HOW TO GET
From Italy
Starting from the ports of Trieste, Venice, Ancona, Bari, Brindisi, and Otranto you can arrive at the ports of Corfu, Igoumenitsa. Many Italian and Greek ferry companies link Italy and Greece during all the periods of the year. Igoumenitsa is also the starting point of the Via Egnazia or Egnatia Odos in Greek http://www.egnatia.eu. that crosses the mountains of Pindos, allowing quick communication with Ioannina, Thessaloniki and even with Istanbul. In fact, the arterial road crosses the borders with Turkey after having crossed Macedonia and Thrace.
From Athens
Iliochori is also easily accessible from Athens. Visitors can take the plane from the Eleftherios Venizelos Airport http://www.aia.grthat has two flights per day for Pyrros airport. Exiting from the airport on the rights you come across the cross-road for Konitsa. Either by car, taxi or bus you can take the network motorway from Athens till Ioannina; a 4-hour drive. For those who love panoramic views you can admire the new bridge that connects Rio Antirio, called Gefyra http://www.gefyra.grGefyra was constructed for the Athens Olympic Games in 2004 and is considered to be an engineering masterpiece.
Starting from Thessaloniki, the second most populated city of Greece, you can also arrive in Ioannina. Visitors can take the plane from Thessaloniki's Airport https://www.skg-airport.gr/that has two flights per day for Pyrros airport. You can reach Iliochori by car, bus or taxi through the Via Egnatia, that takes its name from the ancient times. The motorway, which is part of the E90, begins from Igoumenitsa, passes through the Pindos mountains and Thessaloniki and continues for Thrace till it reaches the borders with Turkey. The Greek public transport system KTEL supplies the connections not only with Athens and Thessaloniki but with Igoumenitsa and other cities of Epirus (Preveza, Arta) and of Thessaly (Larissa and Volos).
From Corfu
Corfu, the island of Achilleas and the island where Ulysses was first disembarked afterhis return to Ithaca there are direct flights towards the city of Ioannina and more specifically towards the Pyrros airport. Visitors can also take the ferry that sails for the second port of Igoumenitsa. You could also take the Egnatia motorway in the direction of Ioannina for 45 minutes Once in Ioannina, you take the crossroad for Konitsa, exiting from Ioannina. After 19km you will find the crossroad for Zagori on your right. After you pass the towns of Tsepelovo, Skamnelli and Gyftocambos on the right of the crossroad you can find Laista. After a few kilometres you will have arrivedto the village of Iliochori.
From Igoumenitsa
Once you arrive at the port of Igoumenitsa, you can take the Egnatia motorway in the direction of Ioannina for 45 minutes. This journey can be done by the Greek public transport bus KTEL: https://ktelbus.com/ that covers most all of the Greek territory. Exiting from Ioannina in the direction of Konitsa (town of the horses, from the Slav Coni which means horse), after 19 kilometres on the right, you will find the crossroad for Zagori. After 50 kilometres you will reach the village of Iliochori.
From Ioannina to Iliochori
After reaching the city of Ioannina, which is home to King Pyrros Airport, travellers can access the road leading to Konitsa primarily through single domestic flights, often operated by Aegean Airlines. Heading outwards from Ioannina, in the direction of Konitsa, after 19 kilometres you can find the crossroad that after 50 kilometres will bring you to the village of Iliochori.
On your way, 6 kilometres on your left, you can admire a monument that was dedicated to the woman of Epirus. After 3 kilometres you will find on your right, a road leading to a town called Elati. At that point, you need to take a left for Iliochori. After 1 kilometre you will find on your left the road for the towns of Vitsa and Monodedri as well as the road of Kotzani. To get to Iliochori you need to go on your right.
Keep going after 3 kilometres and you will find the crossroads for Dilofo, another typical town of the Epirus region. After 2 kilometres on the right, you can admire the river Voidomatis with its characteristic bridge called Ghefira. After a few metres, you can find on the right the road for Cuculi (Kukuli), where you can admire the bridge Plachidas or Calogerico, one of the most beautiful bridges in Greece. Continue your journey straight. After a few metres, you will find the crossroad for Cuculi (Kukuli)
After 4 kilometres on your left, you can admire the Gorge of Vikos, which in Greek means strong voice. This is one of the biggest and most extraordinary gorges in Europe. You can then see Vradeto which means an area of fir-tress from the Vlach word brad which means fir-tree. After 3 kilometres you will find the crossroad for the little town of Capessoco. After 4 kilometres to your left, you will find the road to the Rengavas Monastery. After 2 kilometres you will find the town of Tsepelovo. Passing this laterally, you will find the town of Skamnelli.
Keep going and after 11 kilometres you will find the locality of Gyftokambos. Here every year, during the first weekend of August, you can attend a big holiday in honour of the Sarakatsani tribe. After 1 kilometre, you will find the crossroad for Laista. Continue the left towards Iliochori and Crysochori. After a few kilometres on your right, you can admire the church of Aghios Minas, dedicated to the aforementioned saint, which was built by the Tsoulakis.
Continue for 1-2 kilometres and here you are! You have reached Iliochori (The Village of the Sun)!
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