Hi all! My husband and I will be driving from Patras to Meteora (Kastraki) on a Saturday in May. We'll leave Patras around 9-10 am and want to stop somewhere along the way to break up the drive, eat lunch, and spend 1-2 hrs walking around. Based on the map, I'm considering something on the Ambracian Gulf (Menidi?) or Ioannina. We could alternately drive straight to Kastraki to get there by early afternoon to give ourselves an extra half day there. (We're currently set to stay 2 nights so we have a full day Sunday and Monday morning). I've never been to Greece before, so am completely open to recommendations.
Posted by
Brighton, UK
1419 posts
I don’t know Menidi but Ioannina is a nice little town. It’s a bit more than half way from Patras but you should still be there in time for lunch. The Omilos on the lake is worth looking at for lunch. Nice views and lots of outside space. If you want to spend a couple of hours and stretch your legs you could get a ferry out to the island for a stroll.
Alternatively, lunch in Ioannina and then stop in Metsovo for a stroll. A pretty mountain village.
Alan
Posted by
Athens
37 posts
Make a stop in Arta to see the famous Arta's bridge ( google it it's a stone bridge of the river Arachthos). Find a nice place somewhere near to eat. Then make a short stop at Ioannina to see the lake, and then make sure to enjoy a coffee at Metsovo, a lovely small village up to the mountains around 50klms from Ioannina.
Posted by
OP
74 posts
Hm, 2 suggestions for Metsovo--I hadn't heard of it but I just marked it on my map for a stop. Will also check out the other suggestions (thanks so much!). We're actually driving up to Meteora and then back down again--I had planned to take the eastern route back down just to mix it up, but maybe I should reconsider coming up and down the western route but making different stops...food for thought.
Posted by
OP
74 posts
Just looked up the bridge in Arta--the views from there look spectacular!