"Volos, Pilio and the environs" Top 5 Page for this destination Volos by StefanosS

Volos Travel Guide: 48 reviews and 215 photos

There are so many to do in the region!

Sea and mountain, nature and antiquities, legent and history, gastronomy and culture...

There are so many to talk about!

Thessaly, according to the scientists, was covered by the sea, and raised up at about 8,000 BC. This fact can be traced on the greek word THESSALIA, as THESSIS + ALOS, that could be translated as "place of sea" or "place of salt". Thousands of years later, an ancient town existed near Volos with the name "ALOS", and not far from its ruins, today is a modern town named "ALMYROS", a word that in modern Greek, has exactly the same meaning ("salty"). It is possible that the great violent rearrangement of the earth surface that happened 8,000 years BC. has to do with Noah's Flood and the analogous recordings in the mythology of other civilisations.

Centaur

One of the most strange figures of the greek mythology is that of the Centaurs: a perfect horse body but at the place of the neck there was a man's trunk with arms and head! Centaurs were living in the region of Pelion and were rather calm people, hunters, doctors, wisemen, teachers. What kind of monsters were they?

The answer is very simple, and can be also found by the greek word KENTAVROS, that has two components: KENTOO + TAVROS that means to GOAD a TAURUS (or ox). Centaurs were the "cowboys" of Magnesia, leading their herds to the grasslands! And it is well known that a man can do this job only on the back of a horse! As the land was still partially salty, agriculture could not be a good job. It is remarkable that there is not any referance about female centaurs! Their wives were absolutely humans and are depicted riding on the back of Centaurs! Later generations kept this name, though most of them had already other occupations.

A Centaur on an ancient plate

Though Thessaly was a "place of sea", Pelagonian, a chain of mountains comming down from NW to SE (central Macedonia, Chalkidiki including Athos, Olympus, Ossa, Pelion, the island of Evia) was already a dry land for the last 140 million years, as one of the oldest dry lands of the European area. This could be a good reason for the great variety of plants that can be found on Pelion, along with the good climate. Among these plants, there are many pharmaceutical herbs, more than one half of the pharmaceutical herbs of the whole planet! According to Greek mythology, many Centaurs were famous doctors. Aeskulapius (Asklipios), the ancient god of medicine, was born at the foothills of Pelion and was trained by the Centaurs.

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Try my TRAVELOGUES about Volos and the region.
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An interesting web-site about Volos and the region is the one of the Port of Volos (available in both Greek and English):
http://www.port-volos.gr/index_frameset_EN.htm

Please have a look also at my pages:

Skiathos island
Skopelos island
Alonnisos island
Pelagos or Pelagonisi or Kyra-Panaghia island
Yioura (or Gioura) island
Psathoura island

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Last visit to Volos: Aug 2003
Intro Updated Nov 22, 2004
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Reviews (19)

The east side of the port Things to Do (9)

The east side of the port more travel advice

Zoom in Pilion villages Things to Do (9)

Zooming in Pilion villages while on board in the port. more travel advice

Volos port and Pilion mountain Things to Do (9)

A view of Volos port and Pilion mountain from the boat, while waiting to sail to Skiathos. more travel advice

National Marine Park of Alonissos - Volos

National Marine Park of Alonissos Things to Do (9)

Visit the National Marine Park of Alonissos island. It is a protected sea area of high beauty, habitat of many rare... more travel advice

Nightlife (2)
See All Volos by night.
Off The Beaten Path (5)
See All The OLD LITTLE TRAIN
Local Customs (1)
Cultural events

Favorites (1)
Speaking of Centaurs and horses...
Restaurants (1)
Visit a tsipouradiko...
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Travelogues (4)

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Comments (59)

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amype0630 Sep 10, 2006 at 2:40 PM

Would you happen to know if there have been any archaeological sites, where a large horse from the Bronze age was discovered?
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codrutz Apr 25, 2006 at 6:41 AM

Hello Stefanos. Volos must be one of hundreds of destinations in Greece :)
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etfromnc May 27, 2005 at 3:26 PM

I know some people who live in Volos but have not made it there yet. Your Volos pages made it even more interesting including the tip about scuba diving and fishing, although I am not even highly interested in scuba diving. Thanks for the effort!!
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shivan Jan 7, 2004 at 5:08 AM

lovely page Stefanos!
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KimberlyAnn Sep 9, 2003 at 11:03 AM

A well done, interesting page. I would especially enjoy visiting the Mediterranean Seal. I hope that the seals can be protected so that they will grace your shores for many generations to come.
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DanielF May 17, 2003 at 5:35 AM

Excellent page, especially the Monachus monachus travelogue.
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emwilson125 May 13, 2003 at 1:15 AM

I found your page wonderful and very helpful as we are visiting"The Pilio"in September for the first time.Thank you.
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nick06 May 1, 2003 at 8:36 PM

Kalo! Alla protimame tis Alikes to kalokairi Stefane, i allios odevoume pros Agria. S efharisto gia tin parousiasi tis polis mou!
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chauncenetta Apr 20, 2003 at 4:32 PM

My desire for Greece is enhanced even more after viewing your pages.
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hunterV Feb 24, 2003 at 11:34 AM

I wish I could visit all those places, Stephanos. How have you been? Haven't seen you for ages!