Syvota

Syvota is in Epirus, Greece.

Understand

One of the islands just offshore from a hotel on the mainland. It is accessible via a causeway covered by a bit of shallow sea.

Syvota (Greek: Σύβοτα) (also called: Sivota) is a small town in northwestern Greece, roughly 27 km south of the Greek border with Albania. The town had a population of 875 in 2011. Today, Syvota town is a well-developed resort, owing largely to the numerous pristine beaches with clear waters on several islets immediately offshore.

Get in

By plane

Aktion airport (Preveza airport) (PVK ^IATA) is around an hour and a half away by car near the town of Preveza. Flights only operate on Sundays though because it is used by NATO and the Greek airforce at other times. If you are on a package holiday you will probably get a coach transfer.

Get around

Syvota isn't that large and can be relatively easily walked around. Although if you want to get to any of the islands or more remote beaches, it would be easier to hire a boat or get the boat taxi which sails around the town, stopping at the harbour, the Neilson resort and the Blue Lagoon beach among others. If you want to hire a boat, go to the harbour (head roughly north-west), there will be some boats available to hire there.

See and do

• The beaches are one thing to do here, a good one is:
• 1 Blue Lagoon. Open all the time. The Blue Lagoon is a sort of 'hidden gem'. The water is very blue, the beach is relatively small though, without access to the rest of the island. You can swim here but the beach isn't fine sand, sort of rough sand/fine gravel, so you will probably need a towel if you want to sunbathe. Free entry. (updated Jul 2015)
• The water around Syvota is very blue all around the town, so swimming or sunbathing at any of the beaches is probably OK.
• Boat trips are available to nearby islands of Paxos (Παξοί) and Antipaxos (Αντίπαξος) which are roughly 26 km away.

Buy

Most shops are just off the harbour front. There are souvenir shops and others aimed at tourists throughout the town and other shops are available. There is a pharmacy in the town.

Eat and drink

View of Syvota Harbour looking south from the northern end of the harbour. Restaurants and cafes are along the harbour front (just off to the left of the picture).

For restaurants or cafes, go to the harbour. You can sit outside and eat while watching the sun set over the sea in the evening.

• 1 Bamboo Place (opposite the small jetty on the southern end of the harbour). Popular bar/cafe on the harbour front, offers traditional Greek food and tasty drinks. (updated Aug 2015)

Sleep

• 1 Hotel Mega Ammos (Ξενοδοχείο Μέγα Άμμος), GR-46 100, ☏ +30 2665 093 447, ma@hotel-megaammos.gr. This hotel is just outside the main town of Syvota. The rooms are small and simple, but also comfortable and clean. (updated Aug 2015)
• 2 Hotel Sivota (Ξενοδοχείο Συβοτα), Mourtos, ☏ +30 2665 093265 (May to September), +30 26650 22472 (October to April), welcome@hotelsivota.gr. It is slightly back from the harbour, but is within walking distance of it. (updated Aug 2015)

Go next

The town of Parga (Πάργα) is around half an hour away by car.