Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Albatross Satha T 22650 42233. Inland and upwards on
the street between the two churches, this thoroughly
authentic choice (only Greek spoken) offers well-executed
mayireftá from a short daily menu, which might stretch to
octopus, spinach/cheese pie, rabbit stew, pale taramosaláta
and the house speciality samári (pancetta in savoury
sauce). Full meals about €10. Daily lunch & dinner.
Barko Maritsa Iánthi 71 T 22650 41059. Cool white
decor outside, warm and traditional maritime style inside,
this excellent taverna features savoury, non-greasy píttes
and an approximation of seafood risotto. Greek salad for
two costs €8, while deliciously fresh fish soup goes for €10.
Daily lunch & dinner; weekends only in winter.
Ì To Maïstrali Sygrou 32A. Located one block inland
from the water, this very lively and welcoming taverna is a
good, inexpensive seafood ouzerí with all the usual (fried)
standards. A full meal need run to no more than €10. Daily
lunch & dinner.
NIGHTLIFE
There are a dozen quayside cafés and bars catering to sophisticated Athenian forty- and fifty-somethings. Beyond the ancient
walls at the lighthouse is a late-night music club, while the Oianthe bar nestles below the pines across the harbour. The only
establishment at Hirólakkas is Paleo Liovtrivi , ideal for a snack, a home-made dessert or a nightcap at the water's edge.
3
Monastiráki
West from Galaxídhi, the first pleasant spot is MONASTIRÁKI , some 12km before you
get to Náfpaktos. Monastiráki retains plenty of old stone houses, along a serpentine,
tree-studded quay; there are no short-term places to stay but there is a handful of
seafood tavernas . For a pre- or post-prandial swim, there's a pebble beach adjacent to
Iliopoulos taverna, or much larger, less windy but shadeless Parathálasso west of the
main port, backed by a lagoon and a few seasonal beach-bars. There's a sandier, 1.3km
beach - exposed and not always clean - 3km further west at Hiliadhoú , with showers,
beach-bars, accommodation and tavernas.
EATING AND DRINKING
MONASTIRÁKI
Iliopoulos T 26340 52111. This popular seafood taverna
spreads out along the beach around the easterly headland.
There's a good selection of wild-caught fish, cheaper
seafood appetizers, good bulk wine and home-made píttes
- but expect brusque service at busy times. Daily lunch &
dinner.
Náfpaktos and around
NÁFPAKTOS (medieval Lepanto) is a lively port town and resort some two hours' drive
from Delphi, or an hour by road from Pátra. It is the largest settlement on the north
shore of the Gulf of Korínthos and the jumping-off point for the bridge to the
Peloponnese. The town spreads out along a plane-tree-shaded seafront, below a
sprawling Venetian castle. The planes are nurtured by numerous running springs,
which attest to water-rich mountains just inland. Also inland is the ancient sacred site
of Thermon , dedicated to the twin gods Apollo and his sister Artemis.
The kástro
The rambling, pine-tufted kástro provides an impressive backdrop; most of it dates
from the Venetians' fifteenth-century tenure. A complete tour is only possible by
THE BATTLE OF LEPANTO
The Battle of Lepanto was fought just off Náfpaktos on October 7, 1571. An allied Christian
armada commanded by John of Austria devastated an Ottoman fleet - the first European
naval victory over the Turks since the death of the dreaded pirate-admiral Barbarossa.
Cervantes, author of Don Quixote , lost his left arm to a cannonball during the conflict; a
Spanish-erected statue honours him at the old harbour. But Western naval supremacy proved
fleeting, since the Ottomans quickly replaced their ships and had already wrested Cyprus from
the Venetians that same year.
 
Search WWH ::




Custom Search