Igoumenitsa
Igoumenitsa is a city in Epirus.
Understand
Igoumenitsa is a main gateway to Northern Greece, being the arrival port of many ferry services from Ancona, Bari, Brindisi, and Venice in Italy. It's also the starting point of "Egnatia Odos", a modern motorway which ends to the Greek–Turkish border at Kipoi, providing a fast access to Thessaloniki and Istanbul.
With a population of around 25,000 people, Igoumenitsa is a relatively large town, close to some pleasant beaches.
Get in
By bus
🌍 KTEL intercity buses operates 5 daily trips to/from Ioannina and 2 daily trips to/from Thessaloniki. The nearest rail hub is Larissa, change bus at Ioannina to get there. Also buses to Parga (via Sivota) but no services on Saturday or Sunday.
There are 3 buses per day to/from the Mavromati - Qafe Bote border (3,50 €, 45 minutes). A taxi ride from Butrint (Albania) to the border costs around 10-15 €.
By boat
ANEK Lines,Superfast Ferries and Minoan Lines operate a daily service from Ancona, Bari and Trieste. Grimaldi ferries sail from Brindisi to Igoumenitsa twice a day.
There are hourly ferries to Corfu (1.5h) from where you can catch speed boats to Sarandë, Albania (30min). Account for delays when choosing this option to cross from Albania to Greece or vice versa.
By Bicycle
Igoumenitsa lies on the EuroVelo cycling routes EV8.
By Foot
Igoumenitsa is the beginning/end of the Greece section of the European hiking trail E6.
Get around
The actual city mainly spreads 2.5km along the coast from the 🌍 International ferry port terminal in the south over the 🌍 domestic terminal (next to the actual city center) up to the 🌍 archeological museum in the north.
By Foot
You can walk all distances in town in half an hour.
Bike Sharing
Igoumenitsa operates a station based bike sharing system Cyclopolis with stations at least at both ports. To register you need a credit card. You'll get a 7h free ride upon registration which is enough for a nice half day trip to Drepanos Beach (see next section) on the cycle path.
Taxi
Radio Taxi Igoumenitsa costs €1.25/km (as of August 2022). They also drive long distances (e.g. Athens) and to the Albanian border Mavromati/Qafë Botë (€40) or further to Sarandë for €105.
Do
- Go swimming at 🌍 Drepanos Beach, a long bay next to the bay of Igoumenitsa. The beach is all sand and there are multiple bars that offer sunbeds. However the beach is long enough that you can also choose a spot on your own, if you're lucky even with shadow from a tree. It's 7km from the international port terminal and 5km from the northern end of the city. As of August 2022 there is a brand new paved cycling and walking path from the end of the sea side promenade up to the camping at Drepanos beach. It's completely separated from the road (hence safe to use, e.g. with bike sharing). The last 2km next to the beach are without any shadow. There is also a bus (line 2) going to Drepanos beach once per hour (ask camping staff or people working at bars).
A taxi is €10.
Eat
North of the domestic terminal there are plenty of restaurants and tavernas.
Sleep
- 🌍 Acropolis, ☏ +30 26650 28346.
- Egnatia, ☏ +30 26650 23648.
- 🌍 El Greco.
- Stavrodromi, 16, Souliou, ☏ +30 26650 22343.