos is the largest beach in the area whilst the smaller Mikri Ammos has a beach bar and music. Best to go early, or later in the afternoon as they are very popular.
Where to eat in Sivota
We picked a taverna on the corner of the waterfront at Sivota with fabulous views of the sunset over the harbour. As well as boat-fresh seafood and visitor favourites like moussaka it catered to more local tastes with dishes such as traditional boiled greens, mineral-rich and tangy (“Have you had them before?” the waiter asked a trifle anxiously, “Never liked them myself!”😃 ). We loved them and also the succulent squid, fried courgettes and of course the moussaka.
Sivota has a mix of traditional and more contemporary Mediterranean restaurants to try and the fresh local seafood is a highlight.
Best Gyros
One evening we headed up the hillside to the mountain village of Perdika for traditional Greek gyros. Perdika is a 10 minute drive from Arete Lifestyle hotel and lies 200 m above the sea. TIme your visit for sunset and the eye-catching views of the coastline with the shadowy outlines of Corfu and Paxos lying in the distance.
After a circuit of the village we headed straight for the chequered tablecloths and rush-seated chairs outside Vetoulis Grill House. A couple of large village dogs lounged hopefully near the takeaway hatch. And eyed us with interest as we ordered Mythos beer and a cherry-pink local rosé.
Gyros is the favourite Greek street food of seasoned meat stacked on a vertical spit and sliced into pitta bread. We ordered pork gyros and chicken souvlaki: tender, tasty and just what we wanted.
Visit Parga
You could spend all week sampling the beaches around Sivota, but we wanted to explore further afield so we headed off on a trip to Parga. It’s the largest holiday town on this stretch of coastline and is popular for its Greek island aesthetics: at the waterfront a jumble of colourful buildings cluster around the azure harbour.
Parga is unashamedly a resort town and it was bigger and busier than Sivota. But, as well as the picturesque harbour, it has broad beaches, steep narrow streets full of character and plenty of bars and restaurants, not to mention some cultural sights too.
Anthousa Castle
On our way to Parga we made a small detour to visit the ruined fort of Anthousa. It was built in 1814 by Ali Pasha, the governor of Ioannina. At this time most of Epirus, apart from Parga, was under Ottoman rule, and Ali Pasha wanted Parga too.
The castle is in ruins but is occasionally used for events. There’s a car park about 200m downhill from the fort and a decent road that leads to the entrance. When we visited it was deserted. No entrance fee, no information, no people at all.
The stonework is crumbling and studded with wild flowers. We scrambled about a bit and found a vantage point with fabulous views of the coastline and Parga in the distance. It’s a Health and Safety nightmare – but worth a visit for the views.
Venetian Castle of Parga
Not content with one castle, when we reached Parga we headed straight for the Venetian castle above the town.
Although re-built many times there’s been a castle on this hill since the 11th century. Again there’s no entry fee but the key reason to visit is to walk the stone paths, shaded by pine trees, around the perimeter. From here we could see the Ali Pasha castle in the distance as well as bird’s eye views of Parga’s waterfront and beaches.
Parga harbour
The busy little port is lined with restaurants and shops and boats come and go from the quay. The wooded islet of Panagia stands in the harbour and is one of Parga’s hidden gems. It has a little whitewashed chapel and bell tower as well as the ruins of a small French castle. You can take a boat from the harbour or even swim across to it.
Day trips from Sivota
Once you leave the pretty coves of Sivota you do realise you’re in mainland Greece. The vast densely wooded mountains of Epirus rise up on either side of the road and stretch into the distance. It’s an ancient region where sheep and goats are still part of the economy, producing some of the best feta cheese in Greece.
Bears, wolves and lynx roam in the national parks of Epirus, but even in the more developed coastal areas we came face to face with some surprising local fauna. And not just the obligatory cows in the middle of the road either.
One afternoon we came across a family of wild boar – famously shy and fierce – browsing on a lawn. Later, on the main road from Parga, a huge bird of prey launched into the air from the roadside with a snake clutched in its beak. (And yes, I do like to think it was an eagle!)
This is not what you expect on an average Greek holiday and it made us even more keen to return and explore further inland.
Visit the Acheron River
In ancient Greek mythology the Acheron river in Epirus led to the Gates of Hades, the entrance to the underworld. The river rises at Acheron Springs near Glyki and from here flows 70 km south to to Ammoudia and the Ionian sea near Preveza.
Today the Acheron is a popular destination for outdoor activities. You can go kayaking and rafting, follow trails through lush greenery and shady canyons and walk or swim in the refreshing turquoise waters.
It only takes about 50 minutes to drive from Sivota to Acheron Springs so this is a very do-able day trip and we’d have gone to explore if we’d had more time.
Stay in Arete Lifestyle Hotel, Sivota
I recommend this small boutique hotel with a contemporary vibe on the beach at Agia Paraskevi. Read more about our stay at Arete Lifestyle Hotel here.
Please note that all visitor information here is for guidance only. Please check the relevant websites for the most up to date information eg. accommodation details, tickets, entrance requirements, opening times etc.
What to read next about the Greek Ionian Islands
- Arete Lifestyle Hotel – affordable luxury on the beach in Sivota
- Why you should visit Kalami Bay, Corfu
- Luxury Villa Bliss Corfu has an infinity pool with breathtaking views
- Visit Vasiliki on Lefkada for watersports and superstar beaches
- My Favourite Lefkada beaches
- Secret Meganisi island is only a short ferry ride from Lefkada
- Stay in the chic village of Fiscardo, Kefalonia
- Fun Things to do in Kefalonia
- Relax in a catered villa in Kefalonia
- Choose this villa with a view in Paxos – it’s walking distance to the beach and village
- Paxos Greece: an unspoilt island getaway
- AntiPaxos: a blissful island day trip from Paxos
About the author Nancy Roberts is a former women’s magazine editor and writer. She lives in London and is mum to two 20-something boys. In Map&Family she shares info and inspiration for curious travellers: singles and couples as well as families travelling with teens and young adults.
All photos are all rights reserved. Please do not reproduce these photos without prior written permission
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