Greece - Korina Miller [198]
The Turkish occupation did not extend into the inaccessible central and eastern parts of the Pelion, and as a result the western coastal towns were abandoned in favour of mountain villages. In these remote settlements, culture and the economy flourished; silk and wool were exported to many places in Europe. The Orthodox Church at the time was instrumental in maintaining Kryfa Skolia (Hidden Schools). Like many remote areas in Greece, the Pelion became a spawning ground for ideas that culminated in the War of Independence.
HIKING
The Pelion is a hiking mecca, and a centuries-old network of frequently restored kalderimia (cobbled mule pathways) connect most mountain and seaside villages. A detailed booklet in English, Walks in the Pelion by Lance Chilton, is available (with online updates) from Marengo Publishers (www.marengowalks.com/Pilionbk.html). The detailed Anavasi Map No 6.21, Central Pelion 1:25,000 is available in Volos bookshops and many periptera (kiosks). Both the Tsangarada tourist office Click here and Mulberry Travel are up to date with conditions and routes.
GETTING THERE & AWAY
Buses to villages throughout the Pelion leave from the Volos bus station (see Buses from Volos to the Pelion Peninsula, below).
Northwest Pelion
VOLOS TO MAKRINITSA ΒΟΛΟΣ ΠΡΟΣ
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Taking the northeastern route from Volos to Makrinitsa, the road climbs 6km to the village of Ano Volos, where you’ll find the fascinating Theophilos Museum ( 24210 47340; Anakasia; admission free; 8am-2.30pm Mon-Fri), a converted mansion that was temporarily home to native artist Theophilos Hatzimichael (1866–1934), who wandered the Pelion region trading his artwork for food. The upstairs wall murals reflect local scenes and personal visions.
Portaria, 2km east of Makrinitsa, is 12km northeast of Volos. True to Pelion form, its plateia has a splendid old plane tree, and the little 13th-century Church of Panagia of Portaria has fine frescoes.
Head to the Portaria plateia to find the welcoming Kritsa Restaurant & Hotel ( 24280 99121; www.hotel-kritsa.gr; Portaria; mains €4-16; ), serving outstanding Pelion favourites such as slow-cooked ‘lamb-in-the-jug’, or roasted wild greens with egg. Owner Eleni Karaïskou boasts of her ‘from-the-mountain’ menu, featuring local and mostly organic ingredients. Even her Greek coffee is made in a traditional brass briki (copper pot). Kritsa also doubles as a small hotel with eight pastel-shaded rooms (€40 to €55), each traditionally furnished with four-poster beds, lace curtains and woven rugs. The best part: you can wake up to an excellent breakfast downstairs, included in the room rate.
MAKRINITSA ΜΑΚΡΙΝΙΤΣΑ
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Clinging to a mountainside, Makrinitsa is aptly called the Balcony of Pelion. From a distance, the traditional houses give the impression that they are stacked on top of one another. Up close, the whitewashed structures are threaded with steep stairs crowded with geraniums, hydrangeas and roses. Further up, the path leads to more than 50 stone water fountains. It is one of the loveliest of the Pelion villages, and also the most visited.
The village is a pedestrian zone; a bus terminus and shaded car park mark the entrance. The central square is anchored by a massive plane tree with a kid-friendly hollow, a marble fountain and the tiny chapel of Agia Panagia.
Descend the winding steps beneath the square to reach the Museum of Folk Art ( 24280 99505; admission €2; 10am-4.30pm), set in a restored 1844 mansion. Among the well-displayed relics are an old tsipouro still, a Victrola phonograph ‘talking machine’ and a hidden water fountain built into a stone wall.
Sleeping & Eating
Several hotels are scattered around the village. Prices listed here can increase by 50% on winter weekends. Stop for the views at the main square, but look beyond it for the best eateries.
Kentavros Hotel ( 24280 99075; fax 24280 90085; r incl breakfast from €50; ) You’ll have to squeeze past the