Description

New! Join us to follow in the footsteps of the Gods, among the forested slopes, beautifully quaint mountain villages & secluded hidden beaches of the Mount Pelion peninsula in Greece.

A peninsula jutting into the Aegean Sea, Pelion is one of Greece’s best kept secrets, according to a major British newspaper. “Mount Pelion was allegedly where the gods of Olympus idled away their summer holidays,” says Rachel Howard. “And with its cascading rivers, cobbled villages, and olive groves spilling down to glassy bays, Pelion still feels like a mythical wonderland.

The mountain range is about 44 km long and 10-25 km wide. The mountains drop steeply into the Aegean Sea, with many inviting beaches, so bring your swimsuit.

The area hosts different types of habitats from oak, deciduous and conifer forests. Tree species are mainly of pine, oak, fir, plane and chestnut.

There should be many plants still flowering at the time of our visit, plus the first autumn-flowering bulbs such as Cyclamen hederifolium. We will take in the flora, as well as butterflies, of which there should be numerous species still flying.

The area is excellent for walking along forest paths, but also the kalderimia. These are the stone cobbled pathways originally built for mules that connect the villlages.  We shall take our time, enjoying the nature, landscapes and stopping for plants and to chase butterflies & any other more mobile wildlife.

We shall stay in Makrinitsa, a village set amphitheatrically on the hill of Pelion so that we can enjoy spectacular views of Pagasitikos Gulf and the city of Volos. It is for this reason that the village is also known as the ‘Balcony of Pelion’. The local architecture is beautiful and together with the kalderimia, create a back-in-time feel that has visitors returning again and again.

Flights are available with EasyJet direct from London Gatwick to the local airport of Volos:

11th September – Flight number EZY8593

London Gatwick (LGW) 06:00 – 11:20 Volos (VOL)

18th September – flight number EZY8594

Volos (VOL) 12:00 – 13:25 London Gatwick