| Area guide - Wider region |
Wider region
Mt. Pelion, the house of Centaurs and gods resort, is one of the most beautiful areas in Greece. It is an ideal destination for holidays all the year round. Nature has blessed Pelion with all of its colours and scents and has transformed it into a magic place where life moves simply and happily.
Pelion is one of the regions in Greece with great history and past, that have retained their colour and traditional caracter within the years.
Nevertheless, the real beauty of Pelion is the villages and settlements, which are scattered all over the area, built according to local traditional architecture. In every village, the cobbled trails lead the visitor to bloomy courtyards, old mansions and fascinating surroundings.
In every route, the landscape changes constantly and the magnificence of the mountain will give its place to the aquamarine coasts and the seaside villages. This is where the beauty of the mountain is perfectly combined with the verdurous nature and the big blue of the sea.
Pelion and nature are synonyms, and that will be easily discovered, once you stroll around its wonderful footpaths and villages.
Platanias and Katigiorgis
The two main coastal settlements in the Southeast part of Mt. Pelion are Platanias (or Platania) and Katigiorgis, the first being much bigger. Around these two villages, along the coast, as well as on the mountain, many smaller settlements have been developed.
A large net of dirt tracks, not always easy of access by all vehicles, connects these small settlements, or leads to the coast. Having patience, enough boldness, a 4X4 vehicle and, of course, a good large scale map of Pelion (1:50.000), one can discover innumerable bays and bights, which stay hidden from sight, up to the last moment.
This part of Pelion is unexpected and is totally different from the typical image of the widely known and touristically developed Pelion with its famous villages and mansions. On the south-eastern slope of Pelion, what dominates is the nature and not the man. For those who dont have a 4X4 vehicle, there are many asphalt routes, but also dirt tracks of good quality, that can lead them safely from the incredibly beautiful Mourtia beach (in the north), to the spectacular bay of Chondri Ammos (in the south).
Those who love hiking, will discover several fabulous beaches, such as Vromoneri (which is exactly the opposite of what is called, Vromoneri means "Dirty water"). It is a sandy bosom, among impressive rocks and dense green. On the opposite side, the island of Skiathos dominates, while there is a picturesque small tavern several meters from the beach, with a complete menu and a shower with fresh water. This beach can also be reached through a fair passable dirt track of approximately 9 km from Platanias.
For those who want to travel only by their car, there are a number of options in the north-east of Platanias. The distances are small and the asphalt routes lead to the sea.
Our first stop is at Theotokos beach, only 2,5 km to the north of Katigiorgis.
Its a small bay with thick sand and large pebbles, which lies to the north of the imposing cape Sipiada. The beach was given the name of Theotokos country church, which was built in 1807. A few meters from the chapel, lie the ruins of a paleochristian basilica which stood in this place. We continue a bit to the north, we go through the small settlement named Lyri and we head for the homonymous beach. Here, there is a tavern on the sea, which is open in the summer.
Just a few kilometers from Lyri, we go downhill to the famous Mourtias bay. Here, the prevalent features are the pebbles, the deep and clear waters, but most of all, the spectacular rocky shapes in the sea, which create an unbelievable landscape.
We go back to Katigiorgis and we complete our exploration with excursions to the south.
The main road is fairly passable, but there are also many secondary roads which are very difficult to travel. Almost always, these routes end to well-hidden small bays, which, for the most part, are considered small masterpieces of natural beauty and water quality.
We travel for several hours in the area, passing from small rural settlements, olive-groves, lonely farmhouses hidden in luxuriant vegetation.
13 km from Katigiorgis and 7 km from Platanias, we find Promiri. It is a picturesque village, lying 250m above sea level, with narrow cobbled trails, courtyards in flower and houses built of stone. The little coffee-shop in the village square is an ideal place for resting for a while, before continuing with your tour, as the thick foliage of the plane-tree keeps the sun out.
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