Makrinitsa and Portaria

Makrinitsa, known as the “bаlcоny οf Mount Pеliоn”, is a traditional mountain villagе with spectacular views over the Gulf of Volos.

To quote Wikipedia,

Makrinitsa, nicknamed “balcony of Mt. Pelion,” is a village and a former community in Magnesia, Thessaly, Greece.

It is situated in the northwestern part of the Pelion mountains, 6 km northeast of Volos. One of the most characteristic traditional settlements, full of mansions and houses that look like hanging ornaments on the green mountain side. One of the traditional coffee houses is decorated with a fresco by the famous Greek painter Theofilos. The picturesque cobbled paths of Makrinitsa are scattered with traditional water fountains. Makrinitsa is a popular tourist destination, especially during the winter.

The village is the home of the Museum of Folk Art and History of Pelion, housed in the historic Topali Mansion, with over 1,500 objects related to the folk culture and everyday life of the region.^[5]

Makrinista

Makrinitsa is a very picturesque village climbing the western slopes of Mount Pelion. Picture perfect with stunning views over Volos and the Pegasetic Gulf.

The houses are arranged in terraces along the mountainside with cobbled streets winding through. The impressive town square, shaded by ancient plane trees, with its marble fountain, whose waters, legend has it, will make you immortal. The view from this plaza is just amazing, you can see where the title “balcony of Mount Pelion” came from.

Gift shops sell medicinal herbs, preserved fruits, and pasta alongside the usual tourist items. Restaurants, cafés, and tavernas all offer “traditional Greek food”.

Portaria

Portaria is just a couple of kilometers from Makrinitsa. Another lovely, traditional, Greek mountain village, also with stunning views across Volos and the Pegasetic Gulf.

It too has cobbled streets and a beautiful town square, but being a little bit bigger, and slightly more commercialized, it doesn’t quite have the quaint charm of its neighbour.

On the outskirts of the village, on the road to Makrinitsa, is the start of the Centaurs Path. A lovely circular walk through the forest in which, legend has it, Centaurs used to live. The path follows the stream up behind the village, leading to a rest area with a water fountain. From there you can return through the cobbled streets of Portaria to the town square.

Parking

For such small mountain villages, there is actually quite a bit of parking. Please be aware, however, that it can be very busy, even during winter, and parking spaces can fill up quickly. In addition, not all the parking is suitable for larger motorhomes.

After doing a little research we decided to go to Portaria to park as it’s not too far to walk from there. However, when we got to Portaria we tried to find somewhere to park without success. It was a cold winters day and there had recently been a heavy snowfall. There were more than 12 inches laying on the cars which hadn’t moved for a few days. Piles of ice and snow along the roadside over three feet deep, burying the safety barrier and narrowing the road.

JCBs were busy trying to clear parking spaces along the roadside and in the car parks as we drove past. We ended up driving almost into Makrinitsa before finding somewhere to turn around. There was a police car pulled in there and they kindly moved to give us space when Carol said what we wanted to do. We were about to give up and move on, but as we drove back to Portaria we found a space and were able to park up.

From where we parked to Makrinitsa is a walk of about 2km or so. As we walked along the road we passed a chap digging his car out of a snow drift. I made a passing comment that he might be there a while, not really expecting a reply. Turns out that he was originally from New England and we ended up having quite a conversation. I think he was glad for a break from shovelling snow. He likened the village to a lobster pot. Easy enough to get into, but almost impossible to get out again. So glad we turned around when we did.