I'm planning a trip to Greece this fall! Please help me with recommendations for some regions of Greece (especially in northern Greece, the mainland if possible) not so popular and full of tourists! I'm looking for tradition and authenticity more than touristic areas and great hotels! Thanks!

Ioannina, Metsovo, Meteora, Thessaloniki - all good to visit on the mainland. If you want to add beaches, there are several places within an hour or so of Ioannina. Paxos would be the perfect island from there - quiet, beautiful, unspoilt.
Carolena

I'd probably describe Pelio as where the mountains meet the sea. Very lush and green, even in August.The beaches are mostly small pebbles and very comfortable and clean.
We stay in Agios Ioannis, which is probably one of the larger resort areas. You have to like the beaches and the "laid back" feel to the area as it's not overun with tourists nor is it an area full of shops and nightclubs. If you might go I'll respond with more info.

you can't go wrong with matt barrett's www.greecetravel.com website.

he gives a great down to earth account of life there, and what to expect and not to miss.

i would read that before delving any deeper and then come back with specifics.

you will love greece!

Thank you so much angeliki! I looked over the Internet after what you recommended me, the region looks really nice!! The mountains and sea so close make a magnificent area! It looks also traditional and authentic things that I really want to see in Greece! Do you think that September can be a good time to go? I think that it’s easy reachable by car, cause I would like to go by car, to have the freedom of moving and visiting easily where and what I want! Do you think that I can find a budged accommodation there?

Thanks again!

The Matt Barrett's site really great and helpful!!! THANKS!!!!

The Pelion is lovely, we went there on a package but I quite fancy a fly-drive there myself. There are some pretty mountain villages along with beautiful beaches. We went in June, when it was pretty quiet - only at weekends did it get busier with the locals from Volos heading down to the beaches. Their main holiday period is July/August. I quite fancy the Lost Unicorn Hotel at Tsangarada, a lovely mountain village with a thousand year old plane tree, we saw it from the outside and it looked really pretty:

http://www.pelion.co.uk/

I would think it would be drivable from Athens and you'd need a car when you get there to explore the area properly. September weather should be good, though as it's a mountain area there may be a little risk of a shower, especially later in the month.

Hi! We loved our trip in the Peloponnese last October. The weather was beautiful and we ABSOLUTELY loved the Mani. Almost no tourists, spectacular scenery and food, we LOVED it. You can read my trip report called "Back from the Peloponnese - A Trip Report!"

September should be a great time in Pelio. We rent a car and drive from Kifissia(northern Athens). It's not a difficult drive and usually takes 4.5-5 hrs. The car will be necessary to explore the various villages and for travel to other beaches. Agios Ioannis makes a good base as it has more restaurants to choose from along with a couple of mini-supermarkets. The beaches there are also nice if you don't feel like driving. We have always stayed at the Anesis Hotel. Very clean and nice and probably a good example of most of the accomodations throughout the area. High season it's 70 Euro per night including breakfast. You will probably do better in September. Meteora is also driveable from Pelio. They run a small tour bus from Agios Ioannis but its a long day. We usually stay the night in Meteora and drive back the next day. Hope you enjoy your trip.

Here's another vote for Pelion:- It's is a mountainous area of Greece, as you've discovered, with alot of greenery and natural springs, favoured by Greeks for their holidays. The scenery is quite dramatic, the villages are very pretty (eg Portaria, Tsangarada, Vizitsa, Makrinitsa) and have their own style of architecture (slate roofs and overhanging upper levels of the houses). You can stay in converted merchants houses (called "archontika" in Greek)for example the Old Silk House in Mouressi. Alot of the villages in Pelion are real working villages, not just open for the summer season, small industries such as growing apples in Zagora, growing gardenias.

September is a very good time of year to go, not least because you will not get roasted when walking around (there are many mule trails which make interesting walking trips leading from village to village, in the old days this was the only way to get around). September is also the month when the fruits are in season eg figs.

Another bonus are the beaches with marble pebbles and incredibly clear warm water. Milopotamos is a stunning beach with a taverna with lovely views over the Aegean. There are alot of beaches eg Ayios Ioannis (Papa Nero), Damouchari etc etc. Most foreign tourists are Swiss, Austrian, French, German and some English, US Greeks who have family there. Some of them own houses in the area and spend all summer in Pelion. Food is very good, with local dishes I've not had elsewhere. There is not much entertainment here, the odd nightclub in Ayios Ioannis (this town is only open in the summer) main event of the evening is eating out and enjoying the atmosphere.

The travel time from central Athens is about 4 hours, shorter distance from Thessaloniki. There is a pleasant city called Volos at the beginning of the Pelion area. Northern Pelion is the greenest area, as you head south the scenery becomes more what you would expect from a Greek Island.

Thank you all so much for your information and help!! ... can you also help me with some accommodation tips?! Budged or B&B, not so expensive... All I need in a hotel is to be clean first of all, not luxury or anything else! Thanks again!