The sun: the big Greek sun bathes the Pelion in a sumptuous painterly glow, and the blue-green waters that kiss its shores are shot full of light and warm enough for a swim into October. Just don’t come looking for fancy hotels with designer pools; here Nature herself does the biz, sculpting some of Greece’s most drop-dead gorgeous beaches, from long, sandy strands to pebbly turquoise coves tucked under the pines. For children, there are safe beaches along the calm Pagasitic Gulf and at Platanias, a fishing village in the south Pelion with a sheltered stretch of golden sand. But the real stunners are scalloped out of Pelion’s wilder, drama-filled Aegean coast: Mylopotamos; the three beaches at Agios Ioannis; Horefto, with its mile of white sands; and the turquoise waters of Fakistra, accessible only by sea or on foot. 10/10

The countryside: once the holiday home of the Greek gods, the peninsula fuses a stunning variety of landscapes. Chestnut,beech and plane forests shade the slopes of Mount Pelion, famous since antiquity for medi-cinal herbs. Nightingales sing across wooded ravines. Narrow roads hairpin through terraced orchards. Head south and this leafy, bucolic land gives way to sweeping Mediterranean hills.

The Pelion’s 24 villages are among the most beautiful in Greece, especially Makrynitsa, “balcony of the Pelion”. 10/10

The culture: the Pelion has a charming architectural style all its own, specialising in silk merchants’ mansions and churches, with their sculpted iconostasis — two of the best are at Kissos and Milies. At Anakassia, you can visit a house covered with murals by the primitive painter Theophilos Hatzimichail, who worked for his room and board.

Volos, the Pelion’s port, was ancient Iolkos, home of Jason of the Argonauts, and has a fascinating archeology museum. Nearby, you can explore the ruins of Sesklo and Dimini, two of Europe’s oldest neolithic hamlets, as well as Bronze Age Pagasae, Hellenistic-era Dimitrias, and early Christian Phthiotic Thebes. 8/10

The activity: think low-key — anything approaching Lycra looks out of place on the Pelion. But what is on offer is quality. You can hire a horse at Kati- giorgis, in the south; a bike at Affisos; or a boat or canoe in Mylina, to explore the secluded beaches and islets around the Pagasitic Gulf. The Volos tourist office tourist office (00 30 242 103 0930) can supply details. On summer weekends, the Moutzouris steam train makes a scenic 90-minute chug from Kato Lechonia to Milies (www.pilion.net/railway).

The most popular activity of all, however, is just sitting around in a kafenion: perhaps on the waterfront in Mylina, watching one of those unforgettable Greek sunsets. 7/10

The family package: Natasha's House, peacefully set amid olive groves on the Pagasitic Gulf, 2½ miles south of Milina, costs £447pp for a week, room-only, in peak season, based on four sharing and including British Airways flights from Gatwick and car hire, with Filoxenia (01653 617755, www.filoxenia.co.uk). Or try Houses of Pelion (0870 199 9191, www.pelion.co.uk).

The child-free option: the delicious, mildly eccentric Damouchari Hotel has gardens, a pool and an adults-only policy; it is two minutes from the beach. It costs £589pp, B&B, in September, with flights from Gatwick, with Tapestry (020 8235 7800, www.tapestryholidays.com). Or try Sunvil (020 8232 9797, www.sunvil.co.uk).

Go it alone: stay in Mouresi, at the Old Silk Store Guest House (00 30 24260 49086, www.pelionet.gr), a restored 130-year-old mansion that doubles as a walking centre; £250 per week for two people, self-catering. Charter Flight Centre (0845 045 0153, www.charterflights.co.uk) has flights from Gatwick to Volos; from £169.