Mt.
Pelion, home of the Centaurs, has been renowned for its beauty
since antiquity. Homer and his contemporary Hesiod, have both
praised its unique flora and medicinal plants in their works,
describing Pelion as the leafy and woody, mountain respectively.
In prehistoric times, several large, predatory animals must
have inhabited the range, inasmuch as Cheiron, who, according
to Greek mythology, was Achilles’ teacher and mentor, used to
feed on lion meat and brains.
VOLOS
Volos,
situated between the crystal-clear waters of the Pagasitikos
Bay and the evergreen slopes of Pelion Mountain, is the capital
of Magnesia and one of the largest and most modern cities of
Greece. The privileged location of Volos and its port attracts
important investment ensuring the prosperity of the region.
Volos is the birthplace of Jason, the legendary hero who led
the Argonauts across the Aegean Sea and through the straits
of Bosporus. After a long and dangerous journey, Jason, arrived
at ancient Colchida in the present-day state of Georgia, on
the banks of the black Sea and south of the Caucasus Mountain,
in order to retrieve the Golden Fleece.
PELION
The
Pelion Mountain famed to be the summer residents of the twelve
Olympian Gods and the mythical land of the Centaurs, half-man
and half-horse, rises imposingly and spectacularly over the
northwest of Volos. The mountain’s 24 picturesque villages have
a unique architectural style, and are perched on its slopes
or hidden in the green ravines. They are so well integrated
into the landscape that they give the impression of having sprung
up together with the surrounding trees. The harder to explore
eastern side of Pelion, where the Aegean sea glitters like a
mirror, falls abruptly into the sea creating picturesque rocky
coasts and beautiful sandy beaches. In contrast, the serene
and calm coasts of the western Pagasitikos Bay are easily accessible.
From Pelion, excursions to Volos, the neighboring Sporades islands
and even Thessaloniki and Chalkidiki peninsulas are easily available.