A land so beautiful it was chosen by the Gods. Lush mountains, stunning beaches, surely we  mere mortals can only agree.

Legendary home of the centaurs, the mountains of the Pelion Peninsula are quite simply unique. Covered in forests of chestnut and beech, riven by deep gorges, and with very few settlements they might seem accessible only to intrepid explorers.

Appearances can be deceptive! Although few roads cross the central mountains, the high villages with their distinctive tall stone merchants’ houses are all connected to each other and down to the coast by a network of ancient trails known as ‘kaldermia’. One such village, Milies is still connected to the coast by a narrow-gauge railway, designed by an Italian civil engineer Evaristo de Chirico. The line crosses the many gorges via a series of graceful viaducts that formed a central feature of his son, Georgio’s famous dream-like paintings. But there is far more to  this fascinating area than wild forest and mountain.

The claw-like Pelion Peninsula forms one arm of the almost landlocked Pagasitic Gulf. This gentler landscape with its scattered fishing villages, olive groves, vineyards and excellent beaches is more typically Greek than the mountains behind. The Pagasitic Gulf coast is more sheltered and typically Mediterranean, with olive groves and pine trees overlooking the sand and pebble beaches. Exploring this coast by small boat is a delight or one can take a caique cruise down to the ‘claw’ of Pelion at Trikeri, with its small island and monastery.

The Aegean coast of the peninsula is more spectacular. Here, steep stream-filled valleys and ravines end in treelined coves and rocky headlands, often with small villages such as Mylopotamos, perched on the steep hillsides. Some of these villages are no more than a cluster of silver roofed stone cottages above a small cove which make a perfect base for exploring gentler paths that often follow the shoreline past pristine beaches.

Every cove, inhabited or not, has its stretch of sand or shingle and most are connected by kaldermia that follow the coast. Perhaps the best way to explore this fascinating region is on foot, using the ‘kaldermia’ mule track network. Volos, one of the major cities and ferry ports of Greece is the gateway into The Pelion from the vast plains of Thessaly. In recent years, the city has been transformed, with new pedestrianised shopping areas, an excellent museum and one of the largest open air markets in the region.

These days the chances of meeting a centaur on a mountain path might be somewhat remote, more likely a donkey, but The Pelion with its varied landscapes, fascinating history, unique architecture and beautiful coastline is a wonderful and unspoilt holiday destination.