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GreekReporter.comGreek NewsThe Spectacular Sandy Beaches of Greece's Acheloos River

The Spectacular Sandy Beaches of Greece’s Acheloos River

The Valley of the Acheloos River
The Valley of the Acheloos River. Credit: iAitoloakarnania.gr

When it comes to summer in Greece, images of turquoise waters and dazzling, sandy beaches of the Aegean or Ionian Seas come to mind—right?

What would you say if we told you that a river in the very heart of the Greek mainland has its own beautiful, pristine, sandy beaches which resemble exotic destinations and attract thousands of people each year?

As if Greece doesn’t have enough spectacular beaches on which to frolic around on during the hot summer months, it also boasts one of the most beautiful river beaches to be found anywhere in the world. We’re talking about the sandy valley of the Acheloos River in Western Greece.

The Valley of the Acheloos River

Surrounded by high mountain peaks, in an area which forms the natural border between four Greek counties, the Acheloos Valley creates an amazing and completely unique natural landscape which must be seen to be believed.

The current of the river there slows down, as it enters the flat valley, and its waters also become shallow due to the lack of rain during the summer. This causes the sandy banks of the river to turn into proper beaches, where people can go and enjoy their holidays just as if they were on an island somewhere in the Aegean or the Ionian Sea.

A landscape with jaw-dropping, white-sand beaches and light blue, crystal clear waters suddenly emerges after the Acheloos River descends from the higher land of the Agrafa, Baltos, and Frousia mountains, where the regional units of Aetolia-Acarnania, Arta, Evrytania, and Karditsa meet.

Traditional villages, verdant forests, mountain paths, religious monuments, and several white-cobbled river beaches offer a range of opportunities for exploration, adventure, and relaxation for vacationers in the Acheloos area.

Some areas of the valley even have proper beach bars, water sports facilities, and other amenities, offering the unique opportunity to feel like you’re on the ocean, while you’re completely surrounded by high peaks and thick forests!

Acheloos river.
Acheloos river. Credti: Gwgwzelo/CC BY-SA 4.0

The Acheloos River, or as it is alternatively known, the Achelous, is an approximately 140-mile long river which empties into the Ionian Sea on the west coast of Greece.

The pristine river was even venerated by ancient Greeks as the river god “Achelous.”
The Acheloos crosses most of Western Greece, commencing its journey at magnificent Mount Pindus, 2,000 meters (1.2 miles) above sea level, and forming smaller and larger waterfalls along its meandering path to the Ionian Sea.

The river has its source in the Pindo mountain range near Mount Lakmos in the  Trikala prefecture at an altitude of approximately 2,295 meters. It is one of the longest rivers in Greece.

It is confused with the administrative border between the prefecture of Arta in Epirus and that of Trikala, as well as that of Karditsa in Thessaly. It empties into the Ionian Sea and partly into the Gulf of Patras via the Messolonghi lagoon west of the city of the same name.

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