Tsagarada – Mouresi – Kissos: 48 hours in the villages of East Pelion
April, they say, is the month of the last rains, which will give nature the necessary kiss of life to blossom in May. So, between winter and spring, we here at filoxeno.com come to propose you a wonderful 48 hours in a place in Greece that you can visit, with characteristic ease, in all seasons of the year: The villages of East Pelion. Do you want mountains and lush vegetation? Check! You want the sea with emerald waters? Check! Do you want moments of relaxation and excellent food? Check! Pack a bag, grab some sunglasses and put on your walking shoes. Oh, and a bathing suit might come in handy.
In the plane trees of Tsagarada
Tsagarada is a village drowned in dense vegetation and wherever you choose to stand you will have natural shade from plane trees and chestnut trees. The head village of Pelion consists of 4 districts and offers many good dining options that go beyond the classics. The distance of the village from Athens is 375 kilometers and it will take you about 4 hours to get there. From Thessaloniki the distance is 255 kilometers which will take you about 3 hours.
With a length of about 7 km, it consists of 4 separate districts, each of which is organized around the homonymous church. And this is where one of the most interesting activities begins. The four districts of Tsagarada used to be connected, before the construction of the road, only by paths that went through the forest. You can follow this old route through picturesque cobbled streets, taking a tour of the village. Start from Agioi Taxiarches Square and follow the signs to Agia Paraskevi Square. Then climbing higher and through chestnut woods, you can return to the starting point. The duration of the route is about 3-3.5 hours.
But you will need to make a stop for lunch. You will find traditional dishes and interesting suggestions with modern and international touches in the menu of the tavern “Itamos“. In Agios Stefanos square, at “Po-pizza” you will taste excellent pizza, peinirli and calzones, all with handmade dough. Finally, at the tavern “Paradisos” you will find rustic pies, mushrooms, greens and vegetables from the mountain and from local bakers and well-cooked meats such as spedzofai, lamb in the oven and braised veal.
Stop at Mouresi and Kisso
The next stop is at the village of Mouresi, also spread along the public road. The square with the church (Agia Triada) remains, but the plane trees have been replaced by 3 giant ash trees. The road to the most famous beaches of eastern Pelion and their small settlements starts from Mouresi: Damouchari, Papa Nero and Agios Ioannis. You see the beaches, you are enchanted and then you ask questions and learn their strange names. Damouchari, a settlement that more and more people are discovering, mainly from Northern Greece, was the only port of eastern Pelion and in the past it had a lot of commercial and maritime traffic. The improvised concerts staged here by musicians who came for a holiday also belong to the past.
And why not take the mountains again? You start climbing from St. John to St. Demetrius. All along the way the views of the coastline will catch your eye constantly. First stop and walk along the many cobbled cobbled streets of the village that create a labyrinth. But the continuation is given in the most special village of the region, Kissos. It is the most mountainous and the most “cuddly”, as it does not extend over a long length. The square is located in the centre and from there, the two traditional traditional houses of Pelion spread out in a spiral form. From the square and in front of the church, a large open area between slopes and trees can be seen, while in the background the sea can be seen again.
5 things worth doing in East Pelion:
Taking the path that starts from Taxiarchon Square and ends at Agia Paraskevi Square could be the setting of the “Blair Witch Project”. Spooky… Thick trees, fallen leaves and old mansion buildings: the old Kartaleio elementary school, Achillopouleio and Nanopouleio school. The walk takes about an hour.
You should gaze at the single-arched bridge of Tsagarada at the old entrance of the village, above the stream of Mylopotamos. It was built in 1787 and you will find it by following the main road and following the signs for the path to Milies.
You can have a cup of Greek coffee or a tsipouro with a rustic sausage meze at the cozy cafeteria “Scholararchio”, next to Agia Marina, in the square of Kissos.
You stay in Kissos for the church of Agia Marina, in the central square since it is not an ordinary church. Built in 1650, it has frescoes by Constantine Pagoni inside with an interesting style and theme (bold portraits and depictions rarely seen). The iconostasis is also impressive, which lets the sunlight pass through the church in bundles.
To take the off road route Kissos – Chania through dense forest. If of course you have a jeep and the weather permits.
