Greece - Korina Miller [200]
Café Anemella ( 24260 23880) There’s mellow music at this cafe whose name is Greek for silkworm – a reference to Zagora’s agricultural roots.
AROUND ZAGORA
The laid-back village of Pouri, which spills down a steep mountainside to a small bay, is home to a few tavernas clustered beneath the church, and also the unlikely location of Popotech Workshop ( 69454 47878; www.artandcraft.gopelion.com) where Irish and Dutch transplants Gemma and Gary create unique jewellery, ceramics and found-metal sculpture. If this end-of-the-road nest appeals, consider lingering at Hiotis Theoharis Rooms ( 24260 23168; 69388 10309; r incl breakfast €60; ) where English-speaking Vasiliki stocks a common kitchen with the family’s homemade cheese.
Other picturesque villages adorn the road from Zagora to Tsangarada, one of the most scenically spectacular in the Pelion. The village of Anilio (‘sunless’ in Greek), rests in the shadow of a ridge of chestnut and walnut trees, a rich source for the Anilion Women’s Agricultural Group ( 24260 31329; plateia) who make and sell traditional jams and pastries.
The flower-draped village of Kissos is built on steep terraces surrounding the 18th-century Church of Agia Marina, whose frescoes are considered the finest in the Pelion. An impressive old plane tree in the village square recently attracted a group of travellers who encircled its trunk in hopes of tapping a bit of its spiritual energy. When a curious taverna owner learned of their plan, she quickly commented, ‘That’s rubbish; I live under that tree for 10 years, and I have no energy left!’.
In Kissos, stop for lunch or dinner at Taverna O Makris ( 24260 31266), great for dolmadhes and fasoladha, or at Taverna Klimataria ( 24260 31214) for hortopita (pie made with wild greens) and potato cakes.
HOREFTO ΧΟΡΕΥΤΟ
Eight kilometres downhill from Zagora, Horefto is a low-key resort with palm trees and a long sandy beach. It’s also the mythical home of Chiron, a roving centaur who healed the sick in the days when doctors still made house calls. The main beach is very decent, while isolated Agia Saranda beach fills a beautiful cove 2km south, with a simple domatia and taverna nearby.
Sleeping & Eating
Hotel Hagiati ( 24260 22405; www.pelion.com.gr/hagiati.htm; s/d €40/50; ) Spacious tile-and-wood rooms, balconies and overhead fans make the reliable Hagiati good value. It’s opposite the beach as you enter Horefto.
Maribou Hotel ( 24260 23710; www.marabouhotel.gr; s/d/ste €55/70/110; ) This comfortable hotel sits on a hillside 250m from the beach, visible from the verandah bar.
Taverna O Petros ( 24260 23585; mains €4-7) This reliable place serves up fine fish grills and a variety of vegie dishes (ladhera – fasting food; baked or stewed with plenty of olive oil), including the tasty local favourite, the hortopita.
Also recommended:
Domatia To Balkoni ( 24260 23260; s/d €50/60; ) Palm trees, kitchenettes.
Taverna Ta Delfinia (24260 23585; mains €4-8) Popular for mayirefta.
AGIOS IOANNIS ΑΓΙΟΣ ΙΩAΝΝΗΣ
pop 660
The once-sleepy port village of Agios Ioannis is now the busiest of the eastern coastal resorts, but there’s still plenty of room. Small hotels, tavernas and pizzerias line the waterfront, and two sandy beaches lie just north (Plaka) and south (Papa Nero) of town, connected by a small wooden bridge.
Les Hirondelles Travel Agency ( 24260 31181; www.holidays-in-pelion.com.gr) arranges accommodation, car and motorbike rentals, and also organises hiking, boat, sea-kayaking and mountain-biking excursions.
Sleeping
You can expect the higher July and August rates quoted here to drop by at least 30% at other times.
Pension Katerina ( 24260 31159, 6945762183; s/d/f from €35/40/65; ) A narrow lane off the waterfront opens to a cosy courtyard anchored by a lemon tree at this welcoming gem. Rooms are light, tidy and charming. Families will like the three apartments with kitchenettes.
Hotel Kelly ( 24260 31231; www.hotel-kelly.gr; s/d/tr incl breakfast €50/60/80; ) Near the end of the waterfront,