Pelion Mountain

A low and relatively calm mountain, Pelion is almost synonymous with Magnesia and its capital, Volos. With its highest peak, Stavros, at 1,624 meters and a length of about 50 kilometers, Pelion is the natural border of Magnesia with the Aegean Sea. The gentle slopes, as well as their daily peaks make Pelion especially beloved by hikers and novice climbers, who will find here two mountain shelters, in the location of Agriolefkes and in Agios Georgios Zagora. For lovers of the white track, in Agriolefkes, near Chania there is a ski center, while a number of wonderful routes are offered for the fans of mountain biking and horse riding. Whether you visit Pelion in winter dressed in white, or in spring and summer, when the slopes are painted colorful by the dozens of wildflowers among the firs, chestnuts and beeches, touring its traditional villages will offer you a magical experience.

Cosmopolitan Portaria

One of the most cosmopolitan villages of Pelion that is full of people all year round. It is the first village we encounter as we climb the mountain of Pelion from Volos, and it is very popular due to its proximity to the ski resort, but also to the sea. Luxury hotels, traditional guesthouses, rooms to let, restaurants and taverns, cafes, bars, souvenir, and folk-art shops will cater all tastes and needs.

Cultural Zagora

On the eastern slopes of Pelion, overlooking the Aegean Sea, is Zagora. The most populous village of Pelion is organized around four districts, around the central square of Agios Georgios with the homonymous church, known for its magnificent iconostasis. In the central square one may find the Public Library, which was founded at the end of the 18th century and today operates as a lender with rich and rare material, while it also has a reading room. A little further down we find the mansion Drakopoulou on the ground floor of which operates the brewery of Zagora’s women’s agricultural cooperative enterprise. Here nature meets tradition. The village gives plenty of raw materials to fruit growers, which with unique traditional recipes and pure ingredients become delicious pastries, jams, and homemade liqueurs, ideal to get strength after hiking or offer them as tasteful gifts to your loved ones.

The magnificent Tsagarada

At an altitude of 500 meters on the east side of Pelion, in an environment overgrown with magnificent views of the Aegean Sea, stretches the village of Tsagarada. Nature dominates here as chestnuts and plane trees embrace almost every old and new building in the sparsely populated village. Drink your coffee in the central square of Agia Paraskevi, where the large plane tree counts a thousand years of life and visit the arched bridge, built by Epirote craftsmen at the exit of the village. Of particular interest are the historical attractions of the area, the Achillopouleios Commercial School, and the Nanopouleios School. In November visit the chestnut festival and begin your hiking from here, so you may enjoy wonderful routes in wintery scenery.

Vizitsa for endless walks

One of the most famous and developed tourist villages of Pelion since the 1980s, it is a representative example of landscape with cobbled streets and traditionally restored mansions, lush vegetation, and stone fountains. Climb the main cobbled path to the main square, take a walk in the picturesque Argyraika neighborhood and if the weather allows, organize a hike to Milies or the seaside village of Kala Nera. Fine traditional products from jams to handmade pasta made by Vizitsa’s the women’s agricultural cooperative enterprise “Hesperides”, especially popular outside the village limits, as the unique traditional recipes it offers, can serve catering services in the wider area.

Milies

Starting point of the famous “Moutzouri”, the train of Pelion that reaches Ano Lechonia through a route of exceptional natural beauty, connecting the center of Volos with the fertile and rich area of ​​western Pelion. In the winter when the train is not working, it is a wonderful opportunity to walk along its lines and be photographed on the iron bridge of Evaristo de Chirico – a railway manufacturer and father of the famous surrealist painter Giorgio de Chirico. Follow the path to Vizitsa, enjoy the view to the Pagasitikos golf, and visit the church of Pamegiston Taxiarchon, a typical example of local traditional architecture with remarkable post-Byzantine hagiographies.

Makrinitsa, the “balcony” of Pelion

With a wonderful and unobstructed view of Volos and Pagasitikos golf and having preserved the traditional Pelion architecture with its restored mansions, the romantic cobbled streets, the ornate fountains, and the age-old plane trees, Makrinitsa is one of the most enchanting destinations of Pelion. In this small village you will find interesting art cafés and galleries that testify to the artistic concerns of its inhabitants.

Pinakates, a village coming out of a fairy tale

A little secret hidden in the mountain of the Centaurs, a village late discovered, as the road from Vizitsa was restored in 1999. The enchanting nature, the tranquility, the small and sheltered from the big plane tree square, the authentic landscape and the minimal interventions offer unparalleled charm to the visitor.

 

Source of original content: www.visitgreece.gr

The Centaur's Secrets

In an era that seems to have lost anything related to the ancient Wisdom and Knowledge, an archeologist is battling time to recover the tracks of Chiron, in an effort to restore the historic truth about the mythical beings called Centaurs. The vanishment of Cleopatras Kipselis is everything but random. What did the professor discover in the excavations on mount Pelion? Become a member of the research team and find the Secrets of the Centaur…