Pelion Amazing Cottage by the sea

The house is situated in the sea-side village of Milina in southern Pilion surrounded by an olive grove, about 60 m from the sea. Spectacular view of the Pagasitikos bay from our spacious yard. Perfect for relaxing and exploring. The house is situated in the sea-side village of Milina in southern Pelion in the bay of Pagasitikos. Milina is a small village with a mild touristic structure, quiet and serene. On the main sea side road of the village planted with sea pines there are several little shops, taverns and coffee shops. The village has beautiful houses immersed in big gardens with vegetables, flowers and lemon trees. Our house is a traditional stone built one room house, of 50 square meters, with a tiled roof (the wooden traditional structure is visible from the inside). It has two doors and three windows. It includes the kitchen area (with an electric stove, refrigerator and sink basin), a big dinner table with chairs and armchairs, a double bed, a wardrobe and cupboard and two single beds. The bathroom is right next door on a separate room (hot water). The house is very cool and airy, nevertheless there is air condition in case of serious hot weather. The house stands among the olive trees so you have no visible contact with neighbors and other houses. (there are three houses near us). Although not isolated, it is extremely private and quiet. It is ideal for reading and writing, relaxing, sleeping, day-dreeming, being immersed in nature and away from commercial touristic areas. In front of the house there is a big yard (80 square meter), tiled with hand cut Pelion mountain stones (slate), two big olive trees, a lemon tree, a built -in table and bench and an outside water tub. From the yard there is a spectacular view of the Pagasitikos bay stretching in front of you. The orientation of the house is western so there is natural shade all morning and a magnificent view of sunsets in the evening. You can have a barbecue if you wish (please though in case you have a barbecue be incredibly careful of fire!!). You can buy coal in the super market. Katrin and Elen, the owners of the house will be available by phone or email at any time. A list for shopping, where to swim tips, and information about local food is given below plus tips for walking and exploring the fabulous area of Pelion. We are more than happy to offer more information and help with anything that our guests will need. Upon arrival the guests will be met, given the keys and escorted to the house. Along the sea side road of Milina you will find many tavernas, coffee shops, souvlaki, pizza, souvenir shops, cigarettes and press, super market (selling fruit and vegetables too) and a pharmacy. On a vertical road (entering the village opposite "Elia" tavern) you will find two butcher shops (good local meat, we prefer the one on the right) and the bakery (must try the rectangular dark multigrain sour-dough bread, “polisporo me xino prozimi” baked on wood) and the best souvlaki place. From the tavernas in Milina we prefer "Elia" and "Sakis" (the last one, good small fish and sea food). The best by far is the beautiful and stylish "En Plo" bar restaurant, on the little sea marine below the house, with more adventurous (also more expensive) cuisine. Much more we like two tavernas a bit further out of the village driving south (2-3km) or even walking (30 min). The first called "Gibraltar" a family run tavern, in a yard full of flowers, sea view, very friendly people, home made food and fresh small fish, the second a bit further on the road, called "Limani" (very good grilled fish and meat, tsipouro meze, some traditional cooked food too), with spectacular view of sunset and the small island just opposite. The house wine in the taverns sold in an open carafe of 0,5 or 1 lt is usually really good. Nice varieties of local vines. You can also ask for bottled wine. Raki, or as they call it in continental Greece tsipouro, made from grapes' seeds and peelings through out Greece. This area is famous for its good quality tsipouro drink which you can order plain or flavored with aniseed (it is not ouzo). There is a whole food and meze culture around drinking tsipouro which you might want to try. Water is drinkable but it may taste funny, perfectly ok for cooking. Where to swim: Just in front of the house (60m) there is a small sandy beach and two more beaches in the village of Milina. At the entrance of the village there is a small beach with pebbles that is very shady all morning. In a distance of (Phone number hidden by Airbnb) min walk (towards Argalasti) or 5min by car there is a beautiful small bay with green-blue waters, surrounded by an olive grove and with beautiful formation of rocks and sea caves on the left side. In the high summer season, it might be more crowded and there is also a canteen operating there. Walking from the house to the opposite direction (going south towards Trikeri) you will find many small beaches along the main road. Many of them have shade from eucalyptus trees and sea pines. By car you can explore further the Pagasitikos area from Milina towards Trikeri. The whole coast line consists of a series of small shady green bays (mainly olive trees, but also eucalyptus, plane trees and sea pines). Park the car on the road and descend to the sea through the dirt roads or paths. About 10 km from the house you will find Marathias a beautiful sandy beach with umbrellas and a taverna. If you drive a bit further south (two bays further) you will find a more quiet and unspoilt beach with big pebbles (you will see it from the road). Park the car and walk to the beach by a path through the olive trees. The next beach is the beautiful Zasteni a sandy quiet small bay (there is a sign, park the car and walk down through a path) . Heading further south you will come to the small fish village of Kotes where you will find an excellent taverna for fresh fish, lobster and crayfish. Pagasitikos bay is well known as place to fish for crayfish so between May and July mainly, you can find this delicious sea food here. Approaching the end of the peninssula you go left for the village of Agia Kyriaki a picturesque little port village with more fish tavernas. The village of Trikeri is built on the mountain for fear of pirates. It is worth visiting the island of Trikeri. You can do this from the village of Alogopyrgos with a sea taxi (the island is very near). There are no cars on the island which is a big olive grove with nice serene beaches to swim, you can walk around it if you want and eat in one of the few taverns by the sea. The island has been a place of exile for women for political reasons (between (Phone number hidden by Airbnb) after the Greek civil war. Walk to the monastery of Evaggelistria built on the hill. If you want you can spend the night here in one of the cells which host visitors. The Pagasitikos bay is very clean with transparent crystal clear sea bottom, and the sea is almost always quiet and ideal for swimming. Sometimes the sea bottom is rocky and in some cases there might be sea urchins, so be careful and take some beach rubber shoes with you. Ideal for exploring with sea goggles. Most of the beaches have natural shade from trees. The sea is warm and you can swim here almost all year round. The Aegian side beaches: Pilion area is well known for its spectacular sandy beaches which stretch on the Aegian (eastern) coast line. It is worth visiting some of them. The ones closest to the house (about (Phone number hidden by Airbnb) minutes by car) are Paltsi, Potistika, Melani. They are big sandy beaches, often with impressive rock formations and caves. They often tend to be windy though (get info about the weather). Go to Argalasti and follow the signs to the beaches. If you go this direction do not forget to visit the village of Xinovrisi with a nice cool square with plane trees and nice traditional taverns. A small beautiful tavern you can also find off Melani beach. If you want to explore the area further you can travel to more of the beautiful Pelion villages and beaches further north. These routes should not take more than 1 hour drive from the house. You would need a private car if you want to enjoy the Pelion area. ΙIf you fly to Athens or Thessaloniki you could rent a car from there or you could take the bus from Athens or Thessaloniki to Volos and rent a car from Volos. From Athens to the city of Volos by car (4hr), from Thessaloniki 2,5 hr. There are some charter flights to Volos from several cities, so check this option as well. From Volos you head toward Pelion and you follow the signs to the town of Argalasti (about 50 minutes). From Argalasti you follow the signs to Milina (9km). The closest villages: "Chorton" is the small picturesque sea side village you pass before reaching Milina. "Argalasti" is the largest village in the area, 9 km from Milina where you can find an ATM, police station, mail office, gas station and medical center. Argalasti has beautiful traditonal houses (like most of Pilion villages) and a big cenrtal square full of life (locals and tourists), with huge plane trees and nice tavernas and “kafeneion”. Look for shops with local products. There is a big open market here every Saturday worth visiting. "Lafkos" is the mountain village above Milina (5km). A beautiful village with renovated stone built houses, beautiful gardens, nice traditional bakery and old cobbled streets, with a lively central square of huge plane trees and very nice traditional taverns. If you go there try grilled meat or traditional greek food. On a very hot summer night you can always go there for coolness. And do take something warm to wear if you visit in the evening. There is a gas station in Lafkos too. There is also a signed paved mountain path from Milina to Lafkos, worth trying if you are into walking, you will pass through olive trees, pine trees, plane trees on the way with lovely views of the Pagsitikos bay and the little islands, you will meet an old spring and a small church on your way. More paths to the mountain begin from Lafkos. From Lafkos you can also explore another area of the south Aegian coast. Our favorite beach is the beautiful sandy "Lyri". (30min drive from Milina). Usually very quiet. If you go early you will have the shady sea cave on the left to yourself. No shade except from that, you will need an umbrella. There is a tavern working there (only for lunch) with very good homemade food. If you go there it is worth visiting the small fish-port of Katigiorgis (5km from the beach), famous for its fish taverns right on the sand (go to the first one) with incredible fresh fish and sea food (if you like lobster or crayfish spaghetti this is the place to eat it). Another beautiful beach on the small port of "Platanias", further south. Pelion is a place of exotic natural beauty with crystal clear turquoise beaches, great variety of places to explore, breath taking views of the mountain and the sea, history and plenty of things to do, being one of the most unspoilt by tourism places in Greece. Pelion is a mountainous peninsula between the Pagasitic Gulf and the Aegean Sea in the centre of Greece located near the city of Volos, in the region of Thessaly. The mountain is thickly forested, with both deciduous and perennial forests, mainly of beech, oak, maple and chestnut trees, with plane tree groves surrounding places with water. Pelion is considered one of the most beautiful mountains in Greece and is a popular tourist attraction throughout the year: hiking trails and stone paths give access to springs, coves and numerous beaches, sandy or pebbly, set among lusciously green slopes. Pelion is an amply watered mountain with an abundance of springs, gorges, streams and rivulets; many streams are routed in carved-stone artificial beds to bring water to the villages and their thriving orchards. Pelion's twenty-four villages retain traditional Pelian architecture and construction, with stone buildings made out of expertly carved local grey, blue, or green slate and red clay. They are built on terraces on the slopes and offer stunning vistas of the surrounding slopes and the sea. Last but not least the two magnificent islands of Skiathos and Skopelos, just about an hour from the Volos harbour are creating an astonishing amalgam of so many beautiful places just around one mountain. And don't forget, Volos-Pelion are just in the middle of the Greek mainland, so from there you are too close to Sterea Hellas-Athens(Parthenonas etc.), Hepirus, and Macedonia. Mountains, sea, beaches, undulating pedestrian pathways through dark forests, fruit orchards, goat herds, mountain ponds, mineral springs, ski slopes and even an ancient train railway. Everything in one peninsula. The house is equipped with sheets and towels (but no beach towels, so please do have your own for the beach) and everything you might need for cooking, coffee maker for filter coffee and espresso. If you visit in the summer take mosquito protection with you, there is also an electric mosquito repellent in the house.