© Alberto Zakar

October 9, 2015

Acheron River by Alberto
Photo Courtesy of Alberto Zakar

The team of Mysterious Greece would like to express its gratitude to our mysterious supporter, Alberto, for this amazing picture from Acheron River!

THE MYTHICAL RIVER OF EPIRUS

The triumph of Love over Death: Orpheus, son of the muse Calliope, was devastated by the death of his wife Eurudice. With his weeping lyre he achieved to move the king and queen of the dead, Hades and Persephone, and won himself a chance to claim the blossom of his heart back from the Kingdom of Silence. To do so, he had to cross the Acheron River, the watery border between Life and Death.The river springs from the area known by the name of the village Glykí at an altitude of 1.600 metres in the mountains of Soúli and discharges in the area of Ammoudiá on the Ionian coast. On its way, it passes through wonderful gorges, proud and audacious precipices, endless landscapes of peace and handsomeness, and it forms some ponds and lakes here and there; and all that under the surveillance of age-old plane trees. And, of course, the habitat of such a unique place is a member of the Natura 2000 network.

RIVER TREKKING

Plane trees bending over gurgling fountains seem to be begging for water, exhausted as they are by the load of climbing plants that endure eternity by clinging to the trees’ trunks. Snow white limestone rocks lie on the bed of the river, where thick ferns lounge around. Dominated by nuances of green, exciting paths stretch along the river; at times they cross it, as they tread on arched rocky bridges. At a certain point the river narrows between green-clad steep high cliffs that seem to be forming an enormous gate through which the water of the river rushes fiercely; no wonder the legendary name of the spot is “The Gate to the Underworld”. Two of the most impressive and stirring trails are Glykí-Skála Tzavélenas and Skála Tzavélenas- the Soúli plateau.

Alternative tourism goes mythical

Horse-riding at Piyés
Paragliding at Paramythiá
Rafting, kayak, canoe-kayak at Stená (=where the river narrows)
Mountain-bike along the river
Canyoning at Stená
A caique mini cruise at the Acheron estuary
Swimming in the cold waters of the river
Scuba-diving and watersports in Ammoudiá

Nearby treasures to be discovered

The historical villages of Soúli
The cosmopolitan but scenic Parga
The necromantic oracle of Acheron
The remains and the Museum of the Ancient Nikópolis
The Ancient Kassiópe
The Ancient Theatre of Dodóni
The town of Préveza

Getting there – Accommodation

The area is accessible by car through motorways. Once you get there, enjoy the hospitality of the people of Glykí, Paramythiá and Ammoudiá. Parga and Sývota are the optimum choices for the summer.

Copyrighted by Visit Greece

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