Pelion in 3 Days from Athens: Makrinitsa, Tsagarada & Aegean Beaches

Pelion, the mountain of the Centaurs above Volos, is a world of its own: stone villages in chestnut and plane forests, cobbled mule paths and beaches with clear water on two seas. This private 3-day trip from Athens shows you both sides of the mountain, with your own driver on the winding roads.

Day 1: Athens – Volos – Makrinitsa and Portaria
Pick-up from your hotel, home or the airport and drive to Volos (about 3½ hours), with a stop on the way if you like. Up the mountain to Portaria and Makrinitsa, “the balcony of Pelion”, with its mansions and its square looking over Volos and the gulf. Overnight in a traditional guesthouse.

Day 2: The Aegean side – Tsagarada and the beaches
Cross the mountain to Tsagarada, spread out in the forest around its huge old plane tree, and down to the white-pebble bays of the Aegean coast such as Damouchari and Mylopotamos. Swim in summer, walk an old cobbled path in spring and autumn.

Day 3: Milies and the little train – Athens
On the southern slopes, the village of Milies and the little train of Pelion, which runs between Ano Lechonia and Milies, usually at weekends from spring to autumn and daily in high summer. Then the drive back to Athens.

In winter the same trip becomes a mountain escape with fireplaces and the small ski centre of Agriolefkes. More nights, a second base on the Aegean side, or a combination with Meteora or Mount Olympus are possible. Tell us your dates and we will reply within 24 hours.