Agria is a seaside town in the Prefecture of Magnesia, located 7
km east of Volos. It was the seat of the municipality of Agria until
2010 when it was annexed to the municipality of Volos. It included
the municipal districts of Agria, Drakeia and Chania. It is bathed
by the waters of the Pagasitic Gulf while it is half an hour away
from the ski center of Chania. It is known for its tsipouro
restaurants, its oil production and the EPSA lemonade, as well as
for the vinegar factory "E. PAPADIMITRIOU SA" which produces quality
vinegar under the brand name AGROX.
In 2011, the actual
population of Agrias had 5,191 inhabitants. Agria is the birthplace
of the composer Vangelis Papathanassiou.
The captains of the super yachts that anchor off the harbor in the
summer say that it has very welcoming waters. This is how the countless
sea urchins nesting in the shallows and the dozens of crabs circling the
terraces of its harbor must feel.
Agria, although seaside, has a
view of four mountains: Kantiragas with its winter sunsets crowning it,
Goritsa which takes the scepter in the summer with the setting sun
walking up and down its ridge, Othry which in winter whitens the its
peaks, and the sacred Pelion that descends low to the back of Agria,
where one of the largest olive groves of Pelion winds.
In the
first half of the 20th century, Agria was an important transit center.
From its stone steps, ships loaded with Pelion olives and oil left for
the port of Volos, Thessaloniki and Constantinople. It even had a
customs office that remained in use until the 70s. The old oil
warehouses still stand along the beach and stand out with their simple
architectural design. But today they house shops, cafes and restaurants,
while some are still unfortunately half-demolished.
In the 1970s,
the now well-known EPSA (Hellenic Farm Coolers) soft drinks were a local
affair. They were rarely found outside of Volos and few in Greece knew
of Agria. But in recent years, as the small industry became known
everywhere, Agria also turned from a small fishing village into a
popular tourist destination.
Only seven kilometers east of Volos,
Agria today attracts visitors all year round, mainly Greeks from every
corner of the country. Athenians and Thessalonians come for the weekend
and have Agria as a base for their escapes to Pelion and Volos at night.
Instead, foreign travelers use it as a resupply center for cash and
food, before setting off by RV for some remote beach in East Pelion.
Many Volio residents dream of Agria becoming part of their permanent
residence. Several have actually succeeded and the population of the
small town actually doubled within a few years. Those Voliotes who
cannot make it their home, nevertheless visit it almost every day for
their summer evening outings or a quick swim in the sea.
The community of Agria in the prefecture of Larissa was established on August 31, 1912 with the detachment of the settlement of Agria from the municipality of Nilia and its designation as the seat of the community. The community was separated from the prefecture of Larissa to the prefecture of Magnesia in 1942 and operated until its abolition in 1997. Then it operated as a municipality until its abolition in 2010 and its annexation to the municipality of Messapia.