Chorefto, in the Pelion Peninsula
From Volos in Thessaly, we continued northeast toward the Thessaloniki region, skirting closer to Turkey. En route, we explored the stunning Pelion Peninsula—a mountainous finger of land nestled between the Pagasetic Gulf and the Aegean Sea. Its highest peak, Pourianos Stavros, rises to 1,624 meters (5,328 feet), crowned with a small ski lodge and surrounded by villages that seem to cling to the cliffs above the sea. We spent two nights in the coastal village of Chorefto, often referred to as the spot where the woods meet the sea, arriving unknowingly on the final day of a Greek bank holiday. What had been described as a sleepy seaside retreat with a lone taverna felt more like spring break: the beach teeming with groups of young Greeks enjoying the last hurrah of their long weekend. “Hmm… this doesn’t exactly match the description.” Our host smiled knowingly and reassured us, “They’re leaving tomorrow.” Sure enough, by morning, the crowds vanished—replaced by an endless stretch ...