Walk to Lichnos via the olive grove in Parga

You can go by beach boat from Parga to Lichnos beach, you can also go with your own transport. The absolute nicest, and toughest, means is to walk through the olive groves that cover the hill between Parga and Lichnos.

Some of the old gnarled olive trees in the olive forest.

To get to the path, pass Villa Rosa at the end of the village beach, continue along the road until you see the first olive trees, where the road ends, turn right into the path leading almost all the way to Lichnos. The walk is relatively simple and offers a scenery that should impress most people. However, I would like to put up a small warning sign for the walk. I have heard from some readers that they can not find the start of the walk. So, if you do not find the start, you are not alone. Ask somebody the way if you are unsure.

On a walk through the olive trees forest to Lichnos beach.

The path leads through an unusual olive tree forest, I have never seen such tall olive trees elsewhere, many are old and knotty and resembles of old oaks. Similar olive trees grows around almost the whole of Parga, it is said to be more than a hundred thousand trees. The reason for the abnormal size is that nobody cared about them - olive trees needs to be pruned - during the Ottoman occupation. Black nets lies under the olive trees awaiting the next harvest.

I have never seen such tall olive trees as here.

Along the path you pass the mysterious church of Agios Georgios, it do not resembles of any other churches I have seen, the square building is is painted at the bottom and completely unpainted at the upper part. Agios Georgios, together with the giant olive trees, the black nets, the hollow trunks and the singing cicadas, gives the feeling of being in a ghost forest. Scary and fascinating at the same time.

The hollow tree you pass in the olive tree forest.

The unusual Agios Georgios church in the olive tree forest.

From the church of Agios Georgios you can make a detour up to Agia Eleni church. It is a small white-painted church from which you have an almost improbably beautiful view of Parga and its surroundings. The church is open and it is allowed to go inside. It takes about 35 minutes to walk up to the church. It is said that there is a closer road that starts somewhere behind Villa Rosa in Parga.

The path leading to Agia Eleni church.

Agia Eleni church.

The amazing view of Parga from Agia Eleni church.

The path to Lichnos beach ends at the main road leading down to the beach. (Along the main road lies a taverna with an almost inhumanly amazing view of the bay of Lichnos). You have to walk along the main road the last way to get down to the beach.

The taverna with the gorgeous beautiful view of Lichnos beach.

View of Lichnos beach.

Read more about Parga here »