Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
platía of Áyios Yeóryios, in the shadow of its plane tree and beautiful eighteenth-
century church, while Sotíra lies beyond this, above the road to Pourí.
Horeftó
Eight twisting kilometres down the mountain,
HOREFTÓ
(infrequent bus from Zagorá)
makes an excellent coastal base. There is ample choice of
beaches
: a long, decent one in
front of this former fishing village; secluded Áyii Saránda 2km south and two coves at
Análipsi, just north - a brief hike brings you to the first cove, a little paradise popular
with nudists and rough campers taking advantage of a spring behind the sand.
Determined explorers can follow the coastal path for twenty minutes more to the
northerly cove, road-accessible and rockier. There are also two hour-long
kalderímia
up
to Zagorá, which can be combined to make an enjoyable loop.
Áyios Ioánnis
ÁYIOS IOÁNNIS
is eastern Pelion's main resort. Numerous hotels and
dhomátia
were
erected during the 1980s to a density no longer allowed, but despite this, finding a bed
here in peak season is as problematic as anywhere on the peninsula.
he
beach
at Áyios Ioánnis, though of average quality, is equipped with windsurf
boards for rent. For more ambitious activities, such as sea-kayaking or mountain-
biking, contact local travel agency Les Hirondelles (
T
24260 31181,
W
les-hirondelles
.gr), which also represents most of the ocean-view studios in the area.
3
Damoúhari
South of Áyios Ioánnis, a narrow paved road leads up over a low ridge and down
through olive groves to
DAMOÚHARI
hamlet, bordering a stageset-perfect port indeed
used for film shoots. The construction of a broader road down from Moúressi ended its
seclusion, and villas have sprung up mushroom-like among the olive trees. However,
cars are excluded from the shoreline, which offers a large pebble beach, the overgrown
ruins of a Venetian castle, and several
tavernas
.
From Damoúhari, you can
walk
to
Tsangarádha
in 75 minutes, a popular and
rewarding trip (though most folk do it downhill in under an hour). At the mouth of
the ravine descending to the larger bay, a spectacular
kalderími
begins its steep ascent,
allowing glimpses of up to six villages simultaneously, plus the Sporades on a clear day,
from points en route. Then there is deep shade, and a potable spring approaching Ayía
Kyriakí; the path emerges in the Ayía Paraskeví quarter of Tsangarádha, just downhill
from the post office.
Tsangarádha
TSANGARÁDHA
is the largest northeastern village after Zagorá, though it may not seem
so at first, since it's also divided into four distinct quarters - south to north,
Taxiárhes,
Ayía Paraskeví
(
post office
and bank
AT M
),
Ayía Kyriakí
and
Áyios Stéfanos
- strung
along several kilometres of road. Each of these focuses on a namesake church and
PELION LEGENDS AND FOOD
For the ancients, the lushness of the Pelion made this the site of revelries by the gods and
haunt of the mythical
centaurs
- thus the name
Kentavros
(Centaur) for various hotels and
bars, as well as the rowdy creature's depictions everywhere.
With its orchards of apple, pear and nut, the Pelion is still one of the most agriculturally
prolific areas of Greece. Herbs, fruit, home-made preserves and honey are likely souvenirs. The
Pelion boasts a distinct regional
cuisine
:
spedzofáï
(sausage and pepper casserole) and
gídha
lemonáti
(goat stew with lemon sauce); seafood is often garnished with
krítamo
(pickled rock
samphire) or
tsitsíravla
(pickled April-shrubbery shoots), and wine from the Dhimitra Co-op at
Néa Anhíalos is widely available.
