Thessaly (Thessalia) is the
geographical department that occupies the central section of
mainland Greece. It is surrounded by high mountain ranges encircling
a low plain. It borders Macedonia to the north, Sterea Ellada
to the south, Epirus to the west, and its eastern shoreline
is on the Aegean. It has a higher percentage of flatland than
any other district in Greece. The climate is continental; the
winters are cold and the summers hot and the temperature differential
between the two seasons is large.
One of the characteristics of the climate of
the plain of Thessaly is the frequent summer rainstorms. These
frequent rains amplify the fertility of the plain, often called
the breadbasket of Greece. The entire plain is surrounded by
the mountains Pindus, Othrys,
Ossa, and Agrafa; among them
flows the Pinios river which drains into the
Aegean, after passing through the Thessalic Tempi.
The district was the home of the ancient gods and of the Centaurs.
Trikala
Here, in this place among the woods, the gorges, and the picturesque
villages, Meteora
reach for the sky. Twenty-four Byzantine monasteries
have been clinging to the tops of the tall grey rockshafts for
over six hundred years, challenging and inviting pilgrims and
visitors from all over Greece to this centre of Christianity.
Built on the site of Homeric Trikki, Trikala
today is crossed by the river Litheos. The
ruins of the most ancient sanctuary of Asclepius
are here. Kalampaka, famed for its Byzantine churches,
is built where the river Pinios leaves the Pindus
mountains, at the foothills of Meteora. Nearby
the Pagasitic gulf embraces Pelion,
the mythological land of the Centaurs: imposing
and verdant, rough and scenic, wild and accessible. With beech
covered peaks, streams running down the slopes, villages rooted
among the chestnut and olive trees.
Pelion is a wonder. Makrynitsa,
Portaria, Milies, Tsagkarada,
Zagora: magnificent large old stone houses
with wall decorations and slate roofs. Beautiful resorts dot
the seaside.
Larissa
Larissa is the capital of Thessaly: Old mansions
with yards and gardens in bloom in the middle of the plain of Thessaly.
Amid the proud mountains and traditional villages, the visitor will
find spas, churches, and antiquities.
Karditsa
Karditsa, the capital of the district of Karditsa,
is built on the banks of a tributary of the Pinios river.
A modern town with well laid-out streets, it is at the same time especially
picturesque with its traditional villages scattered on the peaks of
the Agrafa mountain range. Spas
at Smokovo and Kaista as well as
many antiquities and Byzantine monuments.
Magnisia
Volos, the capital and economic
centre of the district is located in the Pagasitic gulf. Its
verdant surroundings are alive with ancient memories: Iolkos
(the hide-out of Jason and the Argonauts),
Dimitrias. To the west are the neolithic
settlements of Seklo and Diminio.
Splendid blue waters lap at beautiful beaches and local specialities
complete the region's portrait.
Sporades islands
Across the shimmering water from the eastern coast of Pelion, lie
the Sporades islands. Here the visitor has the chance
to combine the quiet life with wonderful sandy beaches under the sun,
sea sports, tasty local specialities, fresh seafood and delicious
wine. The large amounts of sunshine in the Sporades and the "meltemia",
the Aegean's seasonal northern wind, attract many tourists in the
summers.
Skiathos is a verdant idyllic paradise with more
than 70 bays and coves and three harbours. Nine small islands orbit
Skiathos as if mesmerized by the island's beauty. Skiathos is a popular
resort with an active nightlife.
Skopelos is exceptionally beautiful with
scenic coves, bright white churches and monasteries among picturesque
farm- houses glimpsed through the gold-green of the olive groves
on even slopes, under the brilliant light of the sun.
Alonisos
is long and thin and surrounded by scattered islets. These islets
and the area around them are the Marine Park which is the last
refuge of the Mediterranean seal "Monachus-monachus".
View of Skopelos
The ruins of an ancient city can be found on
Psathoura and a cave decorated with multi-hued
stalactites and stalagmites is the famous cave of the
Cyclops.
