On the outskirts of Pelion, on the borders of the prefectures of Larissa and Magnesia, lies a sacred place, full of stories and narratives that take us back to ancient Greek mythology. So, where geographically Mavrovouni ends and Pelion begins, near the village of Veneto, there is a cluster of underwater caves that few know about or have visited! These are the sea caves of Veneto or caves of Peleus, as they are called, a hidden place of unparalleled natural beauty!
Mythology
According to legend, the wedding of Peleus with the Nereid Thetis took place in the great cave. Both Zeus and Poseidon desired Thetis. However, when a rumor spread that the son that the Nereid would give birth to would be stronger than his father, Zeus decided to marry her to a mortal, Peleus (later the hero of the Argonauts' expedition). Thetis, who did not want Peleus, constantly transformed herself to avoid him. However, Peleus, with the help of his grandfather the Centaur Chiron and after a fight with her, managed to grab her before she transformed.
The wedding was celebrated with great splendor and solemnity as all the Olympian gods were invited and offered special gifts to the newlyweds. The only one who was not invited was Eris, who threw the apple (also known as the “Apple of Strife”) on the table, which started the Trojan War! The son of Peleus and Thetis was the mythical Achilles.
Access
The only way to get to the caves is by sea. So there are two ways. Either you will go from the port of Agiokampos in Larissa, from where there are boats that, after prior arrangement, make this route, or you will go with your car to Petromelisso beach and by paddling with your canoe you will easily reach the caves. We, dragging a group of friends along, preferred the second way on our favorite SUPs! The preparation of the venture began several days earlier, as in order to enjoy it as much as possible, we “checked” the forecast daily to achieve the best possible conditions! We wanted the sea to be as calm as possible.
Caves
Starting to paddle, we had no idea what we were about to encounter! Small caves and passages were revealed before our eyes while the high, impressive cliffs created a unique landscape.
But where we were left speechless was when we reached the big cave! The waters change color and take on this blue-green that one only encounters in Greece. The reflection of the seabed and the sun entering the cave create a feast of colors on the rocks and on its ceiling! We were left with our mouths open… Enchanted by the crystal clear waters, we dived in to enjoy them! The seabed was so clear that we didn't even need a mask. Everything was visible to the naked eye!
In the next cave (smaller of course) the sandy bottom creates different reflections just as beautiful as those we encountered before. We continued to another cave in which to enter we had to lie down on our boards due to the very low height of the ceiling. Inside this cave a secret beach was revealed to us…. What places there are in our world after all!
In the caves of the area, the local fishermen told us that they constantly observe seals. We had our eyes on fourteen but we did not encounter them. Maybe they will be waiting for us the next time we go.
The last stop on our exploration is a “hidden” beach, Limnionas, which those who have visited only talk about! Access here is exclusively by sea, which is why you will rarely encounter a soul there. The waters are crystal clear and crystal clear. At one point on the beach, a hole in the rock brings cold air naturally through the earth. The rocky formations that delimit the beach create a setting that one only encounters on exotic beaches on tropical islands….
Closing
On our way back, we were thinking about how many incredible places one can find in our beautiful country, as long as there is a will and an appetite for adventure. Our specific excursion is not a simple matter and certainly requires good organization. At the same time, the appropriate weather conditions must also be present. The best time to visit the caves of Peleus is late summer - early autumn, when the waters are at their highest temperature and when the waves in the sea are rare.
So, if you too want to live a similar experience, all you have to do is send us a message and we will arrange it in the best possible way, either by speedboat, canoe or SUP, so that you too can discover one of the most impressive underwater caves in our country!
Check out this video we made from that day:
