Perdika: Village Character, Beaches and History

Perdika is considered a mountainous, traditional village and the largest traditional village in Thesprotia. The area has beaches for swimming trips, alongside a chapel with a local origin story and an ancient fortified settlement. The surrounding landscape also offers a focus of its own. If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Perdika, you can first consider whether the coast, local history or nature should shape your holiday.

Beaches in the Perdika area

The large, organised beaches include Karavostasi, Agia Paraskevi, Arillas, Mikro Drafi and Mega Drafi; they attract visitors for swimming. Karavostasi has been awarded the Blue Flag. These five names give you specific points of reference for a trip focused on swimming. Beach days thus provide a distinct focus alongside the historical themes in and around Perdika.

Chapel and local tradition

The Ai Thanasis Chapel in Perdika dates from 1811 and is set among plane trees. According to local tradition, it was built after an icon of Saint Athanasios was found in an olive tree beside the present-day shrine. The year it was built and the origin story each give the chapel a distinct historical connection: one points to its date, the other to a local tradition.

Dimokastro and its history

Dimokastro is also known by the names Erimokastro, Elinokastro and Elimokastro. The fortified coastal settlement was founded in the second half of the 4th century BC on a hill south of Karavostasi Bay in Perdika. It flourished during the Hellenistic period.

Dimokastro may be identified with ancient Elina. Elina was the seat of the Elinoi-Thesproter tribe, who lived in the area of today’s villages of Margariti, Plataria and Perdika. The possible connection to Elina remains a cautious interpretation; the founding of the fortified settlement and its later flourishing are among the area’s other historical themes.

Perdika Folklore Museum

Since July 2000, the Perdika Folklore Museum has been housed in the former municipal office. It collects folkloric, traditional, historical and photographic material. Through hands-on experiences, the museum aims to impart knowledge about the area’s cultural past. Alongside the ancient settlement and the history of the chapel, it thus also draws attention to the region’s cultural heritage.

Monastery and trail in the surrounding area

In the vicinity of Perdika, a monastery dedicated to Saint Athanasios lies at the foot of the western slope of Mount Agia (927 m). It is beside a small stream and surrounded by plane trees and olive trees. The approximately two-kilometre-long hiking trail named after the monastery passes through a wooded area near a river that flows into the sea at Karavostasi.

The monastery can be reached by car from Perdika, either via Karavostasi Beach or via the turn-off on the road from Perdika to Agia. This gives you two specifically described routes to the monastery to choose from when planning your visit. The nearby trail and its woodland setting add a nature perspective to the coastal and historical themes; it is approximately two kilometres long.

These different focuses can help guide your choice of holiday apartment: beaches and swimming, the history of Ai Thanasis and Dimokastro, or the landscape near the monastery. This way, you can look for accommodation suited to the kind of holiday you would like to spend in Perdika.

Discover more destinations: Plataria Thesprotia, Parapotamos, Igoumenitsa, Kastri, Margariti, Paramythia, Karavostasi, Glyki

For the full travel overview: Thesprotia.