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Pelion
tour
Delphi, Meteora,
Volos, Tour of Pelion
Day 1:
Starting from
Athens in the morning ,drive through the fertile plain of
Beotia, crossing the town of
Thebes
connected with the tragedy of king Oedipus. Proceed to
Levadia,
a lively town, an important junction in the road network
and an industrial centre, the textile mills treat the cotton
grown in the Copais valley.
The upper town is graced by white
houses with jutting wooden balconies dating from 18c. We'll
stop for a drink by the beautiful river Krya. Over
the spot where the water springs out, lies the Municipal
Cafe "XENIA".
During the ancient times, Krya is said to be the location
of the Oracle of Trofonios Zeus which included the springs
of Mnemosyne (Remembrance) and the spring of
Lethe (oblivion). The oracle was used as a stage
before visiting the oracle of Delphi and as such, through
the times, it acquired great power and riches.
Overnight in Delphi or
Arachova (Hotel with a swimming pool ) one of the most traditional
villages in Greece. A winter resort for skiers,
built on the south slopes of Parnassus (940m/3084ft). The
main narrow street winds its way between taverns and workshops.
In the taverns one can savour a dish of soft fried cheese
(formaela)
The workshops sell shoulder bags, carpets and long haired
rugs (flokati) in bright colours.
Day 2
Delphi,
visit Castalia Spring and the Sanctuary of Athena Pronaea.
Depart
for Meteora from the east side of Mount Parnassus, through
Heracles' road - this is a superb mountain road running
between Bralos and Iraklia (21km/13mi about 1 hr) with an
impressive landscape and extensive views. The road descends
into Lamia, passing through typical towns and numerous picturesque
mountain villages of Central Greece we'll arrive in Meteora.
Visit Meteora,
North of Kalambaka in the northwest corner of the Thessaly
plain a group of fantastic grey rocks rises up out of the
trees in the Pinions Valley. Perched on the top of these
huge and precipitous columns of rock, (there are some 60
of these columns of rock, a favorite haunt for climbers)
are the famous coenobitic monasteries known as the Meteora
which means "in the air" where you can see exquisite specimens
of Byzantine Art. Of the 24 monasteries that grew up between
the 13th and 16th centuries only six
are still inhabited: The
Great
Meteoron,
Agia Triada,
Agios Nikolaos
and
Varlaam
by monks:
Agios Stephanos
and
Roussanou
by nuns.
Day 3
Leave before noon for Volos and Pelion. Tour of Pelion.
Anakassia, in the village, which lies to the left of the
road, is the Theophilos Museum. The museum is installed
in the "house of Kondos", a beautiful building decorated
with frescoes by the great primitive painter, Theophilos
(1873-1934), a native of Lesbos who spent part of his life
in Volos. The road continuous to climb towards Portaria
with a view over Volos Bay. Portaria, 650m/2133ft. A pleasant
resort in summer, cool and fresh, with a view up to Makrinitsa
and down over Volos Bay, beautiful village square with superb
plane trees (cafes, restaurants) and characteristic houses.
From Portaria will take the road (panoramic view) to Makrinitsa
(overnight). Makrinitsa 700m/1297ft. The village occupies
a magnificent site on a verdant slope facing Volos Bay,
it is pleasant to stroll through the steep and narrow streets
among the splendid old houses, some of them are quite large
and have been well preserved and restored. The main square
(platia) is especially attractive with its fountain and
its plane trees.
Day 4
Return to Portaria
and continue to climb. Agriolefkes (Hania Pass) 1200m/3937ft.
Winter sports resort (ski lift), set in beech and chestnut
woods, there is a road from here to the summit of Mount
Pelion. The road descends towards the Aegean through beech
and chestnut woods before reaching the level of the orchards
13km/8mi from the pass bear left to Zagora (overnight in
traditional mansion Zagora, this was an important
centre of Greek culture under the Turks when the Pelion
region enjoyed a certain autonomy. Zagora is a little town
of houses set in orchards and gardens watered by many fountains.
It was also a centre for hand-woven cloth which was exported
by boat from the port at Horefto. From Zagora a side road
plunges downhill to Horefto, a fishing village with a long
beach of fine sand.
Day 5
Return towards Hania Pass, take the narrow but picturesque
road to Tsagarada (overnight)after visiting Agios Ioannis
(very white beach at the foot of green hills). Tsagarada
500m/640ft. Peaceful resort where the houses are dispersed
among the trees, the village boasts one of the oldest and
largest plane trees (15m/49ft circumference) in Greece.
Nearby is Milopotamos which has two beaches flanked by rocks.
Day 6
Continue for Millies and Vizitsa with many typical old mansions
(overnight). Millies, this is a pleasant resort, which was
a centre for Greek culture under the Turks and possesses
a history library containing some rare volumes. The road
back to Volos follows the line of the famous Pelion railway
along the shore of the bay.
Day 7
Return to Athens via
Thermopile (where
in 480 B.C. a battle between the ancient Greeks and Persians
took place - visit Leonida's Monument) and
Kammena Vourla
(last stop for coffee break or lunch by the sea). Arrive
in Athens in the evening.
All the information
& photos on this website is updated continuously.
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DEPARTURE
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PRICE
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HIGHLIGHTS
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Daily:
All year round. However high periods such as Christmas,
New Years Day, Easter and the middle of August are
extremely busy and are best avoided.
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