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Mount Pelion Tour / Mount of Centaurs
Tour Mount Pelion, the Mount of Centaurs
Tour Mount Pelion Summer house of Greek Gods and House of Centaurs... The ship Argo of the Argonauts allegedly was built of wood from the mountain’s trees. It has also been the battleground of "Gigantomachia" (the battle of the giants against Zeus)
MOUNT PELION CENTAURS HOME
We visit Mount Pelion the Home of Centaurs as travelers, not as tourists
In Greek mythology, two giants piled Mount Pelion on Ossa, another mountain in Thessaly, in order to scale Olympus, but Apollo killed the giants before they could make the attempt. Pelion was also the legendary home of Centaurs. The ship Argo of the Argonauts allegedly was built of wood from the mountain’s trees.
There are parts of Greece that are still a little bit secret. That would describe Pelion, the region around the spur of land that pokes out of the eastern mainland between the Aegean and the Pagasetic Gulf that makes up the eastern half of Magnesia. Take a tour from Athens or Thessaloniki or book your private tour with a local driver/guide and explore its riches.
Pelion is a densely forested natural fortress predominating the Magnesia Prefecture in the plain of Thessaly and overlooking the city-port of Volos. The entire area is a treasure trove of legends, myths, history, culture, tradition, and a paradise for the nature loving tourist, the archaeologist, the historian, the anthropologist, as it has since time immemorial been trodden upon by gods and goddesses, demigods and centaurs, titans and giants, nymphs, kings and queens, princes and princesses, heroes and warriors. It has also been the battleground of "Gigantomachia" (the battle of the giants against Zeus), the summer resort of the Olympian gods, the hunting grounds of divinity, royalty and nobility, the venue of mythical weddings and of the first beauty contest between the goddesses Hera, Athena and Aphrodite.
Makrinitsa "balcony of Mt. Pelion," It is situated in the northwestern part of the Pelion mountains, 6 km northeast of Volos. One of the most characteristic traditional settlements, full of mansions and houses that look like hanging ornaments on the green mountain side. One of the traditional coffee houses is decorated with a fresco by the famous Greek painter Theofilos. The picturesque cobbled paths of Makrinitsa are scattered with traditional water fountains. Makrinitsa is a popular tourist destination, especially during the winter. The village is the home of the Museum of Folk Art and History of Pelion, housed in the historic Topali Mansion, with over 1,500 objects related to the folk culture and everyday life of the region
Zagora. The biggest village of Mt. Pelion, Zagora was at its commercial and cultural peak in the 8th and 7th centuries BCE. The school of Rigas Feraios or Hellenic Museum as it is known, is the oldest school on Pelion. The Patriarch of Constantinople Kallinikos Lapatis and the herald of the Greek Revolution Rigas Feraios were students there.
Volos Port & Argo / Greece Private Tours
Mount Pelion was roamed by the Centaurs, the most famous of whom was Cheiron, a great teacher renowned for his knowledge and wisdom. Practically all demigods, princes and heroes, including Hercules, Achilles, Jason and Asklepios had been instructed in Cheiron's cave not only in the art of archery, combat and leadership but also in the path of virtue, knowledge and compassion.
He also passed on to his students his knowledge on the hundreds of herbs and plants of medicinal and pharmaceutical value that grew and still grow on Pelion today. As a matter of fact, Asklepios surpassed his master in the art of healing and curing diseases by far. He raised his own snake and became the god of medicine with the snake, the giver of both life and death, as his symbol as it is seen today in the caduceus, the symbol of medicime.
There are some truly marvellous beaches and stretches of coastline to be found on both sides of the peninsula. Dropping down from Mt Pelion brings you to the most renowned in the area, Mylopotamos, where two arches have been carved out of the rocks by the sea. A little to the north you’ll find Damouchari, a small beach with white and pink pebbles where scenes for Mama Mia! were shot and, beyond that, Agios Ioannis, another popular resort. Over on the gulf Kala Nera is a beautiful coastal settlement and a little to the south there’s another popular resort at Afissos.
Pelion has a bit of everything and it will surprise many, even seasoned Greek travelers...
There are 24 villages on the peninsula, all with their own distinctive character. Some more picturesque than others, some more agricultural, some more accessible. Yet, they all share certain common features peculiar to the area. Nearly all have an attractive flag-stoned square with a stone-built church and one or more imposing plane trees under which there will always be a public fountain waiting to quench the visitor's thirst with water of excellent quality. Around the square one will find several taverns, restaurants and cafeterias as well as the stores needed for the survival of small communities. The local people are very helpful and hospitable, ever ready to treat you to some "tsipouro", the local aperitif, or to some home-made sweet of the spoon, some coffee and fruit.
Old churches and monasteries renowned for their history, decoration and hagiography, well-preserved mansions famous for their architecture, woodwork and decoration, museums, festivals, millennium-old trees, old stone bridges, caves, hidden valleys of great beauty, enticing beaches and stunning gorges .
Pelion Houses
The majestic mansions and houses, most of them stone-built with roofs of slate, blending and complimenting the ever-changing landscape. In addition to this, they all have plenty of rooms to let, hotels and pensions, all of them resplendent in their local color and floral gardens, and always clean and tidy and well equipped to satisfy even the most exacting taste.
Mylopotamos
Milopotamos is a white pebbled beach, with exotic crystal water of unique beauty. It is divided by rocks into two sections with a snaky path leading from one part to another. Pine trees are shadowing the path leading to this beautiful beach. Above the beach there is a beach bar and few lovely taverns
