Who would have imagined the gate of Hades, god of the underworld, to be fringed by cypress glades and flower-strewn meadows? But for all its tranquil beauty today, this late 4th-century-BC site near Mesopotamo, 20km from Parga, was once famed as a place to commune with the dead. The Romans burned down the site in 167 BC but an evocative ruin remains, with limestone walls enclosing the main sanctuary, labyrinth and pilgrims’ purification room.
Ancient Greek pilgrims brought offerings (and substantial payment) to this site on the north bank of the Acheron River, hoping the nekromanteio (oracle) would channel mystical powers to help them contact long-dead ancestors. The dead were thought to hold powers of clairvoyance, so priests eagerly cashed in by selling showy rituals to dazzle and disorientate. It is thought the thickness of the sanctuary walls (more than 3m) was to allow secret passageways for priests to slip through. To purify themselves ahead of rituals, pilgrims ate a diet only of beans and lupins, and made sacrifices of blood and honey (for a good price). Tiptoe down the narrow ladder to a womb-like underground chamber where dazed pilgrims would be led for a grand finale of supernatural showmanship.
By car head southeast towards Mesopotamo (20km); the Nekromanteio is on the opposite side of the village to the entrance from the main road. Park your car a few hundred metres downhill of the sanctuary; a cobbled path leads up to the ticket office. Alternatively, book a guided excursion through International Travel Services in Parga, or negotiate with a taxi driver in town - return trips, including waiting time, should cost around €40.
