TSANGARADA

Monumental trees: These include the immense thousand-year old plane tree with a diameter of around 14 metres located in the square in the Agia Paraskevi neighbourhood, the towering yew tree behind the Itamos Tavern, the soaring horse chestnut tree next to the AMANITA Guesthouse.

Nanopoulio & Achillopoulio Schools: Stone buildings linked to Agia Paraskevi square by stone paths. The first houses the primary school and the second served as a Commercial School during the inter-war period but today is an exhibition centre.

Squares: Agia Paraskevi Square with its thousand-year old plane tree and traditional coffee shop, Taxiarches Square with its impressive marble fountain and restaurants, and the desolated Agia Kyriaki square.

Churches: Taxiarches Church, located in the square of the same name, dates to 1786 and has an impressive iconostasis. Agios Georgios chapel located next to the Guesthouse also features a stunning iconostasis and its old bell tower dating to 1772 has a carved image of St. George on horseback. Agia Kyriaki Church in the square of the same name is also well worth a visit.

Caves: Next to Fakistra Beach is a small cave containing a chapel dedicated to Panagia Megalomata (the Large-Eyed Virgin).

Bridges: There is a stone, single span bridge at the entrance to Tsangarada and a wooden bridge not far from where the Mylopotamos river flows into the sea, located behind the beach of that name.

Castles: Paleokastro Fortress at Fakistra.

Look-out points: The Sourvia look-out point is located above the Mylopotamos River gorge and the Apostolidi mountain ridge with its look-out points is just a short distance from the Guesthouse.

OTHER VILLAGES

Churches: Agia Marina Kissou Church, dating from 1650, features exquisite wall paintings of saints in the folk style, while the chapel of Agios Ioannis Prodromos located high above Mouresi is worth the effort of visiting as is the very old church of Kimiseos Theotokou in Xourichti which dates from 1450.

Caves: The Centaur's Cave in Mouresi is complete with stalactites and stalagmites.

Castles: The castle of Damouchari is in a fine state of preservation.

Look-out points: the Tsouka look-out point at Mouresi holds a commanding position above the gorge that overlooks Papa Nero beach.

Steam train: Mt. Pelion's only train "Moutzouris" makes the steep ascent from Ano Lechonia to Milies. The train operates from April to October every Saturday and Sunday departing from 11:30 from Ano Lechonia and at 16:30 from Milies. Tel. 24210 28555.

Mt. Pelion's ski centre, which goes by the name of Agriolefkes, was set up in 1967. Located at an altitude of 1,471 m it lies just before Hania, a mere 25 minute drive from the AMANITA Guesthouse.
The centre offers three main slopes, one for beginners and one cross country ski run. There are 2 aerial one seat ski lifts, 1 aerial double seat lift and 2 sliding lifts capable of carrying 500 people an hour.
The centre's strong points are definitely the uniquely beautiful panoramic view of the two seas (the Aegean Sea and the Pagasetic Gulf) which skiers enjoy as they ski downhill, and the fact that the snow doesn't melt until the spring.
Facilities at the ski centre include restaurants, cafés, a medical centre, an equipment hire shop and 3 parking lots.

The beaches closest to the AMANITA Guesthouse are:

MYLOPOTAMOS:The area's best known beach, located just 5 minutes away. The beach is cut in half by a large rock but there is access through a hole. Park above the beach and descend the steps to get there. There's an on-beach bar and restaurant.




FAKISTRA:A small beach with a wild beauty all of its own. Although located just 5 minutes drive from the guesthouse, accessibility is an issue. Park in the flat area above the beach and follow the pathway down to the shore. It's about a 5 minute walk.





DAMOUCHARI:A beach with medium sized pebbles located about 15 minutes away from the Guesthouse. Take the road towards Agios Ioannis and then turn right, following the signs. You can climb down to the beach along a pathway. There are restaurants on-beach.



PAPA NERO:An immense sandy beach located just 15 minutes from the Guesthouse, to the right of the Agios Ioannis campsite. Park the car close by and walk down to the beach since cars are not allowed on the beach. There are restaurants on-beach.



PLAKA:A charming beach featuring a small stream and tall trees located just 20 minutes from the Guesthouse. Park to the left of the port at Agios Ioannis and walk along the short path to the beach. There is a bar and restaurant at the far end of the beach.




LIMNIONAS: : A beautiful beach just 20 minutes away. The beach can be accessed along a poor quality road after the village of Xourichti.




Close to Zagora are the beaches Banikas (accessible via a poor quality road from Anilio), Agii Saranda (accessible via Makrirachi), and Horefto (accessible via Makrirachi or Zagora).
Heading towards Southern Mt. Pelion, the first beach one encounters is Labinou, while the first beach of the Pagasetic Gulf side is Afissos.

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Eastern Mt. Pelion is the "wild" side of this charming mountain. Forested mountain peaks here stretch right down to the Aegean Sea, where the rocky coastline conceals some truly enchanting beaches. The mountain sides are verdant with dense beech forests around the peaks, chestnuts and other wild and domesticated trees in the mid zone and olive trees closer to the sea. Babbling streams and brooks carry the melting snow down the mountain all year round, watering the vegetation and creating a lush green environment which stretches all the way down to the deep blue of the Aegean Sea.
It was in these breath-taking surroundings that early settlers built villages of outstanding architecture, and handed us down an intact natural environment with its pathways, small huts and fields. The largest villages in the area are Tsangarada and Zagora.

One can reach Eastern Mt. Pelion from Volos by one of two routes: either by following the coastal road via Milies or Niohori, or by taking the mountain road via Hania. All the roads along both routes are well maintained, but the journey is somewhat tiring because the roads are extremely winding; of course, that has served as a natural barrier, protecting the area from mass tourism.

In addition to being an area of outstanding natural beauty, it is also an agricultural area, producing apples, pears and chestnuts which are famous nationwide, as well as various other fruits and vegetables to meet local needs.

Tsangarada is the least densely populated and greenest village on Mt. Pelion, and in all of Greece. It consists of four neighbourhoods (Agii Taxiarches, Agia Paraskevi, Agios Stefanos and Agia Kyriaki), which give the impression that it consists of four separate villages. One has the impression that the village is inundated by the lush vegetation around it; vegetation comprised of wild and domesticated chestnut and other trees, and of course cultivars of apples and pears are to be found everywhere. The gardens of the village's houses are swathed in wild flowers and pot plants, with pride of place going to huge hydrangeas and camellias.

One version has it that the name Tsangarada means 'flocks and sheep pens' while another claims it means 'beautiful location' while yet another claims it means "guarded and walled location".

The present-day village in all likelihood dates back to the end of the 16th century and was probably established by coastal dwellers who climbed the mountain slopes to hide their homes from pirate attacks, and by Greeks from elsewhere in the country fleeing to avoid the tyranny of the Turks.

The village experienced a boom in the 18th century and became an important centre for silk production and clothing for export to Europe. Later on many residents migrated, especially to Egypt, where they became rich, only to return and build impressive mansions in their home town, and make donations which resulted in the construction of churches and public buildings.

Today the village manages to successfully blend tourism and agriculture.

Mt. Pelion is one of the most fabled of Greece's "ancient" mountains. Its location in the middle of the Greek mainland, its sheer beauty, its wealth of natural resources and its association with the sea (both the Aegean and the Pagasetic Gulf) made it widely known even in antiquity. Homer sang in praise of Mt. Pelion referring to its dense forests. Pindar the poet spoke of the winds that blow here, stirring the branches on its forested slopes. Simonides the poet talked of its imposing grandeur while Hesiod talked of soaring cliffs and dense forests in one work, while in another talked of the sheer plenitude of medicinal plants and herbs to be found on the mountains, as did Heraclides who praises the wealth of medicinal plants available.

Mythology has it that Mt. Pelion was home to the Centaurs, mythical creatures half man, half horse. The best known was the wise Chiron, skilled in the use of healing plants and a teacher of medicine whose pupils even included the god Asclepius.

The mountain was inhabited in prehistory and throughout the historical and Byzantine periods and flourished under the period of Turkish domination; in fact most of the surviving remains on the mountain date from that period. The intellectual and economic boom experienced at that time was the result of the set of privileges enjoyed by the area, which was semi-autonomous in a sense, which attracted many progressive thinkers and restless minds from elsewhere in Greece.

The mountainous massif has a total of 6 peaks all above 1,450 m, the highest being Pourianos Stavros at 1,624 m. The mountain also has numerous streams. They flow all year round ensuring that a dip in the sea is a truly "refreshing" experience. As one descends from the mountain peaks, wild forest gives way to orchards of trees and fertile valleys where all manner of plants are cultivated.

Mt. Pelion has a Mediterranean climate with moderate temperature fluctuations. As a rule the summer is cool and the winter is not particularly harsh. Here the seasons can be easily distinguished by their own unique colours and smells, but it is hard to tell which season is best. This well-endowed mountain landscape blends mountain and sea harmoniously, and couples wild nature with tailored landscapes, dense forest with bare rock, the cool of the mountain with the warmth of the sea, and rain with wave.