The beautiful Zagora is the largest and certainly one of the most beautiful villages of Pelion as it is spread on a green hillside from which the visitor is offered a generous view of the blue Aegean Sea.

Access to Zagora

Access to eastern Pelion and Zagora can be done in two ways. The first and shortest route is via Portaria and Chania. Specifically, you will travel from Volos for about 45 kilometres, which from Chania and onwards are considered difficult as many steep bends await you, while from autumn to spring the chances of fog are particularly increased, thus increasing the difficulty index.

• Photos from Zagora
• Accommodation in Zagora
• Map of Zagora

The second route is the one usually followed by visitors to Tsagarada. You will follow the coastal route from Volos to Kala Nera where you will turn left for Milies and then follow the signs for Tsagarada. It may be longer by 27 km, it is more comfortable and if you are not in a hurry it offers you the opportunity for a first but very good taste of Pelion.

A few kilometres before you reach Zagora, you will see it on the opposite slope as it spreads out with its 4 districts. Agios Georgios, Agia Kyriaki, Agia Paraskevi and Sotiras. Once you arrive in the village make sure to visit the most famous and one of the most beautiful squares of Pelion, the one in the district of Agios Georgios.

See the shops spreading around the perimeter, smell the plane trees and the flowery courtyards, get a taste of the imposing mansions of the village that remind you of the great glamour the village had experienced and relax in one of the cafes or taverns of the picturesque square. There you will also find the church of Agios Georgios and the famous library of Zagora with rare manuscripts.

Accommodation in Zagora

Summer in Zagora

Zagora, like most of the villages of Pelion that are perched on its forested slopes, is a cool refuge for the very hot summer days since Pelion does not escape when a heatwave hits.

You can enjoy the shade and the coolness of the plane trees of the square while waiting for the heat to drop a little to visit the seaside and nearby Zagora destinations to swim in the Aegean Sea.

Your first choice may be the famous seaside village of Chorefto, while a little further south don’t miss the stunning beach of Agioi Saranda (read our feature on Pelion beaches).

On the way back it is worth visiting the nearby mountain village of Puri with its old mansions and the unique view of the Aegean Sea!

The school of Riga Feraios

Another cultural monument of Zagora is located on the road that leads to the beach of Chorefto, which is full of life during the summer months. It is the Ellinomouzeion or the school of King Feraios, where great figures of the Greek spirit such as Anthimos Gazis, Gregorios Constantas and of course King Feraios studied.

The school of Rigas Feraios was built in the early 18th century, which makes it the oldest school in Pelion, and it is a very well preserved example of traditional Pelion architecture.

Before you leave Zagora get a taste of the famous Pelion cuisine by trying spetzofai (spetsofai) or some delicious pie. And as we all know, because after eating a good dessert is a must, try one of the famous sweets made in the village with the main ingredient being the delicious apples of the region, which are nowadays the most important export product of the place and support the economy of Zagora and the wider region.

text/photos: Yannis Tsouratzis

Photos from Zagora

Map of Zagora

ΤΚ: 370 01

Χορευτό, Άγιοι Σαράντα, Zagora, Χορευτό, Regional Unit of Magnesia, Thessaly, Thessaly and Central Greece, 370 01, Greece

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Pouri, Municipal Unit of Zagora, Zagora – Mouresi Municipality, Regional Unit of Magnesia, Thessaly, Thessaly and Central Greece, 370 01, Greece

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