If you’re among those who can’t choose between the mountains and the sea and want the perfect blend for your getaways, we have four suggestions for you to enjoy strolls through mountain villages as well as to take the last dips of the year.
Autumn is just around the corner and what could be better than an escape to a destination that combines mountain with sea? Now is the best time for those who want to have both, to visit picturesque villages amid mountain nature and to take the last dips - as long as the weather allows - on beaches beneath the mountain.
From the slopes of Olympus to the shores of the Myrtoan Sea, we've gathered for you four wonderful destinations that are ideal for the first autumn weekends.
Parnon
Mount Parnon, the mountain that separates Arcadia from Laconia, hides beautiful traditional villages in a lush green landscape with abundant water and wonderful fir forests. Early autumn is just right for visiting them. Kastanitsa with its stone-built houses, one of the most beautiful protected traditional settlements in the Peloponnese, the main village of Agios Petros and Kosmas, also known as the «balcony of Kynouria» (elevation 1,150 m), with its beautiful square shaded by plane trees, are ideal choices for mountain getaways.
Between Parnon's slopes and the Myrtoan Sea, beneath a crimson cliff, stands the picturesque Leonidio, the capital of Tsakonia - a place ideal for those who want to combine mountain excursions with strolls by the sea. From here you can visit Plaka, Leonidio's little port, the quiet seaside village of Poulithra, as well as the lovely small town of Tyros.
Pelion
At any time of year, Pelion is a paradise. Nowhere else in Greece does the sea harmonize so perfectly with the mountain as it does in Pelion. With more than 30 villages, the Mountain of the Centaurs seems inexhaustible. Portaria, Makrinitsa, Vyzitsa, Milies and Tsagarada are among the best-known and most traditional Pelion villages. If you head to the eastern side, with Tsagarada, Mouresi, or Kissos as your base, you can visit famed Aegean beaches such as Mylopotamos, Fakistra, Plaka, and Papa Nero.
If you choose southern Pelion instead, you'll find picturesque settlements and gorgeous beaches for tranquil holidays. A stop for those traveling on this side of the mountain is the main village of Argalasti that gazes out to the Aegean and the Pagasitikos. Discover the serene fishing villages of Lefokastro and Kalamos on the shores of the Pagasitikos, sip your coffee in the square of picturesque Lafkos, watch the sunset from Milina and the much-photographed Tzasteni and continue to the fishing village of Agia Kyriaki to cross over to the little island of Paleo Trikeri.
Kissavos
In the northeast of the Larissa regional unit and south of the valley of Tempe, directly opposite Olympus, rises Kissavos (also known as Ossa), a lush and beautiful mountain that hides within its mass picturesque villages that lend themselves to getaways in every season. The Metaxochori is Kissavos's quiet strength and an ideal base for touring. It's a very lovely little village at an elevation of 300 m with remarkable mansions - witnesses to the era when the village flourished thanks to silkworm cultivation. Within a stone's throw lies Agia, a picturesque small town built at the foot of Kissavos, with notable mansions and significant religious monuments. It's also worth visiting the traditional settlement of Anatoli, Melivoia with its wonderful views and the picturesque Ano Sotiritsa.
On the other side of Kissavos, 30 km from Larissa and 'hanging' above the valley of Tempe, lie the stately Ampelakia, a jewel village of Thessaly, which became famous mainly for the founding, in the year 1778, of the first cooperative in the world («Κοινή Συντροφία και Αδελφότης των Αμπελακίων»). In the shadow of Kissavos, on the Aegean, you'll find wonderful beaches with crystal-clear waters, such as the continuous Velika - Kato Sotiritsa - Agiokampos stretch with a total length of 14 km.
Olympus
The mountain of the gods is a popular destination for hikers, mountaineers and climbers who want to enjoy wandering its slopes and conquering its peaks, as well as for lovers of mountain getaways in picturesque villages amid stunning nature. A classic base for exploring Olympus is the picturesque Litochoro, at the foot of its eastern side. It’s the gateway to the mythical mountain, yet it's only a few kilometers from the sea, making it an ideal destination to enjoy the mountain nature and still take your swims. Litochoro is also an ideal base for exploring the traditional settlements of Palaios Panteleimon and Skotina.
From Olympus's peaks visitors can find themselves on the wonderful beaches that lie in the mountain's shadow. A short distance from Litochoro await Variko, Gritsa and Plaka (the port of Litochoro) with views on one side to the endless sea of the Thermaikos and on the other to Olympus.
