The prefecture of Magnesia belongs administratively to the Region of Thessaly and it includes the region of Magnesia and the islands of the Northern Sporades (Skiathos, Skopelos and Alonissos). It is located in the center of Greece and it is connected to Athens and Thessaloniki via the highway and the rail network. Magnesia combines a mountainous landscape with beautiful beaches, the fertile land of Thessaly plain and the big city of Volos. The most popular destinations of Magnesia are Pelion (also known as the "Mountain of the Centaurs") with its picturesque villages, mansions and magnificent beaches, the cosmopolitan island of Skiathos, the island of Skopelos with its lush vegetation and the island of Alonissos, which is a shelter of the monk seal and other rare species.
The city of Volos, the capital of the prefecture, is the administrative, commercial, cultural and educational center of the prefecture and it is the sixth largest city in Greece. Volos also has a port from where you can take the ferry boat if you want to visit the islands of the Northern Sporades. Furthermore, it is a city with buildings of remarkable architecture such as the Bank of Greece, the Achillion cinema, the former tobacco warehouses of Papastratos (which today house the University of the city) and the Town Hall.
