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Portaria, cosmopolitan village
Portaria is a green mountain village with running water, built at an altitude of about 650 meters. It is the first village that we find going up to Pelion, just 13 km away from Volos. You will find a perfectly traditional village with beautiful mansions and stone cobblestone streets. The name of the village "Portaria" comes from the monastery of "Virgin Mary of Portaria" which was built around 1273.
Some of the area attractions that you should not miss to visit are:
- The central square of Taxiarches with the impressive plane tree.
- The waterfalls in the "Karavos" site and the "Mena" spring.
- The "Komboloi Museum", with the impressive variety of kombológia.
- The churches of "Panagia Portáresa" (1276) with the icons of historical value and "Ag. Nicholas "(1856) with relief hagiographies in the sanctuary, on the way to Chania.
- The Byzantine monastery of Ag. Ioannis Prodromos (13th century), near Karavos, on the way to Makrinitsa.
Makrinitsa, the "balcony" of Pelion
With magnificent and unobstructed views of Volos and Pagasitikos and retaining the traditional Pelion architecture with the restored mansions, the romantic paved streets, the elaborate fountains, the perennial plane trees and the flowers are one of the most enchanting destinations of Pelion. In this small place you will find interesting art cafes and galleries that testify to the artistic concerns of its inhabitants.
Drink your coffee in the famous café of Theophilos in Makrinitsa. It has been there since 1910 and inside it you will see a wall painting of Katsantoni, which was painted by the folk painter.
Hania
When the first snow falls, Hania is bustling with life and the ski resort becomes the main attraction for ski lovers. We recommend visiting the Agriolefkes Ski Center just 12 km from Makrinitsa with 6 slopes and 5 lifts . If you are a fan of mountaineering you can practice the sport by taking a climb in the green to the top of the slope, "Pliasidi" at an altitude of 1548 meters. The scenery will take your breath away as you enjoy the view of the sea and the peaks of Mount Olympus.
Zagora
On the eastern slopes of Mount Pelion, overlooking the Aegean Sea, is the noble Zagora. The most populous village of Pelion is organized around four districts with the central square of Agios Georgios with the homonymous church known for its wonderful iconostasis. In the central square is also the Public Library, which was founded in the late 18th century. and today it functions as a lending house with rich and rare material and has a reading room! A little further down, we find the Drakopoulou Mansion on the ground floor of which operates the factory of the Women's Agrotourism Cooperative of Zagora. Here nature meets tradition ... The village gives plenty of raw material to fruit trees, which with unique traditional recipes and pure products become delicious spoon sweets, jams and homemade liqueurs ... ideal for taking strength after hiking or giving it to loved ones your…
Tsagarada
At 500 meters altitude on the eastern side of Pelion, in a verdant environment with magnificent views of the Aegean Sea, Tsagarada spreads out. Nature here dominates as chestnut trees and plane trees embrace almost every old and new building of the sparsely populated Tsagarada. Drink coffee in the central square of Agia Paraskevi, where the Great Platanos counts for a millennium of life and do not miss the arched bridge made by Epirot craftsmen at the exit of the village. Of particular interest are the historical sights of the area, the Achilopoulios Emporiki School and the Nanopulous School. Bring chestnuts - in November, celebrate the chestnuts - and mushrooms and start here wonderful nature trips ....
The Vizitsa for endless walks
Of the most famous and developed tourist villages of Pelion since the 80s, it is a representative sample of the Pelion landscape with the cobbled cobbled streets and the traditional restored mansions, the rich vegetation and the stone fountains. Climb from the big cobbled streets to the central square, take a stroll in the scenic neighborhoods and if the weather allows, organize a hike to Milies or the seaside village of Kala Nera. The landscapes will keep you connected ... Fine traditional products from jams to handmade pasta made the Women's Agrotourism Cooperative of Vyzitsa "Esperides", especially popular outside the village. Utilizing unique traditional recipes offers great flavors to the visitor of the area. Try the filigree or the tomato, but also the unique shabu that you will not find anywhere else.
Milies
Starting point of the famous "Moutzouris", the train of Pelion, which reaches up to Ano Lechonia through a route of exceptional natural beauty, linking the center of Volos to the fertile and rich area of Western Pelion. In the winter when the train does not work it is a great opportunity to walk along its lines and take a photo on the iron bridge of Jardi de Chirico, Take the path to Vizitsa and enjoy the view towards Pagasitikos, and do not forget to visit the church of Pammegiston Taxiarchon, a typical example of local traditional architecture with remarkable post-Byzantine hagiographies. The Public Library of Milies also hosts more than 1,600 book titles printed from 1497 to 1899, keeping alive the tradition of the Military School founded in 1814 by Anthimos Gazis, Grigorios Konstantas and Daniel Philippidis, which operated until 1844.
Agios Lavrentios
Take a stop at Agios Lavrentios, a well-preserved village with stone mansions, combining eastern and western style, composing a unique setting, complemented by wild and chestnut trees.
