Igoumenitsa

Igoumenitsa
Ηγουμενίτσα
View of a part of the city and its old port
View of a part of the city and its old port
Igoumenitsa is located in Greece
Igoumenitsa
Igoumenitsa
Location within the region
Coordinates: 39°29′N 20°16′E / 39.483°N 20.267°E / 39.483; 20.267
CountryGreece
Administrative regionEpirus
Regional unitThesprotia
Government
 • MayorPanagiotis Ntais[1] (since 2023)
Area
 • Municipality
428.4 km2 (165.4 sq mi)
 • Municipal unit111.8 km2 (43.2 sq mi)
Elevation
13 m (43 ft)
Population
 (2021)[2]
 • Municipality
25,698
 • Density60/km2 (160/sq mi)
 • Municipal unit
18,562
 • Municipal unit density170/km2 (430/sq mi)
 • Community
10,315
DemonymIgoumenitsiote
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal code
461 00
Area code(s)26650
Vehicle registrationΗΝ
Websitewww.igoumenitsa.gr

Igoumenitsa (Greek: Ηγουμενίτσα, romanizedIgoumenítsa) is a coastal city in northwestern Greece. It is the capital of the regional unit of Thesprotia.

Igoumenitsa is the chief port of Thesprotia and Epirus, and one of the largest passenger ports of Greece, connecting northwestern Mainland Greece with the Ionian Islands and Italy. The city is built on the easternmost end of the Gulf of Igoumenitsa in the Ionian Sea and primary aspects of the economy are maritime, transport, services, agriculture and tourism. The 670 km (420 mi) long A2 motorway (Egnatia Odos), which serves northern Greece, terminates at Igoumenitsa, making it a popular starting point for tourists coming from Europe and ending point for trucks from Turkey.

Igoumenitsa features many shops, schools, offices and cargo storages, a university department, a library, an archeological museum, several sport stadiums and tennis courses, a courthouse and a medical clinic. The Thesprotia Police Headquarters and the Municipal Sailing Club are located here. The city itself is built on the slopes of a forested mountain and expands perimetrically around the gulf.

The 2021 census recorded 25,698 inhabitants for the wider Municipality, of which 18,562 in the municipal unit of Igoumenitsa, and 10,315 in the town proper.[2] Igoumenitsa is known for being surrounded by several forests and for its blue waters. The nearby Drepanos Beach is one of the longest sand beaches in the region, with a length of over 7 kilometers.

  1. ^ "Municipality of Igoumenitsa, Municipal elections – October 2023". Ministry of Interior.
  2. ^ a b "Αποτελέσματα Απογραφής Πληθυσμού - Κατοικιών 2021, Μόνιμος Πληθυσμός κατά οικισμό" [Results of the 2021 Population - Housing Census, Permanent population by settlement] (in Greek). Hellenic Statistical Authority. 29 March 2024.