Welcome to Pelion…

Pelion is a mountain in the heart of the Greek territory and belongs to the county of Magnesia, very close to the city of Volos.

It is a very smooth, quite mountain without dangerous ravines or canyons; its close proximity to the sea makes it much more interesting. One could say that Mt. Pelion is the natural border between the county  of Magnesia and the Mediterranean sea. This element is exactly what makes Pelion a unique Mountain in the Greek area. Mt. Pelion is a rather low mountain- its highest peak being “Pouritanos Stavros” with an altitude of 1.624m.

Accordingly to the Greek mythology, the summit of the mountain was the home of Zeus the Acreos, and the entire territory of the mountain was inhabited by Centavros, half-horse half human beings. It was also the kingdom of a very just and honest Centavre called Cheiron who the ability to heal people using herbs collected from the enchanted slopes of Mt. Pelion. Since ancient times, Pelion was known not only for its thick green forest, but was also known as the “Medicinal mountain” since it was full of medicinal herbs and plants. The beauties of Mt. Pelion have been praised by many writers in the ancient history. Homer refers to it as “einosifyllon” meaning wind blown, Isiodos called it “ylie” for its thick forest, Ovid mentions the mountains “aip” of its crevices, Pindaros “anemosfarages playies” wind blown slopes, Simonidis calls it “mega” for its magnificence, Heraklidis “polifarmakon” for its great variety of herb. Pelion can be divided into 3 sections:

• North Pelion

• Central Pelion

• South Pelion.

North Pelion is less populated, though greener than other sections. Central Pelion, where high mountains exist is the most developed region and there are signs of culture and tradition everywhere. South Pelion is less green, has fewer waters and its rather a flat area. Central Pelion is divided in to East and West. The entire area of East Pelion is covered by thick forests in all shades of green and gray-green and is in complete harmony with the blue-green Mediterranean waters. Here, one can admire beech trees, sycamore trees, chestnuts, olive trees, orange groves together with entire slopes in bloom and cool shady areas with cold running water. Picturesque villages nest in the mountain, traditional stone houses, paths paved with stones and uphill roads all composed picture of rare beauty. Pelion has a unique climate, especially in winter, and this makes it even more special. Although, as we mentioned, it is of low altitude, it receives intense snowfall, especially during the winter- even more snow than areas of higher altitude. Its proximity to the sea seems to make conditions ideal. When north-east winds blow, the first mountain they meet is Mt. Pelion and so there is and increased rainfall. As a result, one observes waters running endlessly in the area in the form of rivers or streams. Generally, we could say that water is the basic element that characterizes Pelion. Since ancient times, the inhabitants of Pelion exploited the flow of water by irrigating their fields, by turning water wheels to clean their textiles, their flokati or their carpets. Olive presses and mills were a common sight in the area because of the abundant flow of waters.

The element that made people inhabit Pelion – apart of its amazing environment – are the very productive earth and the endless waters, which for some, comprises an element of civilization. The first villages where built high on the mountains since people’s first priority was their safety.

The mountainous areas of Pelion, the areas of furthest away from the sea, were considered safe for two main reasons; it was firstly great distance from the pirates, and secondly it gave them an easy access to escape into the forest. For these two reasons mainly, we encounter many villages built at the altitude of 500m, each one being a resort in itself which, in the past, had no tourist interest. In the old days, these exact points merely offered easy access for supplying food, goods, and other necessities. As a result, not all of them have churches, squares, or any of the common characteristics of the villages that we meet at the mountainous zone of Pelion.

The development of the coastal area of Pelion came much later, clearly for tourist reasons. Pelion, in a sense, springs out of the sea, and rises suddenly, especially on the east side. You see it, you live it, you observe it… and the foot of the mountain you discover beautiful beaches…

This combination of sea and mountain is UNIQUE…