GEOGRAPHY

	Land - use and percentage cover
	Forestry	:	54 %
	Agriculture	:	25 %
	Tourism / Recreation	:	10 %
	Urban / Industrial / Transport	:	5 %

The narrow Pelion peninsula rises in only half a dozen miles to 5,000ft, high enough for skiing in winter with a clear view of the sea. The mountains are covered in a dense forest of oak, plane, sweet chestnut, walnut and holly. There are more than 2,000 species of indigenous plants, including ferns, moss and clematis. You cannot walk far without hearing the sound of running water. The air is fresh even in August.

The highest parts of the large wooded mountain range, with dense maquis, evergreen woodland in the lower altitudes (in the northern slopes that face the sea), and beech (Fagus sp.) and fir (Abies sp.) forests in the higher altitudes.

By the coast, bougainvillaea grows from "English" lawns of grass, daisies and buttercups. Rhododendrons, magnolias grandiflora and camellias look happier than anywhere in mainland Europe. Roses thrive untroubled by blackfly or mildew.

This is serious walking country, criss-crossed with 800 km of stone-paved tracks, most of them more than 500 years old. You can hire a professional guide for the day or you can take it easy and go by taxi to the next higher village, making your own way back.

WESTERN SIDE and WEST COAST
The villages on the western side are recognisably Greek and retain an enjoyably authentic atmosphere. The hills are gentle and the vegetation is typically Mediterranean, with olive groves and pinewoods between tall, white-painted eucalyptus trees. On the west coast one can find charming coastal villages with plenty of taverns along the sea edge;  the water is always calm offering safe swimming. 

SOUTHERN SIDE and EAST COAST
To the south, it begins to look like Tuscany, with lines of Mediterranean cypresses and poplars and hillsides of camomile.

NORTH-EASTERN SIDE & NORTH-EAST COAST
The north-east corner is unique, with a wilder beauty and fewer facilities. On the eastern slopes, the dense vegetation of orchards and forests reaches right down to the shoreline, where plenty of unspoilt beaches can be found. Popular in peak season with visitors from Athens and other Greek cities, the little resorts of the east coast are little known to foreign holidaymakers and thus remain appealingly traditional and unspoilt.