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Mount Pelion

Mount Pelion

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5.0
5.0 of 5 bubbles259 reviews
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Koutsioumpas
Rethymnon, Greece23 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020
I went to Pilion in March 2020. We hiked a group of 205 people from Xania to Makryrachi and Portaria village. We also visited the villag eof Makrinitsa. Amazing place with great architecture. The nature around the mountain is simply amazing. Highly recommended for hikers!
Written 16 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

mgelfand
New York City, NY24 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
We went to Pelion following advice from a Greek cafe owner in New York and were amazed to discover this wonderful and less known part of Greece. Driving from Athens takes about 3-4 hours and the toll road is fast. The peninsula is incredibly green, even in September we wondered in forests listening to waterfalls and creeks. Rugged mountains covered by trees descend to stunning beaches and small coves. Unlike places more popular with foreign tourists, Pelion is not crowded at all and we had a chance enjoy true Greek hospitality and fabulous food. Local wine is excellent too. We stayed in Hotel Eden in Agios Ioannis, Pilion. We came late, lost and without reservation and were received like family. Beach is wonderful, prices extremely reasonable. We recommend this hotel with great enthusiasm.
Written 16 September 2010
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

XtosUk
UK30 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
If you are visiting Pelion, Tsagarada is the place to stay!!! Famous for its rich heritage and historical architecture, it boasts the oldest and largest plane tree in Europe in Agia Paraskevi square, the deepest gorge in Pelion, (Koutra), the amazing beaches of Milopotamos, Fakistra and Karavostasia Bay. It has four squares, Agios Taxiarchis, Agia Paraskevi, Agios Stefanos and Agia Kiriaki, all joined by a network of stone paths offering you countless walking opportunities. There are many great places to eat and drink and all the locals are warm, friendly and professional. Tsagarada is centrally located so you can explore the rest of Pelion as well if you are staying for longer than a few days. My advise is to make Tsagarada your next holiday destination in Greece and discover the most amazing nature that combines lush forrests, mountain and the clear waters of the Aegean sea. Tsagarada is like a "paradise island" on mainland Greece! You will come back again and again!
Written 22 May 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

philtraveller
Bristol, UK309 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Want REAL Greece? With real food and real Greek voices.... then this amazing area of the Greek mainland is a fantastic place.

It's basically a mountain which stretches into the sea...at the top the Greeks ski in the winter... and at the bottom where it slopes into the ocean, you can swim and sunbathe in the summer.

The beaches are stunning and the hillsides are lush and green. You need a car to get about as it's too steep for cycling and there are few if any buses.

It's a popular place for hill walkers - as there are many routes across the mountain if you are reasonably fit and able bodied. Villages are dotted around the place, each with its cafe, bakery and taverna, B&B, and sometimes a tourist shop...but not much else - apart of course from the lovely village centres, usually a paved area under a plane tree, where you can chill, have a drink and soak up the atmosphere.

Be aware the mountain can be engulfed in sea mist some early evenings and become quiet cool at night. So take a jumper.

On the beach - you will usually find a taverna somewhere nearby doing food and drinks etc all day, and most have clean loos (but take your own paper just in case).

Milopotamos beach - lovely beach, clear sea, wonderful taverna, and an excellent small beach cafe with fresh juices and sandwiches etc, places to walk nearby. great for sunbathing and swimming. easy parking.

Fakistra beach - hidden away and a ten minute walk down a steep path - but well worth it. NO loo or taverna. Generally quiet. It's a narrow bay and small beach , so could get crowded if too many people turned up. Known for nude sunbathing/swimming, and seemed to be a gathering place for gay couples (but not over run with party types!).

Ioannis beach - long curving bay, small pebbles, couple of tavernas. very nice but probably crowded in season.

Afyssos beach - small village which runs along the waterfront on the western side of Pelion.. this side is of Pelion is more sheltered and less interesting. Afyssos has lots of shops, tavernas and B&Bs - and a dull beach at the far end. It's OK but has none of the magic of the other side of the mountain.

We travelled in early June 2005, so the weather was warm but not madly hot.

Climate: cooler than the traditional Greek islands - but even early June was in high 20 degrees C, though did rain some days.

Getting there: Pelion is on the mainland in the north east of the country. You can fly direct into Volos, but it's cheaper to get a flight into Skiathos island and take the two hour ferry to Volos (about 20 euros return). Then hire a car (you'll need one as Pelion is quite remote and there are almost NO buses) and drive over the top of Pelion to the east side of the mountain where the best beaches are - about 90minute drive on winding mountain roads) . (we actually found it was as cheap to book a self catering appartment package holiday in skiathos rather than flight only)

Surroundings : lush and green, beautiful.

Beaches : clean, small pebbles, fantastic clear blue waters.

Facilities : lots of tavernas and pretty village cafes - don't expect many people here to speak English... but they love Brits and are very friendly and helpful. The food's excellent, genuine Greek and no sign of a "full english breakfast" sign.

Clubs/nightlife - erm not really. sitting in a taverna knocking back ouzo is as wild as it gets. A little more life in July and August when the Greek summer holidays kick in and the place gets more busy.

Watersports - sadly very limited... more starts in July/Aug. But don't go here expecting winsdurfing and scuba diving.

Walking/climbing - lots of great places for walking, and organised walks too... and the rocks look great for climbing, but it takes a bit of searching to find a guide/equipment hire.

For more info see: ------------

Somewhere to stay : ---------- - see my separate review of this wonderful B&B

SUMMARY
Peaceful and quiet, a taste of REAL Greece. Cooler than the islands but still tan-tastic and the sea's beautful. We stayed for a week - and that was about enough...it's so quiet any longer might just drive you insane.
Written 10 August 2005
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

spriel
toronto75 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Pelion is one of Greece's best kept vacation secrets. Perhaps with the filming of MammaMia in the general vicinity, (Skopelos, Skiathos, Mouressi and Damouhari) visitors may come to explore this area.

Mount Pelion combines both mountain and sea, pristine beaches and hiking trails, excellent traditional foods, desserts and delicacies.

If you are looking for a place to stay, one excellent hub is Ayios Ioannis, (a.k.a as Agios Ioannis or Ay' Yiannis), is a town on Mount Pelion on the side of the Aegean Sea. It is 55km from Volos and 25 km from the Ski center of Pelion. From that town you may visit dozens of other little villages.

At Ayios Ioannis, one excellent location to stay is the Hotel Eleana. This is a family-run operation offers pristine rooms, a most hospitable and welcoming environment and is steps away from Papa Nero - a crystalline turquoise beach. The gardens on site and the orchards offer a peaceful place to kich back and relax. It should also be noted that many of the guests are obviously repeat customers - a testament to the welcoming environment.

Pelion has become a regular destination for us and we encourage you to explore this place for superb TLC.
Written 9 August 2008
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

lilymin
leeds6 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Last year my husband and I went to Pelion and stayed in the resort of Milina. Big mistake! I had only myself to blame as it was me who had always wanted to visit Pelion due to it being a "typically greek and traditional" type of place. Our apartments were passable. However, our first day there we went out to hire a car and had an hour or so drive around the area and came back to find a note from the rep under our door advising us of the welcome meeting which had taken place earlier that afternoon! We had been pretty much abandoned by her on arrival due to delays at the airport and once we were on the bus she went to the resort ahead of us in her car! On arrival at the resort she directed us to the owner of our apartments and left us to it !

The locals we found to be extremely curt and abrupt to the point of rudeness. As there were quite a few Greeks from other islands holidaying there too, the locals tended to serve them before other tourists. Even the visiting Greeks seemed unfriendly, when sitting at a bar or at a taverna and glancing across, if you smiled at them they looked right through you and tended to look you up and down. Very, very unfriendly people, not the Greeks I have ever been used to.

It was lucky for us that we hire a car, as there was certainly no beach as such in the resort - not what I call a beach anyway. If a 5ft x 20ft stretch of rock cum sand is your idea of a beach then Pelion is the place for you! We had to drive approximately half to three quarters of an hour away to the nicest and probably nearest beach. I hate to think what our holiday would have been like had we not hired the car.

The Greeks I know are renowned for being cruel to the cats and dogs but I have never before seen someone deliberately kick a dog as it passed them!

My advice is go to lesvos - a beautiful place with friendly people who make you feel welcome, I have never before looked forward to getting home and my family could not believe it was me they were speaking to on the phone, as I normally don't want to leave. Sadly I compared it to Lesvos and we should have gone back there - we certainly are this year and my advice to anyone reading this is if you like traditional, friendly Greece go to Lesvos, if not - go to Pelion!
Written 22 March 2008
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

bogdantache
Vienna, Austria59 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
For those who do not wish to spend a lot and enjoy their holiday I warmly recommend Pelion area in Greece !
Do not expect the most sophisticated services and amazing hotels , but be sure if you look well and have patience , you will find a great place to stay in Pelion.
My wife and I went 2 times in a year in Pelion !!! once in May and the second time in August last year,staying in 2 different places : Leda Hotel in Horto (on the gulf side of the peninsula) and Miression Guesthouse (on the Aegean side).
Both places were worth to choose -the hotel for the price (we paid 60 Euros/night for a BB room) , and the guesthouse for the amazing view and the comfort.
We were pleasantly surprised by the prices in the taverna, almost half of the regular Greek island prices !!
Great beaches for lying in the sun - Milopotamos beach (wild and rocky) and Papa Nero beach in Agios Ioannis (wide, sandy and great water !!)
Written 17 July 2008
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

AnthonywNorth
Formby, UK162 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2011 • Couples
My wife and i and our two friends have just returned from two weeks at Horto Beach villa 1 in this wonderful small fishing village of Horto in the Pelion region. The villa is one of two situated about 80 meters from the sea, there is no beach but the water is warm and accessible.
The villa's each have their own pools which are well maintained and the water is tested periodically. The villas are not suitable for wheelchair users and certainly our villa is probably suited to a family rather than four adults. The villa was though cleaned to a high standard and fresh linen was supplied at regular intervals.
We arrived from the u.k. at Volos and travelled by hire car to Horto which took about two hours, mainly due to negotiating heavy peak time traffic in the city. There were considerable diversions in operation due to ongoing road works. We suggest a larger car than a Fiat Punto, in order to accommodate four adults, four suitcases and cabin bags. It was an uncomfortable journey with suitcases on knees. This was not such an issue though whilst using the car during our holiday, as we didn't have luggage to carry. We discovered that a car is essential in order to travel around, despite the rather fearfull twists and sharp bends and badly signposted roads a car is so useful we suggest that you should look out for pot holes in addition.
Horto is a great place and there are some lovely places to eat, for a small village, it boasts about six tavernas and bars. "Marthas" serves superb food including fish dishes but beware of the huge portions! and for those lovely salads, sandwhiches and crepes try the "Casablanca" which is a short walk along the road. In both of these places the service is both friendly and in addition a number of languages including English is spoken by staff. Of course we also cooked at the villa and had some delicious local produce and locally baked bread.
In the absence of an adequate resource pack we visited a number of places of interest which we found ourselves including Argalasti, who stage a fair size market selling fresh fruit and vegetables, clothing, trinkets and soaps etc on Saturday mornings only. We also visited the Health centre due to two of our party experiencing a reaction to bites, treatment was very good and effective, but the process of being seen appears somewhat chaotic and some staff appeared rather brusk! However, thanks to an extremely helpful young local man - also a patient, who spoke English he was able to assist us greatly. There is a five Euro consultation fee and also the prescription at the local pharmacy has a cost in addition. For two people the cost of treatment and appropriate medicine was around 30Euro's.
We also visited Trikeri and Milos, which are both recommended. A stop at the village of Melina for a banana milk shake and toasted sandwhiches at "Aktaion" is also highly recommended as is a visit to Platanias, a delightful and colouful village. We were able to book a boat trip on board the "Africana" around Skiathos stopping at the delightful clean and blue flag Banana beach and later at Skiathos town. Our trip operated on a Sunday at 9-30am from Platanias and returning at 6-00pm. The cost was 25Euro's per person.
Written 24 September 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

john s
Dublin, Ireland124 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Pelion has it all, great mountains, beaches, weather, skiing in winter, beaches in summer, great food, churches, and above all people !!! i've been there 3 times (the last was in my honeymoon), i've explored most of pelion (i do recommend to hire a car from Volos and explore the region by yourself, driving is a bit dangerous but it's worth), my favourite place is Tsagrada. Don't hesitate to contact me if you need any information.
Written 22 October 2008
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Y1582UMannac
United Kingdom17 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2015 • Family
Simplicity is the highest form of sophistication. The exotic natural beauty of this place holds absolute first place in my heart. Rich in stunning romantic little villages all along the breath taking mountain, crystal clear turquoise beaches with water that seems unreal, great variety of places to explore, breath taking views of the mountain and the sea, history and plenty things to do. If you're a person of life and action spending an afternoon with the kayak in the marble sea, playing beach tennis, swimming, diving, hiking- you name it, this is the place to enjoy it all to the finest. Organic amazingly delicious food, prepared only with the most fresh ingredients that have grown it the hugely fertile mountain, magically tasting drinking water straight from the mountain, and amazingly clean sea- all these please your senses, but allow you to keep your bikini body and tone intact.
Unlike distant exotic places where often times water is dissapointing and you travel 10 000 miles to swim in chlorine pools, here you simply dive into the virgin stunning nature and you can't get enough of it. No sharks, or any other creepiness in the sea! The beaches feel like a natural, wild, white marble piece of luxury. It is hard to adjust your senses to this beauty. Often you leave the beach late in the evening as the sea has a magnetic power. The only place, where I smile for 'no reason'. I just feel happy.
Also, it lacks the highly turn off touristy vibe you get at many other places around the world. I have visited places, where they try too hard to get the tourists money- not my kind of thing. Not too many organized activities to create the feeling that you're at a pension place destination. This place is for young souls with drive to explore, move, enjoy. Great, calm beach bars, with soft ambient music have been created to merge with nature and please the visitors. Try the cappucino smoothie on Mylopotamos beach! Thank me later! You also get an attractive crowd of active exploring people and families. Again not even a glimpse of a vibe of a dead resort for lazy tourists. Explore Milies, Tasgarada, Makrinitsa, Damouhari to name a few and you'll be under the love spell of the is one of a kind destination. Perfection!
Try the unique plates that each village has to offer, and the fresh mouth watering sea food. Try the figs, peaches and watermelons for breakfast and have an out of this world experience.
The man made stunning small villages are beautifully made and maintained, yet they look like a natural extension of the place, rather than forcefully build touristy attractions. Last, but not least, as I'm a health and beauty lover, you always leave this place slimmer and hotter, more alert and full of energy and life and not stuffed with food and tired as all inclusive holiday destinations around the world. It is a bliss for the soul, senses, health and beauty to come in this remarkable hidden gem. Lately more and more people have discovered it- I'm a bit selfish to say this, but I prefer it when it's less crowds, so if you're like me- go in July!
Written 4 August 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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