So my friend’s point was obvious and self-evident. From no point near, far or opposite can one embrace Tsagarada with one’s eyes in its entire extent. I do not know, of course, what picture it presents from above when one flies over it. But I still believe that, complex and elongated as it is, it refuses to submit to the unblinking gaze of the aerial viewer. Since it is impossible, then, to reveal its secrets to us thus simply, let us bend with patience and love to its ground, earthen or cobbled, soaked with moisture or dry, covered with the dust of summer or the dry leaves of autumn. And then, using all our exploratory spirit, let us search for all those small and large, fascinating and unknown details that make up this very special place, one of the most beautiful in Pelion and in the country, Tsagarada. The mysterious unknown will reward us richly. And we will love her even more…

FROM TSAGARADA TO DAMOUCHARI

– We can get to know Tsagarada in the classic way, starting from the small inner and relaxing cobbled streets, says Kyriakos. Unless… (he pauses for a short pause full of meaning) you feel ready for the famous trail to Damouchari.

My friend’s lawyerly wiles paid off. He was sure that after such an introduction, I would find it very difficult to resist the temptation. After all, I had known for years of the existence of this great cobblestone house. I had once even climbed a small section of it from the beach of Damouchari to the interior.

– How many hours is it?, I ask Kyriakos.

– Well, it’s nothing. We’ll be going downhill all the time.

This last element was particularly convincing. At the end of last May we take the road to the square of Agia Paraskevi with the famous plane tree. About 100 meters before, in front of the hotel “Villa of Roses”, we meet the beginning of the path. An excellent old cobblestone road descends between shady trees and flowers. Birds and a cool breeze. Low down the vastness of the Aegean Sea. Here is the Municipal Hall of the Municipality of Mouresi. We enter a path again. The sun hides under the dense foliage of dogwood and chestnut trees. Some trees, however, are of more practical interest. They are large cherry trees with their branches bent under the weight of magnificent blond and black cherry trees. Hard to resist a sweet taste. Some privileged single-family homes with gorgeous yards are built into the serenity and beauty of this earthly paradise. The noises and disturbances of culture and tourism do not reach here. The way of life retains the aura of the past but improved with all the comforts of modern times.

The asphalt briefly interrupts the path. It looks like a violent intrusion into the idyllic strata of nature. With rough steps on the grey, smooth surface, we hurry to re-enter the opposite side of the road, the cobbled path so dear and familiar. We take its left fork, heading E-NE. (We leave another downhill cobbled street on our right). Cross a forest of sycamore trees, tall acacias and chestnut trees. Some are century-old with huge trunks. The trees do not completely obscure the view. From clearings and openings we look out over parts of Tsagarada and the Aegean Sea, Skopelos and Skiathos. There is no lack of sparsely built detached houses with wonderful courtyards.

It shows the beautiful chapel of St. Efstathios above the asphalt. Cross it for about 20 metres and turn right onto a concrete road following the yellow sign. With a few minor changes, our relaxing and highly scenic route to this point has not exceeded 20 minutes. The cobbled road descends steeply past courtyards with beautiful hydrangeas.

– There is no other village in Greece with plentier and more beautiful hydrangeas, Kyriakos says, and I have no intention of questioning the correctness of his words.

Already, however, we are approaching the district of Agia Kyriaki, which, after the districts of Agios Taxiarchis, Agia Paraskevi and Agios Stefanos, is the fourth district of Tsagarada. We pass by the ruined mansion of Finikopoulos, built with carved cornerstones in 1878. A few metres further down, on the right of the cobblestone road, the magnificent fountain of Dimitrios Finikopoulos stands out. It was built with rectangular chipped stones exactly a century ago, in July 1907. A beautifully carved lion’s head, triangular pediment and marble inscription on the fountain give it a stately simplicity mixed with the charm of time, which has softened the angles and lines of the structure. The water from the fountain is scarce but nice and cool.

A little lower down we are greeted by the square of Ag. Kyriaki. It is elaborately paved with rectangular chipped slabs of Pelion stone. In the centre stands a tall but not particularly old plane tree. At one end of the square there is a ruined one-storey building, still standing, which, despite the ravages of time, still exudes a strange charm.

– It used to be a thriving café, Kyriakos says.

A few minutes later we meet 80-year-old Panagiotis Stergiopoulos, who lives in one of the few inhabited houses in the square.

– This ruin you see was the taverna of Thomas Stergiopoulos, my father. It once enjoyed great glory, especially at the festival on the 7th of July.

– What else do you remember, Panagiotis, from the square?

– The people, the liveliness, the feasts, the mules bringing fish from Damouchari. Nothing is left of that time.

I bring my eyes one around the square. Only two houses are inhabited, but at this hour they too are silent. Without shops, without people, the square is sunk in melancholy, in desolation. It is the only one among the four squares of Tsagarada with so much abandonment.

A few steps down from the square lead us to the church of Agia Kyriaki. It is a large building with a date on the lintel of 1886. In the corners of the walls and in the sanctuary you can see the carved cornerstones that have been used in the construction. The rest of the surfaces of the church are plastered from years with a plaster in many places frayed with a pale pile colour, which gives the structure a sense of a romantic neoclassical mansion. In some parts of the building, mild maintenance work has been carried out with cement. A few metres away from the sanctuary stands the stone-built, multi-storey bell tower. It was erected in 1869 with exquisite masonry, bollards and brick arches, heavy iron keys for tying the walls and a trullion at the top. We treat ourselves to a few minutes’ pause in the square. It is not a rest stop. How tired can one get after a half-hour hike? It is more a stop for reverie, for our participation in this solitude, the now permanent and universal tranquility of the square, which only comes alive on the 7th of July and perhaps some other day of the year…

We find again the cobbled path, downhill, beautiful, with elaborate steps and twists, immersed in the shade. Dense ferns and chestnut trees, old stone fountain with scant water. A concrete bridge takes us across to the opposite bank of the gully. For the first time since the beginning of the route, we climb for a few minutes and reach the newest quarter of Tsagarada, Platanakia. We look out over the gorge of Damouchari, the settlements of Mouresi, Ag. Dimitrios and Kissos. In the distance, perched on its steep balcony, Puri with the beach of Elitsa on the coast can be seen.

We abandon the unattractive modern era – and architecture – and return to the old days, to the shady, very downhill and elaborately constructed cobbled street that we are so used to and love. I don’t know if the old Pelionites of the area considered these forced hikes a pleasure or a hassle. We, however, who with today’s living conditions are so deprived of nature, consider it a true privilege to direct our steps along such a cobbled path.

After the forest we come out into the light again. Papa-nero beach and the bays of Agios Ioannis are revealed. The vegetation lowers, becoming bushy with holly, myrtle, laurel, foliage, sparrow and wild olive trees. Under the pavilion continues the unadulterated cobbled road of Damouchari, that old stone road that used to connect the interior of Tsagarada with the coast. We start to go downhill, however, about 100 meters after the kiosk, at a sharp right turn, Kyriakos stops.

– Do you mind taking a few minutes?

Why should I mind? After all the years I’ve known Kyriakos, I’m convinced that when he proposes something, it’s worth any small or big inconvenience. So my friend temporarily abandons the cobblestone road, pushes left into the holly bushes and makes a path with his hands in a terrain that is difficult and inaccessible, which once must have been a path, but now has been closed for years. It takes almost five minutes to fight through thorny bushes and holly, filling our hands with scratches. This is the first time I’ve followed Kyriakos in such an inhospitable place. But it is also the first time my eyes have seen such an unexpected, such a unique image of Damouchari. No view from any other point on the famous coast can compare with this unparalleled plan, so well hidden in this wilderness.

– This is the secret view of Damouchari, Kyriakos says.

On the cobbled street of Damouchari again. Downhill, winding, wonderful, with old stones planted deep in the earth. Two hours after our departure from Agia Paraskevi, we reach the coast, but with many stops that exceed half an hour in total.

– Let me call and have them come and pick us up, Kyriakos says. Unless…

– Unless what?, I ask him.

– Here, if you want to continue the coastal route to the beach of Fakistra and the cliffs of Kryfo Scholio. It’s not far.

We climb a few hundred metres up the cobbled path and at some point we turn left onto a narrow path through the holly trees. In half a minute we reach a wooden viewing pavilion above the rocky shore. We descend for a few hundred metres down a dirt road which, on reaching a shallow gully, becomes a path marked into the rocks with red paint. We cross bushy vegetation with the constant companion of the sound of the waves on the rocks of the coast. We pass by the cloister of St. Antonios and a minute later by the cloister of St. Athanasios. Its roof and part of the walls have collapsed. The original bushy vegetation has already been transformed into a dense jungle of holly, aria and heather, golden beech, wild chestnut and olive trees, which, although unkempt, are laden with fruit. The presence of the blossom trees is also significant, blooming with their white flowers but also laden with unripe yellow or ripe red, deliciously tasty blossoms. With little difference in altitude, our path is restful, shady and very pleasant. At some point it widens a little, becoming a dirt road. Almost a kilometre later the track meets on the left with a newly built cobbled path. At a leisurely pace we’ve taken a 40-minute drive from Damouchari to here.

– Let’s make a detour to the rock cave of Panagia Megalomata, Kyriakos says.

The cobbled road descends with a very steep slope. A little later it becomes a dirt path and in its last part it follows for a few meters the rough bed of a dry micro stream. The waves that had been heard, unseen until now, are revealed a few dozen yards further on, foaming on the inhospitable rocks and dangerous shoals of the creek. Just above, on the edge of the cliff, a narrow and dreaded path is carved out. In its last section the protective ironwork has been torn away and is sinking into the cliff. Again, firm supports must be placed, for these three or so metres on the slippery and slightly sloping surface of the cliff are dangerous.

The path initially leads us to an elevated rock cave with poor stalactite decoration and a dry stone wall. Immediately after a few steps bring us to the interior of the cave-like chapel of Panagia Megalomata. This is where the icon of the same name was once found, which is now kept in Tsagarada. According to local tradition, a hermit monk lived in this otherworldly retreat during the years of slavery, teaching a few swimming lessons to those children of Tsagarada who had the will and the way to get there. The relevant legend ends by stating that this monk was once killed by bandits who trampled his little house, enraged that they did not find the treasures they expected to find. (1)

The uphill return to the beginning of the cobbled path takes almost 6 minutes. A few dozen meters later the dirt road ends in a small asphalt plateau. We are above the famous beach of Fakistra. But to get there we have to go downhill, at least for 10 minutes, down the very downhill new cobbled road and then the path. At the end we are sure to be fully compensated for this little hassle. A wonderful sandy beach, clear waters and an overall stunning landscape awaits us. And without the crowded conditions that prevail on the famous Pelion beaches.

The impossibility of approaching the car to the coast has proved to be a lifesaver for the protection of Fakistra from the crowds of polluting tourists.

With the various minor variations and deviations we have exceeded 4 hours since we started from the district of Ag. Paraskevi. Although the route is long, it can be considered neither difficult nor tiring. The overall experience of so much varied and beautiful scenery is unique. And it is not altered at all by the last few kilometres of the uphill asphalt road that runs from Fakistra to Tsagarada. If we had time to spare, we would not hesitate to do this amazing route again and again.

SHORT, BEAUTIFUL ROUTES

The path of Xourichti

It is very difficult to decide which time of the year Pelion is the most beautiful. Its autumnal image, however, is the most spectacular, romantic and dreamy. It is the season of nature’s explosion of colour, which is reflected in the varied deciduous trees, the golden beech trees, the plane trees, the oak trees and even the cherry, chestnut and walnut trees.

This time of year, first ten days of November, we visit Tsagarada again. We first choose to stay at the traditional “Thallo” lodge. It is located on the Volos – Tsagarada road, approximately between the districts of Ag. Stefanos and Ag. Paraskevi. This was the childhood home of Thodoris Brintzis, a physics teacher at Tsagarada High School. Built in the first half of the 20^th century, the house was converted at Christmas 2004 by Thodoris, into a small, lovely 5-room guesthouse.

The paved courtyard with fir trees, plane trees and walnut trees is an extension of the nature of Pelion. Tables with Peloponnesian slabs, camellias, hydrangeas and a bed of vines. Next to the forest and on the horizon the blue surface of the Aegean Sea.

Thodoris and Eleni welcome us in the small living room and breakfast room with the lit fireplace, the elegant furniture, the handmade carpets and lamps. Two of the rooms have fireplaces, while all of them exude a sense of refined taste and nobility. It is a warm and welcoming accommodation attentive to every detail.

With Thallo as our base, we begin our wanderings on the paths and cobbled streets of Tsagarada. Thanasis Pantes, an idealistic nature lover and hiker, is with us. In recent years he has been offering alternative tourism services to Greek and international audiences in the regions of Meteora, Zagori and Pelion.

We start from the entrance of the village. Here, next to the sign with the indication “Tsagarada”, there is a smaller one, which marks the direction to “Old Bridge”. A beautiful narrow cobbled path descends from the asphalt and in three or four minutes you reach the bed of the ravine, which later evolves into the Milopotamos Gorge, the deepest in Pelion. Depending on the prevailing drought, the gully has a satisfactory water flow. Nice single-arched, stone bridge, colourful plane trees and amazing alders with tall, straight trunks. On the opposite bank a gazebo with a tap. A great place for the whole family. We ascend the asphalt road and immediately find the cobbled road to Xourichti. For five minutes it’s a continuous climb. The cobbled road is old, disappearing in many places under a thick layer of dry chestnut leaves. Later it becomes flat and earthy with nice views of Tsagarada and the Aegean Sea.

In about 25 minutes from the beginning of the route we reach a small plateau with an altitude of 500 meters. View of Xourichti, new wooden pavilion, spring with abundant mountain water flowing into a small round pool. A nice place for rest and relaxation, but there is no lack of garbage, an irrefutable example of the “civilization” of the Neo Greeks. 40 meters later the cobbled road to Milies climbs up to the right. We cross estates with apple trees, cherry and chestnut trees. Our footsteps sink into the soft carpet of nature, into the colourful dry leaves. A unique sensation, incomparable to any handmade carpet. But “progress” is lurking. A little further up, the magic of the cobbled street is lost, we reach an asphalt road, to unfinished unfinished buildings with concrete and brick. We quickly pull away and enter an extensive chestnut woodland with several century-old chestnut trees. 20 minutes later we find ourselves in a neck of low vegetation above Xourichti. Here is the chapel of Agios Dimitrios and a characteristic tristrato. On the right the dirt road climbs up towards Chania, on the straight the path heads towards Milies and on the left the road lowers to Xourichti. We cross the downhill streets of the quiet village, exit onto the tarmac and return to Tsagarada. At a leisurely pace and with several stops in between, it took us less than two hours for this very interesting route from Tsagarada to Xourichti. We cross the downhill streets of the quiet village, get out on the tarmac and return to Tsagarada. At a leisurely pace and with several stops in between, it took less than two hours for this very interesting route from Tsagarada to Xourichti.

FROM SAINT TAXIARCHIS TO SAINT PARASKEVI

The first large church that the visitor of Tsagarada meets, on the left above the road, is the Church of the Holy Apostles, built in 1760. The first district, however, is that of Taxiarchis, with its homonymous square and church. The square is beautiful, with excellent paving. Yannis Kizis says of these squares of Pelion that “they were formed at the junction of the main arteries and were, until the late 19^th century, paved with stones embedded in the ground using the cobblestone technique, so that they could withstand the passage of the subzymes, which of course were the exclusive means of transport for the overland movement of goods. The paving of the squares in their present form, with slate slabs where animals do not climb, is a work of the 19^th and early 20^th century”.

Many more elements impress us in the square. In the centre of the square there is a four-sided marble fountain, decorated on each side with reliefs. It was donated by Nikolaos Nanopoulos in 1909 and water flows from its 4 fountains. A few meters to the right, a plane tree of gigantic dimensions imposes itself catalytically on the small square. With George Ganotopoulos from the adjacent tavern “Kalivi” we measure the dimensions of the trunk just above the ground. The circumference exceeds 17 meters!

Opposite this monument of nature stands a monument of Orthodoxy, the church of the Taxiarches of 1746.We visit the interior with the priest Panagiotis and are impressed by the famous wooden carved iconostasis with the deep carving and the abundance of representations. The Despotic Throne and the Pulpit are sculpted by the same excellent artist.

The square of Taxiarchis, however, apart from its directly visible monuments, has other unseen charms. There are the snacks and delicacies hidden in the two taverns, Kalivi and Agnanti.

After our tour of the “gastronomic attractions” of the square, we start with Thanasis to the famous old street that connects Taxiarchis with Ag. Paraskevi. Excellent downhill cobbled road, on the side a groove with water, colourful trees and dry leaves. A cloudy and humid day, a perfect autumnal setting. Very soon we come across the former “Kartaleion Elementary School”, a neoclassical building of large dimensions, with two triangular gables, chiseled cornerstones and two stone reliefs with two-headed eagles. Unfortunately, this excellent building is decaying helplessly in time.

Wooden bridges on the left, huge chestnut trees, houses scattered in nature, with beautiful courtyards. From some points you can see the Northern Sporades and the Aegean Sea. For a while we climbed uphill. The altitude variations, however, are slight; the route is always relaxing and of unparalleled beauty. A small cobbled road on the left comes out onto the tarmac. We continue straight on. We pass in front of an impressive 1850s mansion with iron-barred windows on the first floor. The messianic window, high above the entrance, has curved bars, which allows the occupants to stick their heads out to ascertain the identity of the visitor knocking on the door of the house. On the façade we can see a variety of stone reliefs: a cross, rosettes, a two-headed eagle, pigeons, grapes, fish. There are also reliefs of the bosses, to the left of the hostess’s entrance and to the right of the host, while a mystic head, perhaps that of the master builder, stands out above.

We pass by large yards, fruit trees, grass and flowers, a 1940s house with kiwi trees. Immediately afterwards a cobbled lane climbs uphill to the left to a 1934 fountain with a large sycamore tree. We continue right with a signpost to Ag. Paraskevi and Ag. Panteleimon. Narrow, beautiful, grassy cobbled road. A red arrow leads us to the left. We pass by a beautiful neoclassical house with chipped stones. On the central “keystone” above the entrance we see the date 1928.

The house is well maintained, with a wonderful paved courtyard and wide open views of the sea. Immediately after reaching the asphalt road, we head for 20 meters to the left and find the cobbled road again. Head right and then sharply left.

Many chestnut trees, large and small. Countless chestnuts, lying on the dry leaves. Cyclamen, a gully without water, a concrete bridge. We climb a few dozen meters and reach the chapel of Ag. Panteleimon. Just above is the old named Achillopouleio Commercial School of Tsagarada, which today houses the middle school and high school. 100 meters above is the stunning building of the famous Nanopouleia School, built in 1909, which now serves as a primary school. At this time the children are at school, the place is filled with happy voices. I observe these children running like deer through the mountain nature, happily pacing the old cobbled streets. And I make some inevitable comparisons with the little children of the cities, in the concrete school yards, the crowded sidewalks, the exhaust fumes, the cars…

We are already very close to our destination. From the right corner of the school we continue along the cobbled street, passing by large and beautiful houses with courtyards. Here is the hotel “THE LOST UNICORN”, famous for years to Greeks and foreigners for the special style and personality of its restaurant and rooms.

50 meters after the hotel we are greeted by the famous square of Ag. Paraskevi with the homonymous church, originally built in 1719 and renovated in 1909. The emblematic natural monument of the square is the famous millennial plane tree. The perimeter of the trunk overhanging the square is 14 metres long, while the unseen part under the square is of course larger. The umbrella of branches that covers the entire square is also enormous. We have thus completed the most famous internal path of Tsagarada, with a multitude of alternations and images of nature and the architectural physiognomy of the village. With the constant stops for observation and photography, it took us almost two hours, while the net walking time was no more than 30 minutes. But who wouldn’t want to prolong this dreamy route a little longer?

TO SAINT ATHANASIOS

Dawn is breaking on a typical autumn day, cloudy and rainy. It is hardly favorable for hiking and photography. So we decide to go by car. Just before our guesthouse, a road climbs up the mountain with a sign to the chapel of St. Athanasios and the hotel “12 months”. 600 meters later the cement road crosses the premises of the newly built hotel and turns into a forested, muddy dirt road. We enter the mists of the chestnut forest, colourful, beautiful, rain-soaked. The autumn of Pelion in all its glory. We gain altitude, the chestnut trees thin out and the beech trees begin to grow. As the odometer shows 4.5 km from the tarmac, we reach 750 metres in a beautiful clearing covered with dry beech leaves. A few dozen meters lower, the tiny chapel of St. Athanasios of Athos, as it is better known in the village, looms as if through a romantic painting.

Built with stone and covered with slate, the chapel was built in this remote mountainous place in September 1888 “at the expense of the desponsess Maria Demetrios Kapetanopoulou”. The hereditary inscription is engraved on a built-in marble slab in the lintel of the church. The surrounding area is magnificent with a stone fountain, benches and numerous tables, some stone and others wooden.

The rain has already stopped, but the heavy clouds remain unmoved. This does not prevent us from continuing our hiking routes.

SAINT PARASKEVI – SAINT GEORGE

Below the square of Ag. Paraskevi is the large covered fountain of 1890.From the two lion’s mouths runs an abundant, abundant water. From here descends a lovely leafy cobbled street, with stones slippery because of the rain. All around, nature is awesome. Towering sycamore and chestnut trees, ivy climbing up the trunks, a stream with water and a wooden bridge, a thick carpet of colorful dry leaves. All the beauty of autumn is here. We leave the bridge on our right and head up a narrow path. A detour a few metres to the left leads us to an abandoned neoclassical house from 1953 with carved marble fountains. A little further down a new detour leads us to a large neoclassical house with a ground floor and two storeys, a balcony with double marble carved architraves, an iron door and large rectangular windows. Paved courtyard, carved corner stones and relieving stone arches to the ground floor windows.

The cobbled road continues downhill, sometimes through a jungle and sometimes next to estates with sparsely built neoclassical houses. These houses, mostly built by immigrants in Egypt, “bring to the late 19^th century their new style of mansion with academic intentions, which created, by adapting to local conditions, the ‘late’, ‘Egyptian’ as it is called, Peloponnesian architecture.” (3)

A narrow concrete bypass goes uphill to the left and after 100 meters leads us to “Amanita”. It is a beautiful guesthouse with excellent stone masonry, which has been operating since October 2004.

Incurably in love with the place for 25 years, Filaretos Psimenos has created in this idyllic location an area of land with a unique view. A pre-existing but half-ruined 19^th century mansion was the model on which the architecture of the new building was based.

From the paved courtyard with the wooden fence and the lawn we pass to the living room and breakfast room. This is a space with charming nooks, a large fireplace and wonderful furnishings. An internal wooden staircase leads us to the two floors where the rooms and suites are located with fireplaces, fine furnishings, stunning views of Tsagarada, nature and all the islands of the Northern Sporades. Opposite the main building of the guesthouse a small house on the ground floor offers everything a family of 4 needs.

Filaretos collects the mushrooms from the mountain himself and offers them cooked in various ways to his guests. He also makes his own fermented bread and willingly accompanies his nature-loving friends on all the trails of Tsagarada, even on the hard-to-find path of Panagia Evangelistria.

At a distance of 200 meters from the guesthouse (with a concrete and dirt road accessible by car) we find the chapel of St. George. From Ag. Paraskevi to here it takes no more than 12-15 minutes. Next to it is the asphalt road, which goes downhill from Tsagarada to Fakistra and Milopotamos. (By road, Amanita is 2 km from Tsagarada).

The area in the chapel, originally built in 1772, is beautiful, ideal for relaxation. At the base of the towering, stone-built bell tower is a fountain with a lion’s head and lovely water. A stone relief on the SE side bears the date 1772. Under the bell tower the cobbled street once continued to the sea. Today, except for a few initial metres, it has disappeared for good.

SOME SMALL INTERNAL COBBLED STREETS

It is very difficult to describe the ramifications of all the small internal cobbled streets, some of which are no more than a few dozen or even a couple of hundred metres long. Some, however, which are beautiful, short, and easily traced, are described below.

The first one starts under the Nanopouleio School. It is narrow and downhill, with thick and a bit crudely placed stones, which exude antiquity. In three minutes the cobbled street comes out onto a concrete path, where the chapel of Stavros, built in 1877, is located. Next to it stands a chestnut tree with a huge trunk. Continuing along the cement road with a circular route, we reach in a few minutes again the Nanopouleio School.

The second cobbled road starts behind the church of Ag. Paraskevi and under the asphalt road, heading south towards Ag. Taxiarchis. Its end – or its reverse starting point – is on the asphalt, next to the rooms of Maria Georgatzis, about 300 meters from the square of Taxiarchis. In the few minutes that it takes, the excellent cobbled street passes by the excellent three-storey mansion of Filitsa Salami, which is inhabited. The iron door has old mirrors, one-piece marble representations and the date 1875 on the marble lintel. But our most surprising find is the itamu tree in the courtyard. With a thick trunk, straight as a mast and at least 18 feet tall, it is the largest and most impressive itamu tree I have ever seen. Even more impressive and bizarre is its shape. It starts narrow near the ground and, as it grows taller, becomes wider, eventually taking the shape of a majestic umbrella. A few metres from the tree is the main road that runs through Tsagarada. Here is also a barbecue, named “Itamos”, as the branches of the tree reach over the paved courtyard.

ST. STEFANOS SQUARE – The path of the “Three Mountains”

The fourth district of Tsagarada took its name from the church of St. Stefanos, built in 1805. It is located at the northern end of the village, after the quarter of Ag. Paraskevi. The small square is paved and picturesque. A tavern, open from the morning, adds with its human presence to the place, the warmth that was missing from the deserted square of Ag. Kyriaki. On the opposite side of the street stands a half-ruined but beautiful neoclassical house of 1908, which retains on its walls obvious traces of old paintings.

In the square there are a few plane trees that, compared to what we have seen so far, are considered young. There are even some very large but dead chestnut logs. The centre of the square is dominated by a massive trunk. At first glance, I think it’s another giant sycamore. But on raising my eyes I recognize the characteristic foliage of the oak. It’s obviously the most massive oak I’ve ever seen. But it’s not exactly like that. Approaching the trunk I am surprised to notice that it is not one but two trunks. One is indeed of the oak but the other, completely dead and much more massive than the previous one, belongs to a huge chestnut tree. A chestnut tree which, who knows how and how many years ago, has managed to coalesce with its neighbouring oak into a permanent, unbroken clasp.

– Only that the chestnut tree has dried up in recent years, the lady from the tavern tells me.

For the record, we measure the circumference of the trunk of these Siamese trees. It reaches 12 meters!

Just before we reach the square of Saint Stefanos, a sign on the asphalt shows us the cobbled road to the “Three Fountains”. Lovely cobblestone path, disappearing under dry leaves. Just 20 metres further on we come across the first tap, built with chipped stone and little water. Across from it is a large sycamore tree and then three over-aged chestnut trees. In a minute we come out onto a concrete road and, unmarked, we descend to the right. In about 40 metres we find the sign again and the cobbled path on the left. Quite narrow and uneven the path descends between houses and yards. After about 100 metres we reach the second fountain. It, too, is built, with three taps and a satisfactory flow of excellent water. The donor Georgios Vassilopoulos and the date 1924 are mentioned on the built-in plaque. Here the cobbled street divides. A steep, vertical section leads us just 25 metres to the tarmac, where there is a third fountain. The other part of the cobbled path runs through wonderful natural surroundings parallel to the asphalt, descends to the right and in two minutes ends up back on the road. This completes this very beautiful internal cobbled walk, which, with continuous walking, does not exceed 6-7 minutes.

With the clouds and the short duration of the day it is not long before darkness falls. They turn on the lights to the most remote parts of Tsagarada, even where no one lives. The lights of the square of Ag. Paraskevi are also turned on, the shadows of light play between the church’s bulk, the branches and the trunk of the big plane tree. We stroll for an hour with quiet steps through the deserted alleys. Who could go out for walks in the damp, autumnal evening. Everyone has found a cozy corner in the taverns and cafes.

The guesthouse and the restaurant of “Aleka” are completely illuminated above the street. It is impossible to resist Aleka’s excellent flavours, the human warmth of her daughter Eleni, the beauty of the place and the helpfulness of the staff. Every time, for years now, we have been dining at Aleka’s, we find the traditional Peloponnesian cuisine with its pure raw materials and authentic deliciousness, which established Aleka as one of the taste celebrities of Pelion. After dinner, we relax in the atmospheric café with its wooden floor and ceiling beams, a place with a special personality, for quiet moments. Late in the evening, after all the fatigue of the day, we retire to our wonderful room for a peaceful and effortless sleep.

FROM TAXIARCHES TO THE GORGE OF MILOPOTAMOS

– There are two more routes that will help you complete your picture of the place, Kyriakos says. The first is to the Milopotamos Gorge, but not the crossing of its bed because it is inaccessible.

We start from the church of Taxiarches. At the back of the church we can see an inscription with the date 1766. The exterior of the sanctuary is triple-nave, large and whitewashed, and there are built-in antique decorative plates. Heading SE we reach in 3 minutes the “Platanakia Rache”, one of the three “raches” (ridges) of Tsagarada. The other two are the “Apostolidis” and “Filaretou” ridges, opposite us in the Ag. Paraskevi. In these elevated clearings with the prominent view, the people of the district used to stroll and socialize. Today, the Platanakia Ridge is a paved square, which has lost its alluring glamour. But the cobbled street, which once ended at the beach of Milopotamos, is very quickly coming to an end and giving way to a bland concrete road, passing between modern buildings.

We are already walking alongside the Milopotamos Gorge, the deepest in Pelion and very popular with those who are into gorge traversing. We encounter asphalt, century-old chestnut trees, cherry trees and the chapel of St. Spyridon, originally built in 1882. We enter a dirt road on the right with a dense forest of young chestnut trees. In two minutes we turn right for Koutra. It is a lonely and steep hill, towering strategically above the gorge. A modern cobbled road leads us to the top of the hill, at an altitude of about 1,000 metres. A modern, modern path leads us to a peak of 310 metres. Wooden view pavilion for visitors, tables and benches. The canyon below looks awesome and misty with colourful autumn bushes and trees, vertical cliffs and the vast Aegean skyline. Opposite us in the E-NE stands out very characteristically a monochromatic pine tree with ivy that has climbed up to the umbrella of the summit.

We return from Koutra, collect some juicy, ripe kumara and continue downhill, always in a chestnut forest. At some point we come across a half-obscured iron signpost to Agios Ioannis. Narrow path, slightly rough, tall holly trees, water fountain. A detour to the right leads after a few metres to the simple chapel of Agios Ioannis.

We’re going downhill all the time. Suddenly there is barking. They come from the large chomping dog of a stable, perched on a narrow slope below the steep hill of Koutra. Here we meet Mrs. Fotini Chioti and her son Anthony, whom Kyriakos had met in the mountains at an unsuspected time. After the stable we continue on a dirt road and then on a concrete road, which ends up on the asphalt, on Achilleas Styliarogianni Street. It is the main road leading from Tsagarada to the beach of Milopotamos. How many memories, how many wonderful swimming moments in the deep turquoise waters of this very special beach of Pelion!

A few minutes later we reach the end of the road, the parking area and the taverna. Drizzling rain and strong grass. Only two cars in the parking lot. In summer there are countless of them. Down below the weather is raging. The waves crash against the rocks with indescribable fury and lash us with droplets. The water is grey and murky. Never before have we seen such a Milopotamos.

After the dizziness and the sea’s uproar, we return to the mainland, to the melancholy stillness of the trees in autumn. One kilometre before Tsagarada we stop. It is an enforced stop, familiar from years. Above the road, with the lights on in the forest extension, “Dipnosophisti” beckons us. We call to mind the famous banquet described by the Athenian, with the 24 illustrious personages of antiquity. In Dipnosophisti, of course, we do not meet the ancient philosophers, orators, poets and grammarians.

But we are in a space of high aesthetics with a lit fireplace, nice furniture, decoration and style.

Aris and Vaso guide us through the secrets of the flavours of Dipnosophisti. A restaurant, which since 1992 has created a tradition in the alternation of creative Greek and Mediterranean cuisine, but with excellent seasonal raw materials from its own garden.

Wild mushrooms and mushroom pie, fillet with Madeira sauce, tenderloin with apples and plums, pork with chestnuts and wild boar in wine sauce are just some of the creations of the Dipnosophisti. Chocolate pie and cheese-cake with black berry syrup have been famous for years. The summer moments in the courtyard of Dipnosophisti are just as wonderful. Under the cool shade of plane trees, chestnut trees and walnut trees, one has the feeling of being in the heart of a Pelion mountain.

IN SEARCH OF THE VIRGIN MARY EVANGELISTRIA

It is an afternoon with heavy clouds and the threat of rain, the daylight is rapidly leaving us and we are setting off for the cavernous chapel of Panagia Evangelistria is something that only Kyriakos could suggest and only with Kyriakos would we decide to attempt.

So we drive down the ring road of Milopotamos and, a few kilometers before the coast, we meet on our left, nailed to a chestnut tree trunk, a wooden sign with the indication “Panagia – Evangelistria – Karavostasia”.

The path is narrow and downhill, our feet sink into the dry leaves. Around us is a jungle, next to us a brook of water. A little later we come across a fork with a sign “Panagia Evangelistria” on the left but no sign on the right. We left, jumped the small stream and after a while we leave the jungle. Ahead of us is a dirt road and 200 meters further on the coast.

– This is a devious road, I don’t know it, says Kyriakos.

By intuition and experience our friend goes up the road to the left and, a little further up, he discovers a small wooden sign to the chapel. We enter an estate with an olive grove, which quickly turns into a jungle. The path becomes invisible and eventually disappears completely. We reach a small farmhouse, an estate with olive and lemon trees but there is no path anywhere. Time is running out, Kyriakos searches feverishly. At some point his voice is heard. Unseen at first, the path becomes clearer later, and in 5 minutes it leads us to the edge of a cliff. Here, under a large rock cavity that offers perfect protection, is nestled the chapel, unseen from everywhere except a certain point of the sea. Directly below is a vertical cliff. Opposite to the north the vertical cavern of Paleokastro and behind it the beach of Fakistra hidden. Absolute solitude. The only thing that can be heard is the sound of the waves on the inhospitable coast. If it were daytime, we could ramble for hours.

And as night approaches, Kyriakos takes a path to the south, parallel to the coastline rather than inland. We’re going to say something, but it makes sense to follow him. The mystery lasts a few minutes. We suddenly arrive at a spot above the shore where a rock is so beautifully carved that it forms a perfect seat, with a perfect view of the vastness of the sea.

– I could call it “Poseidon’s Throne”, I say to Kyriakos.

I give myself a few seconds of rest and reflection. Then we all start the difficult climb, hurriedly and anxiously, a few minutes before darkness falls…

Without additional, meticulous signage we cannot recommend the route. But with an experienced guide we strongly recommend it. It takes no more than 20 minutes and ends in places of unexpected beauty.

EPILOGUE

We have begun to look at Tsagarada with a new eye. Not as a faceless longhorn scattered and lost in the densely forested Pelion slope. But as a residential complex, which for about five centuries has been wisely structured in small units developed around squares and churches, with an unpretentiousness rare in the unparalleled beauty of nature.

We are now looking at Tsagarada with a different eye. We now know the date of construction of its churches and old mansions, its cool fountains, the beginning and end of most of the cobbled streets, some rare trees, real monuments of nature, some details that are not considered but are of great interest.

We have also appreciated the hospitality of the people, the quality of the cuisine, the accommodation and the services, at least those we have had the chance to experience. For every visitor, but especially for travellers and nature lovers, Tsagarada is a fascinating destination of four seasons, one of the most authentic in the country.