Kalderimi are ancient cobbled paths that criss cross Pelion and indeed much of the Ottoman empire, connecting the villages in the days before there were roads. Hiking the Kalderimi is always an adventure. Pelion is a breathtakingly beautiful peninsula with incredibly varied landscape, from dense chestnut and plane forests where centaurs used to roam in the mountain range of North Pelion, to sleepy fishing villages and peaceful olive groves in the South.
Hiking the Kalderimi is best in spring or fall but also possible in summer due to the altitude of Mount Pelion (1651m). Many coastal trails are cooled by sea breezes and provide opportunities to dive into the waters at a moment’s notice.
Pelion has the Friends of the Kalderimi of South Pelion that find and clear old Kalderimi as well as maintain the present paths. You’ll often see their round, yellow waymarkers all over Pelion which help to guide hikers. They have set up a comprehensive database of paths with wikiloc links to each path, showing the trajectory on a map, the state of maintenance, the distance and time required, with photos and other useful information. Wikiloc is a very useful outdoor navigation app with trails of the world and it is free.
Two nearby walks are the Milina – Lafkos – Milina circular walk which takes you up to the mountain village of Lafkos with its pleasant square and many tavernas where you can have lunch. We particularly recommend Drosia taverna where the lovely Katerina will serve you traditional Greek cuisine lovingly prepared by her own hands. Another walk is a short circular walk from Horto passing through ancient tombsites. Horto is the village just after Milina, going in the direction of Volos. It’s a sweet seafront village, also with tavernas to have a pleasant meal on the water.
Here is an article from Walk magazine of Ramblers in the UK with a detailed description of walks in South Pelion right where we are located.
