Central Greece

Mainland Greece's heartland, home to the oracle of Delphi and the cliff-top monasteries of Meteora, along with the mountain villages of Pelion and the Sporades islands.

This region consists of the Central Greece region (Boeotia, Phocis, Phthiotis, Evrytania, and the islands of Euboea and Skyros) and the Thessaly region (Larissa, Trikala, Karditsa, Magnesia and the Sporades islands). It borders Attica to the south and, around Mount Olympus, Macedonia in Northern Greece to the north; Aetolia-Acarnania to the west is included in the Peloponnese region, and Epirus belongs to Northern Greece.

The two most important World Heritage Sites are Delphi at the foot of Mount Parnassus (the Temple of Apollo, the circular Tholos in the Sanctuary of Athena, and the archaeological museum) and Meteora near Kalambaka, where Orthodox monasteries on sandstone pinnacles are still inhabited by monks. Volos is the gateway to the Pelion peninsula, with stone-roofed villages, old mule-path trails and Aegean-facing beaches in the mountains; from Volos you can take a boat to Skiathos, Skopelos and Alonissos. Nearby are the Monastery of Hosios Loukas (a World Heritage Site) and the mountain town of Arachova.

A common itinerary from Athens runs via Delphi (1 day) to Meteora (1–2 days), then east to Pelion (2–3 days), for 5–7 days in total. There are trains from Athens to Kalambaka (usually changing at Paleofarsalos), Delphi is reached by long-distance bus, and the Pelion mountains are best explored by car. Monasteries have dress codes and different weekly closing days, so check opening hours before you go.

Destinations

Itineraries