Southern Epirus (Ipiros) Page 6

Preveza, Arta, Vonitsa & The Ambrakian Gulf

The Ambracian Gulf was the site of the Battle of Actium, where Octavian defeated Anthony and Cleopatra in 31BC; here is found the city that commemorated his victory. 'Nikopolis'.

Approaching from the north, there's a nice beach resort on the coast (5km west of the Nekromanteion), called Ammoudhia (which means sandy beach). A eucalyptos grove lies between the village and the beach, the latter a marvelous 700meters of sand, though there's some garbage floating in there, and the water can get cold, what with the nearby river. Better places along the coast here, best reached with your own vehicle, are Liyia and Loutra Vrahou. Some maps don't show the former, which has rooms, an ad hoc campsite, several tavernas, and a big beach with boulders along it; the beach at Loutra Vrahou is longer and sandier, and with similar amenities.

Preveza is at the tip of the gulf, called Amvrakikos in Greek. Its waterfront is pleasant, with plenty of tavernas and cafes. This town of around 15,000 inhabitants, is not terribly exciting, and the rooms can be overpriced. It stands on the north shore of the shallow straight (about 1km wide at this point) through which the waters of the Gulf flow out to see. The town occupies the ancient site of Berenikia, founded around 290BC by Pyrrhos in honor of his mother in law, Berenice, queen of Ptolemy Soter.

The town fell under the Venetians, the Turks, the Venetians a second time, then the French, Ali Pasha, and finally fell to the Greek army in 1912. The strait, from 1881-1912, formed the border to the newly liberated Greek state to the south, and the fading Ottoman Turkish empire to the north, which was still unliberated. The an annual Nikopolia festival, held in July and August at Nikopolis, features musical and theatrical events.

More Southern Epirus (Ipiros) Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8