Ecotourism Pelion

Mount Pelion is located on the southernmost tip of Central Greece. It is the easternmost mountain of Thessaly, and culminates in a hook-shaped peninsula that almost encloses the Pagasitic Gulf. Its western slopes face the plain of Thessaly and its eastern slopes the Aegean Sea and the Pagasitic Gulf.
 

The Pelion region contains rare species of flora fauna and endangered habitat types protected under Community Directives 92/43/EEC and 79/409/EEC.

Because of its importance, the Pelion region has been listed in the European NATURA 2000 with code number GR 1430001.

Fauna and flora

Vegetation

Beech forests dominate the highest zone of the mountain. Macedonian fir trees grow amongst the beech on the northernmost peaks. Beneath the highest zone are chestnut forests, characteristic of the region.

Even though chestnut trees usually grow high on mountain slopes, the chestnut forests on Mount Pelion end almost at the sea.

The reason for this phenomenon is the north-easterly wind that brings rain and snow from the Aegean Sea and makes the climate dumper on the eastern slopes of the mountain where most of the villages of Mount Pelion are located.

Cultivated orchards and groves surround every village, with grafted chestnut, walnut, cherry, apple, and other trees that produce fruit renowned for its taste and quality (Firiki apples, Zagora apples, and Voliotika chestnuts). Mediterranean shrubs (Mediterranean makia) cover the slopes below 700 m altitudes. A few orchards and olive groves are dotted through the landscape, some almost reaching the sea. Mediterranean shrubs (Mediterranean makia) cover the slopes below 700 m altitudes. A few orchards and olive groves are dotted through the landscape, some almost reaching the sea. Ravines have azonal vegetation with age-old plane trees. The Pelion landscape is a good example of the harmony between people and nature, and it is often difficult to distinguish between natural vegetation and gardens or orchards. The humid climate and limited stock-farming have promoted the growth of wild vegetation. Plane trees, hundreds of years old, grow in the squares of certain villages (Makrinitsa, Zagora, Portaria, Pouri, Vizitsa, and Tsagkarada), and are true monuments of nature.

Plants:

Since antiquity, Mount Pelion has been considered the mountain of flowers and medical herbs.
The flora of the Pelion region comprise at least 1 500 plant species, the rarest being the two species endemic to the Pelion region: Soldanella pelia (grows on the banks of streams in only two locations) and Centaurea drakiensis. Seven other species are endemic to the mountains of eastern Greece (Alkanna pelia, Bolanthus thessalus, Campanula incurve, Campanula thessala, Dianthus pruinosus, Verbascum aphentulium, Viola rausii).

Many interesting species that are not endemic also grow on Mount Pelion (Centaurea deusta, Silene sartorii, Lesquereuxia syriaca, and Primula vulgaris ssp. Sibthrorpii. Other species are common on the mountains of central Greece (Helleborus cyclophyllus, Anemone blanda, Doronicum orientale, Angela sylvestris, Eryngium amethystinum, Viola alba ssp. Thessala, Hypericum perforarum, Epilobium hirsutum, Coronilla emerus, Lotus cornilatus, Cerastium candidissimum, Papaver dubium, Crocus veluchensis, Scilla bifolia, Lilium martagon, Lilium chalcedonicum, Veronica chamaedrys).

Animals:

Animals That No Longer Exist in the Region:

Human presence in the Pelion region since prehistoric times has caused the disappearance of many large mammals (bear, wolf, lynx, elk and deer) and bird species (wild turkey and a species of black partridge that may have been the Black Francolin).

Birds:

The Pelion region is home to various birds of prey (short-toed eagle, booted eagle, Egyptian vulture, long-legged buzzard, golden eagle, Eleonora's falcon) that prefer quiet areas and large forests and are protected under Community Directive 79/409/EEC. In springtime, honey buzzards, short-toed eagles, booted eagles, and Egyptian vultures come to Mount Pelion from their wintering grounds in Africa. All four species reproduce in the Pelion region, but have very different feeding habits: the honey buzzard eats mainly wasps and their larvae; the short-toed eagle captures snakes and other reptiles; the booted eagle hunts small birds and mammals; and the Egyptian vulture feeds on animal carcasses. Eleonora's falcon is dark in colour and eats insects flying over the forests and grasslands. It reproduces at the end of the summer on the islets of the Aegean and winters exclusively in Madagascar.

The golden eagle, on the other hand, is a permanent resident of Mount Pelion. It nests in vertical cliffs and hunts medium-sized ground animals (rabbit or fox). The smaller bird species of Mount Pelion include rock thrush, black eared wheateater, common forest species (blackbird, semi-collared flycatcher, tits, white-beaked woodpecker, and other woodpecker species), and most swallow and swift species.

Other animals:

Many mammals are nocturnal (fox, badger, wildcat, ferret, weasel, dormouse, hedgehog, and many rodent and bat species). The largest mammal in the Pelion region today is the wild boar, which has an ample supply of food in the deciduous forests. The jackal was once a common sight but has now disappeared from the slopes of Pelion. Typical reptile species include the European pond terrapin (inhabitant of mountain river estuaries), two types of terrestrial tortoises, and the leopard snake (harmless to humans, but a lethal rodent hunter). These reptiles, together with the stag beetle, are protected under Community Directive 92/43/EEC.

Habitats on Pelion

There are 14 habitats in the Pelion region that are included in Community Directive 92/43/EEC:

   1. Platanion orientalis woods. Grow in ravines.

   2. Quercus frainetto beech forests. Found scattered in the middle mountainous zone of the Pelion region.

   3. Chestnut forests. Mature chestnut forests have been preserved on Mount Pelion and are amongst the few in Greece that were not felled in the last decades.

   4. Luzulo-Fagetum beech forests. A rare type of beech forest containing Luzula sylvatica ground-cover, a plant that avoids calcareous soil.

   5. Quercus ilex forests. Thick forests of sclerophyllous Mediterranean tree species (holm oak, holly, wild olive) grow on the lower slopes of Mount Pelion.

   6. Arborescent mattoral with juniperus spp. Only found in high, barren patches.

   7. Intermittently flowing Mediterranean rivers. A habitat type that is endangered by unmonitored rubble dumping and pollution.

   8. Hellenic beech forests with Abies borisii-regis. Forests on the northernmost peaks of Mount Pelion with sporadic Macedonian fir.

   9. Submerged or partially sub merged sea caves. Refuge of the Mediterranean monk seal found on the rocky east coast of Pelion.

  10. Vegetated sea cliffs of the Mediterranean coasts with endemic Limonium spp. Rocky shores with various species of the genus Limonium growing in rock crevices on the east side of the mountain.

  11. Annual vegetation of drift lines. Small areas of flat shoreline located beside aquatic habitats and river mouths.

  12. Sandbanks which are slightly covered by sea water all the time. Rare in the Pelion region, but important for waterfowl that feed here.

  13. Reefs. Near rocky shores, places of refuge for marine life.

  14. Posidonia beds. Posidonia is not seaweed, but a highly evolved plant that has adapted to marine life. It forms fikiades (colonies on the seabed). Close to the shore. These are sensitive to pollution and are under priority conservation.

The footpaths of mount Pelion

Through the dense greenery of Pelion the old stone-paved roads, known as kalderimia, wind their way. Together with the footpaths they make up the 'old road system of Pelion', along which the local people led or rode their animals and carried their goods. The roads were laid by local builders and some well-known stonemasons from Epirus. Along the way they are adorned with beautiful arched bridges, as well as finely designed public fountains and springs. As time went by and the modern road network was opened up many of the old trails and paths were abandoned and became overgrown; some were ruined beyond repair. But in recent years local agencies, with European Union funding and support from the Hellenic Tourism Organization, have carried out projects to reconstruct and maintain 29 of the beautiful stone roads and paths, over a total length of 190 kilometres. The paths have been signposted, maps printed, and efforts made to promote the network to tourists.

One of the most beautiful trails on the whole of Pelion is that which leads from Tsangarada to the beach at Damouhari. The trail can be walked in two and a half hours (one way). It leads along a well-made stone-paved track through a thick forest of broad-leaved trees. As you walk along you have a good view of the sea, and arrive at one of the most famous beaches in Magnesia. What are you waiting for?