Municipality of Afetai
 

Neohori

Neohori is the administrative centre of the Municipality of Afetai. It stretches from the Pagasitic Gulf eastwards towards the Aegean, and is scattered with the remains of old communities now abandoned. The wealth of the local history is to be seen in the many foundations of houses, chapels and monasteries, the mediaeval graves and the Byzantine coins found at Ai Dimitris, Klossou and Plaka. Nowadays the village is overgrown with greenery. Above the central square with its ancient plane trees towers the church of Aghios Dimitrios, built in 1769, with its gilded wooden screen, superb religious paintings by Pagonis and rare holy icons.

 The visitor can also see historic chapels, like that of the Dormition and Ascension at Klossou, and the remains of monasteries.
The beaches at Aiyaio, Plaka, Aghiou Dimitriou and Klossou are among the most enchanting in the region, reflecting the serenity of the mountain and the wild nature of the sea. The village is famed for its stone, chestnuts, olives, apples and honey; it makes a very agreeable holiday destination, especially in summer.
One thing the visitor will not want to miss is the chapel of Panayitsa Plakiotissa. It stands at 400m above sea level, looking out over the Aegean, and was originally the katholikon (main church) of the old Metastasi tis Panayias monastery, a dependency of the Vatopedi Monastery on Mt. Athos. In form it is a single-aisle vaulted basilica, a common design at the time for chapels and monasteries. The church was painted at the end of the 17th century by an unknown artist, probably a monk from Mt. Athos. Its feast day is celebrated on 23 August.

Afetai or Afetes or Niaou

27km from Volos, the village is spread out over a verdant ridge of hillside with vast olive groves and a panoramic view of the Pagasitic Gulf; the village houses descend to the pebbled shore. The first inhabitants of the village were shepherds from Macedonia, who settled here in around 1550 and lived in sheepfolds . Hence the name of the village - Niaou means sheepfold. From 1881 to 1912 Niaou, together with Neohori and Afissos, made up the Municipality of Afetai. In 1955 it was renamed Afetai, from the word afetiria (departure point), since in mythology it was from the beach at Ampovos that the Argonauts departed on their second voyage. The village is now part of the new Municipality of Afetai, created under the so-called Capodistria legislation on local government.

The dewy 'piazza of love' with its five plane trees is dominated by the church of St. John the Baptist (its feast day is 29 August), which was built in 1755 by the Epirot craftsman Zoupaniotis and completed after 1803. It has wonderful icons on the carved and gilded wooden screen, religious paintings by an unknown popular artist and scenes in marble on the exterior.
The place is rich in history, attested by the fine old houses, the neo-classical buildings, the three arched bridges built in stone, the cobbled streets, the great chimney of the olive press, built of porcelain and brick, the Halorema ravine, the fountains, the little chapels of Aghios Konstantinos (feast day 21/5), Aghios Panteleimon (27/7), the Panayia (Virgin), the Profitis Ilias (Prophet Elijah) (20/7) and Aghia Eirini Chrysovalantou (28/7) at Ampovos.
In summer there are fascinating cultural events staged at Afetes, and many local customs are revived, such as the Klidona or 'fortune-telling' tradition on 24/6. The main products of the village are olives, oil, apples and pears.

Afissos

A picturesque coastal village on the shores of the Pagasitic Gulf, 24km from Volos. According to mythology, it was here that Jason abandoned Hercules when they were about to sail for Colchis, sending him to what is now the square in Afissos to fetch water from the well. The fleet of Xerxes is supposed to have moored at the little harbour here during his campaign against southern Greece.

Close to the Afissos delta, in the area of Pyrgos, there are the remains of an old fortress, tombs and the remains of an old aqueduct, all evidence of the development of the area in ancient times.
Afissos extends like an amphitheatre around the hillside, its houses tucked away among olive groves and orchards. All along the shoreline are some of the finest beaches on the Pagasitic Gulf: Kalifteri, Lagoudi, Ramnos and Ampovos. This is an ideal summer holiday resort, with bathing and water sports from organized beaches. Bicycles are available to rent for those keen on cycling; instructions and maps are provided so cyclists can enjoy to the full the innumerable beauties of the landscape.
There are excellent hotels, guesthouses, furnished apartments and villas, and all the amenities you require for a comfortable, enjoyable stay.

Syki

Following the road towards south-eastern Pilion, at a distance of 38km from Volos the visitor arrives at the beautiful, picturesque village of Syki. The village looks out over an unspoiled vista of land and sea, transporting the visitor to a world where time stands still. At the entrance to the village you are welcomed by the chapel of Profitis Ilias (Prophet Elijah); from here you have an enchanting view of Skiathos, Skopelos, Alonnisos and the smaller, deserted islands that seem to float in the untroubled waters of the Aegean. The first buildings of the village began to be constructed in the late 14th or early 15th century. From time to time over its history pirate raids forced the villagers to flee, but they always returned, determined to put down roots again and keep their village alive. The local people are distinctive characters, noble in stature, frank and direct of gaze, their native courtesy manifested in a warm and generous hospitality. The focal point of Syki is the church of Aghios Georgios, the centre of the community's religious life, built in 1939-40 on the site of the village's earlier churches (the first of these was built in 1777). There is also the Timiou Prodromou convent, built in 1795, which celebrates its feast day on 29/8.

The road winds through lush greenery and a rich variety of colours down to the immaculately clean local beaches: Potoki and Pantazi Ammo (about 3km from the village).
Most of the local people are farmers - growing mainly olives, figs and vines - or work in the local slate quarries.
The hard-working inhabitant and the carefree tourist will tend to come together at the end of the day under the old plane tree in the village square, in front of the kafeneio. The ideal moment for a drink of tsipouro to bid farewell to the day just past and look forward to what tomorrow may bring.
 

Kalamaki

Tradition has it that the community of Propan was the very first village (propantos = first of all) to be built anywhere on Pilion.
The first official seal of the community used as its emblem a sailing boat, reflecting the fact that up until 1940 most of the men here worked as sailors; there was even a customs house here, in the area known as Fteri; the building can still be seen. The first houses must have been built some time after 1550. The church of Aghios Athanasios and the little monastery of Aghioi Petros and Paulos have survived in remarkably good condition.
Kalamaki is a village close to the sea and owes its name to the abundance of reeds (kalami = reed). The village is also surrounded by numerous apple orchards.
One of the attractions of the village is the opportunity it offers the visitor to admire the famous Pilion stone, with its distinctive silver-green colour.
The winding cobbled streets are lined with fine old houses, built in the 19th century in a distinctive architectural style which combines neo-classical and local vernacular features in a character unique to Pilion.
Every single stone is unique - an unrepeatable combination of colours, veins and fossilized plant forms.

Lambinou

Part of the Municipality of Afetai, Lambinou is a village nestling in lush greenery, with a view of the Aegean down through the chestnut trees. It takes its name from the monastery of Panayia Lampidona. Tradition has it that a captain in trouble at sea was guided safely into harbour by a divine light shining from the shore, and built a monastery there as a token of his gratitude. The church of Aghia Paraskevi was built in 1796 by Basdekis, a local brigand; it is an attractive example of vernacular architecture. On 23 August each year the monastery celebrates its feast day; this, and the festival of Zoodochou Pigis (the life-giving source) on Good Friday, as well as the picturesque beach, with its pebbles and larger rocks, are just a few of the attractions of a place where the visitor can spend an enchanting vacation - in a setting which combines the untamed beauty of the sea with the silence of the mountains.   More http://www.dimosafeton.gr/