Agios Ioannis - Pelion
Agios Ioannis or Ai Giannis (St. John) is a favorite and popular summer destination for Greeks and foreign tourists who visit it every year. Its great appeal comes from the marvelous and clean beaches and the existence of modern tourism facilities. Indeed, over the last 20 years, its tourism infrastructure development was so significant, that converted it into an absolute preferred destination for thousands of tourists around the world. The many coffee shops, taverns and entertainment options, will guarantee you joyful moments while plentiful accommodation choices will ensure you a pleasant stay.
Spend time, on the vast beach that the village is built on, with its white pebbles, the light colored sand and the clear Aegean waters that have been awarded with the Blue flag. At the northern end of the beach, is a small harbor where several boats moor, ranging from fishing boats to yachts. You can even rent a boat to enjoy a sea trip, a pedalo or a canoe and indulge yourself in water activities.
Among the village’s attractions is the church of Analipsi (The Ascension) in Agios Ioannis beach, and the small monastery of Agios Ioannis near the YMCA camp of Thessaloniki, that also gave the name to the village. For celebrating the Saint, a fair is held every 24th of June, where the old tradition of “Klidonas” is revived. (Klidonas is an old folk divination according to which the unmarried girls get to learn the identity of their future spouse.)
During your stay at the coastal village, you might hear about the haunted wooden bridge of Rovoam. Rovoam, was a monk of the Agios Ioannis monastery that had lots of knowledge and wisdom. When he was asked what needed to be done in order to stabilize the bridge and connect the people with other regions of Pelion, he replied that a man will needed to be buried inside. However, he was unlucky and he was picked and fraudulently was killed by the builders. So the monk gave the name to the bridge, was buried aside and when exhumed, his skull was kept as a sacred relic in the monastery, to remind everyone of the myth.
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