Pelion Greece: villages of Tsagarada, Mouresi, Kissos, Zagora

The area of Pelion is located in Thessaly region in central Greece. It is a place with rich heritage, lush vegetation, pristine beaches, picturesque villages and great food. It is a destination worth visiting all year round that combines the mountain with the sea.

The villages of Tsagarada, Mouresi, Kissos and Zagora in  Pelion are among the most popular and most beautiful in the region.

I have spent time here both in summer and in winter. This area of Pilio has so much to offer and is great holiday destination all year round.

How to get to Pelion Greece:

The town of Volos is the capital of the Magnesia region in Greece, and it is in that area that Pelion is located. From Volos, you can start your exploration to the beautiful villages of Pelion.

You can go to Volos by car: From Athens, it’s 326 km north, and from Thessaloniki, it’s 215km south.

You can take the bus (ktel): There are a lot of itineraries that goes to Volos from many towns around Greece. For more info click here.

By air: You can either arrive in Athens or Thessaloniki’s international airports and then get to Volos with one of the above ways, or you can get to Volos airport called Nea Anchialos where some low-cost airlines operate. For more info click here.

Once you are in Volos, you can drive to Pelion villages or take the local buses.

What to see and do in the villages of Tsagarada, Mouresi, Kissos and Zagora in Pelion Greece

Tsagarada village is 49 km away from Volos. It is one of the most popular villages in Pelion, and it is scattered around the forest, It consists of four regions, all named after the church that can be found in each square. There is Agia Paraskevi region, Agioi Taxiarches, Agia Kyriaki and Agios Stefanos.

• Visit the square of Agia Paraskevi to see the impressive one thousand-year-old plane tree and the homonym church built-in 1909. You can grab a coffee or a meal at the square.
• Visit the Agioi Taxiarches square with the big plane tree and the homonym church which was built-in 1786, and it’s the oldest in Tsagarada,
• Have a walk in one of the many pathways that take you around the village through the forest and see little streams and little wooden bridges on the way.

• On your walk through the village admire the Nanopouleio School which has been declared as a world of art and was built-in 1863 and the Achilopouleios commercial school which was built-in 1864 and now houses the digital folklore museum.
• Have a coffee in the Art Cafe in Tsagarada, a small cafe on the central road of Tsagarada between Agia Paraskevi Square and Agioi Taxiarches square , with the most welcoming and polite owner I have ever met.
• Admire the view of the Aegean sea throughout the village

Mouresi village is 56 km away from Volos and next to Tsagarada village. It is the oldest village of Pelion built within lush vegetation and with great views of the Aegean sea.

• It is worth visiting the central square of the village with the plane trees and the Aghia Triada (Holy trinity) church
• Again there are a lot of pathways through the forest worth exploring.

Kissos village is 37km away from Volos and next to Mouresi village. It is much quieter that the other villages with dense vegetation and beautiful views of the Aegean sea.

• Visit the central square of Kissos village and the impressive church of Agia Marina built-in 1650 with the incredible interior decor.
• Have a coffee at the square just opposite the church in a traditional cafe called “Sholarheion” (old school)
• Eat at the taverna called Synantisi where we had one of the best food in Pelion. See where to eat in Pelion below for details.
• Explore the many paths around the village.

Ntamouhari village is located 57 km away from Volos. It is small seaside village with a beautiful little harbour, where scenes from the movie Mamma Mia were filmed. Apart from the harbour there is a nice beach white big pebbles and a few restaurants. Also on the hill overlooking the sea stand the ruins of an old castle.

Zagora Village is located 45 km away from Volos in Eastern Pelion. The village of Zagora with its traditional houses is the largest in Pelion.  It is built on the side of mount Pelion and overlooks the popular Horefto Beach. The village is known around the world for the production of apples. Don’t forget to pay a visit to the school of freedom-fighter Rigas Feraios along with some impressive churches.

Hiking in Pelion

Pelion is a great hiking destination. It has some great paths through the woods very easy to follow. On my recent visit in the area with Travel Bloggers Greece and with the guidance of Trekking Hellas we hiked from Tsagarada village located on the mountain down to Ntamouhari beach, a very popular and beautiful hike inside the forest with breathtaking views of the Aegean Sea.

Best beaches in central Pelion

The area is not famous only for the traditional villages and green forests. It has a number of amazing sandy beaches with crystal light blue waters just a 10-minute drive from the above villages.

• Ntamouhari Beach – located on the other side of the small harbour and has big white pebbles. It is not organised but there is a taverna to grab some water and food.

• Mylopotamos Beach – the most impressive beach in my opinion, with small white pebbles and sand divided in two by a big rock with a hole in the middle. You need to descend for 5 minutes in order to reach the beach. A part of Mylopotamos beach is organized.

• Papa Nero Beach –  a long sandy – tiny pebbled beach, organized with a lot of cafes amd tavernas.

• Agios Giannis Beach – with tiny white pebble – sand is very popular for families. There are a lot of shops and restaurants on the road above in this organized beach.

• Plaka Beach – a very beautiful beach very easy accessible on foot from the one end of Agios Giannis beach. It is divided by some rocks. It has tiny pebbles and crystal clear waters.

Here are some beaches near Zagora village:

Horefto Beach – a big sandy beach near the village of Zagora with clear blue waters. It is an organized beach with a couple of hotels and restaurants nearby.

Agioi Saranta Beach – another beautiful beach near Horefto. It is a sandy organized beach very popular in the summer.

Omvrios Beach – if you are looking for a secluded – virgin beach that is for you. It is located just 8 km away from Zagora but the road is really bad and you need to have a 4X4 in order to get there. It took us 45 minutes to do the 8km with the regular car.

Where to stay in Central Pelion

All the villages mentioned have a big variety of traditional guest houses. We stayed in the village of Tsagarada which is actually in the middle of all the things I wanted to see, in a beautiful hotel called Aglaida. The hotel has 33 independent apartments with a fireplace which is great for the winter and air-conditioning for the summer. Some of them are also equipped with a small kitchen. Other hotel amenities include a beautiful swimming pool that operates during the summer months with breathtaking views of the Aegean sea and the lush forest. Our room was amazing with a lot of amenities including  great wi-fi signal, fridge, air-condition, a beautiful veranda under the trees, friendly owners and home-made breakfast.

Where to eat in Central Pelion

Generally the food is very good in Pelion and wherever we ate the food was nice. One place was astounding though and I totally recommend that you try it. It is a taverna called Synantisi at the central square of Kissos village.  We were sent there by the owners of Oriades guest house. They serve traditional greek food with a gourmet twist. The servings are big, the prices are very good and you should definitely try the Greek Salad.

Another great place to eat this time in Zagora village, is taverna Patis. It has a great veranda for the summer and a beautiful inside space for the winter. It serves delicious traditional food from the area.

Have you ever been to Pelion? Which villages have you visited?

I was an invited guest of Spyrou Philoxenia, on behalf of Travel Bloggers Greece, to discover the region of Pelion during winter. My stay at the Aglaida was part of the press trip. As always opinions are my own.