Thessaly

Thessaly is Greece's breadbasket, yet along its edges lie some of the most impressive places in the country. A vacation in Thessaly takes you to the rock monasteries of Meteora, into the mountain villages of Pelion and to the green Sporades islands of Skiathos and Skopelos.

Landscape and Location

The heart of the region is the broad Thessalian plain around Larissa and Karditsa, framed by the Pindus Mountains to the west, Mount Olympus to the north and the Pelion range to the east, which shields the Bay of Volos from the Aegean. The Pineios River flows to the sea through the Vale of Tempe between Olympus and Ossa. In the west near Karditsa, Lake Plastiras lies in a mountain landscape reminiscent of the Alps. In the fall of 2023, severe storms caused heavy flooding on the plain. The Sporades, including Skiathos, Skopelos and Alonissos, are also part of the region; around Alonissos lies Greece's first marine national park, a refuge for the rare monk seal.

Sights in Thessaly

The Meteora monasteries near Kalambaka stand on sandstone pillars up to 400 meters high that rise out of the plain. Once reachable only by rope ladders and nets, six of the monasteries can now be reached by stairs and are part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site; the sunsets over the rocks are legendary. Pelion, according to legend the home of the centaurs, is a hiker's paradise with villages such as Makrinitsa and Tsagarada, plane trees, stone paths and chestnut forests; its east coast has pebble beaches such as Mylopotamos, and in winter skiers hit the slopes near Chania. Volos, the lively port city, is the departure point for ferries to the Sporades. Skiathos has more than 60 beaches, including Koukounaries with its pine forest, while Skopelos is quieter and became famous through the film "Mamma Mia!" Larissa has an ancient theater in the middle of the city, and Trikala has an Ottoman old town and a fortress. In Kalambaka and neighboring Kastraki you can stay overnight right beneath the rocks, hiking trails lead between the monasteries, and climbers appreciate the conglomerate walls. On Pelion, a narrow-gauge railway runs in summer from Ano Lechonia to Milies over a bridge designed by Evaristo de Chirico, father of the painter Giorgio de Chirico. Trikala is regarded as the home of Asclepius and turns an old mill into a Christmas park during Advent.

Food and Drink

Volos is the capital of the tsipouradika, taverns where every small bottle of tsipouro comes with a plate of seafood mezedes. From Pelion come spetsofai, sausage with peppers, apples and preserved fruits; from Skopelos comes the stuffed cheese pie. Elassona and Trikala are known for lamb and feta. On Pelion, herbal teas and jams are sold, and Skopelos is known for its plums.

Getting There and Best Time to Visit

Larissa lies on the Athens–Thessaloniki rail line, and there are train connections to Kalambaka. Skiathos has its own airport with summer flights, and Volos has a smaller one. The best time to visit is May through June and September and October; the plain is very hot in summer, while Pelion stays pleasant. Ferries to the Sporades depart from Volos and Agios Konstantinos. The train from Athens to Kalambaka with a change at Palaiofarsalos is a convenient alternative to driving.