Ioannina and Dodoni (red circle bottom of picture) lie in the inland, at a distance of 60 kilometers from the shores of the Ionian Sea. In the centre of the upper red circle, right in the lake of Ioannina one can see the Ioannina islet. (Map © from Epirus-Thessaly published by Road publications)

The islet of Ioannina in the middle of the lake. Behind it is the small peninsula upon which the castle of Ioannina was built (red doted line).

Ioannina (also Janena and Yannina) lies at an elevation of 600 metres above sea level. It is the capital of the Prefecture of Ioannina and of Epirus, and it lies on the western side of Lake Pamvotis; the latter is the lowest point in the basin that is naturally shaped on the south of Mount Mitsikeli (of 1810 metres height).

The lake used to extend towards the northwest, thus creating swamps which people traveling towards Ioannina from the north would find extremely difficult to cross. After certain technical projects and embankment measures were undertaken the lake was redefined to: 470 m. height, 7.5 kimeters in length, 4.2 kilometers in width, a perimeter of 22 kilometers, while it now covers an area of 20 sq.m. One of the two characteristics of the lake is the peninsula on its northwest side where once stood the old Ioannina protected by the surrounding wall of its castle. The moat on its western side would shape a stone islet of 600 x 400 m., which from the Byzantine era until recent centuries was the centre of the city where all Ottoman Pasas had stayed.

The second characteristic is the islet which is on the northern side of the lake, at a distance from the opposite shore of only 150 m.; this shore bears the name Drabatova (meaning “good water” in Slavic language) because of the spring of clean water that is there. The islet covers an area of approximately 100 acres, but the reedy area on its west creates the impression that the island is bigger. The highest peak of the island is Prophet Elias which rises to 530 m. height, 50 m. above sea level.

This little islet is actually the most beautiful place in the whole of Ioannina (and possibly of the city of Ioannina itself). In the last inventory, 347 people lived there and constitute a unique community; they come and go by boats (actually there are no cars on the island) and live from fishing and tourism. Paved pathways, courtyards filled with flowers, children running on the streets, scenes of a Greece forgotten abound on the islet. A prevailing calmness, interrupted only by the chirping of birds in the pine-trees and the rabbits who move around freely on the islet.

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