Agria

The captains of the super yachts that anchor off-shore say that it has hospitable waters. The innumerable sea urchins near the coast must feel the same way, and so do the dozens of crabs that stroll up and down on the dockside.

Agria, although a sea-side village, has a view to four mountains: Mt Kantiragas across the bay, Goritsa hill on the west, Mt Othrys (the mountain of the Titans) on the south, and Mt Pelion on the north, where one of the largest olive groves in the region lies.

In the first half of the 20^th century, Agria was an important transportation center. From its docks boats loaded with Pelion olives and olive oil left for the ports of Volos, Thessaloniki, and Istanbul. The old stone-built olive warehouses still exist along the sea front and stand out with their architectural design characterized by symmetry and simplicity. 

In the ‘70s, the EPSA soft drinks was a local affair. Rarely could one find them outside Volos and very few knew Agria. But the last twenty years not only did the local drink industry become famous, but also Agria was transformed from a small fishing village to a popular tourist destination.

Only seven kilometers east of Volos, the town of Agria attracts visitors all year around, especially Greeks from every part of the country. Athenians and Thessalonikiotes come for the weekend and take day trips to Pelion. In contrast, foreign tourists traveling in their campers, come for grocery shopping and to use the ATM, before they depart again for the secluded beaches in eastern Pelion.