It is considered to be the mountain with the richest vegetation in the entire Greece. The mountain is overgrown with fir trees, beeches, oaks, chestnut trees, poplar-trees, willows, plane-trees, and other fruit-bearing trees like olive trees, plum trees, pear trees, walnut trees, cherry trees etc.
One of the most interesting and special elements of the wider region of Mt. Pelion, was the renowned steam train “Mountzouris” (1895) which for 70 years following the picturesque route Volos-Milies. The small train was transporting people and goods.
On Pilio Mountain there are 24 large villages and some smaller lovely villages. They are picturesque settlements, some of them on steep peaks and others hidden in verdurous ravines, but all of them characterized by a unique architectural style. At the villages of Pelio you will find well cared hostels, hotels, rooms with fireplace for your accommodation, traditional taverns to enjoy delicious local tastes of Pelio and cafeterias.
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Some of the most important villages of Pelio are the below:
Tsagarada is 55 kilometers away from Volos city and it is one of the most renowned destinations in Greece. It is built at an altitude of 450m. At the village you will find numerous hotels and hostels and you will enjoy panoramic view to the Aegean Sea and exquisite landscapes.
The village consists of four smaller settlements. Their names have been taken by the churches, located at the central squares: St Taxiarches (the elder settlement), St Paraskevi, St Stephanos and St Kiriaki.
The cobbled roads, the paths, the old, renovated mansions and the new built, traditional buildings show the rich tradition and the history of the village.
In St Paraskevi settlement there is a huge plane tree of about one thousand years old which has a base perimeter of 14m and in St Taxiarches settlement there is one of eight hundred years old with base perimeter of 17,5m.
The paths which slope to the sea, lead to the pebble beach Fakistra, may be the most famous beach of Pilio.
Kissos is built at an altitude of 550m in the midst of rich vegetation; Kissos is the highest village of eastern Mt Pelio. It is located at a distance of 66km from Volos through Tsagarada and 51km through Chania. It is 25km away from Pilio Ski Center.
The beech and chestnut tree forests, the panoramic view of the sea, the traditional cobbled roads and the abundance of water that empty into the sea are the main characteristics of this village.
Extremely beautiful and picturesque is the paved square with the big plane trees. There you will find the church of St. Marina, one of the most beautiful old churches of Mt Pilio, built in the 17 th century. Other interesting religious monuments to be found in the village are the chapel of St. Efstathios, Prophet Helias and St. Paraskevi.
Tourists visit the village during the entire year due to its excellent infras tructures and the provision of services by the tourist accommodation units.
Agios Dimitrios is one of the relatively new villages of Mt Pelio. It is located at a distance of 49km from Volos through Chania and 66km through Tsagarada. It is built at an altitude of 300m and it is 25km away from the ski center. It is a typical Mt Pilio village, situated in a green landscape which offers enchanting view of the Aegean Sea.
At this region there were many old monasteries, dependent on the ones of Mt. Athos and many settlements developed around them. At the village there are churches and chapels with remarkable frescoes and wood engraved icon screens, such as the church of St. Georgios, Virgin Mary, St. Ioannis the Theologian etc.
Ai-Giannis is the seaport of Agios Dimitrios, a lovely and famous beach, the most important tourist resort of Eastern Mt Pelio, a former fishing village which developed into a renowned resort. It combines magnificently the mountain with the sea and during the summer months, it throbs with life, with its bars, taverns and accommodation.
It is one of the cleanest and best organized beaches of Greece. It is guarded by lifeguards and has been awarded the European Blue Flag every year since 1991.
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