Pelion Peninsula Hiking Tour

Arrival in Portaria from Volos, Thessaloniki or Athens airport.

Today your adventure begins with a beautiful loop from Portaria. You’ll walk to the traditional mountain village Makrinitsa first, with its characteristic stone houses and slated roofs. Making your way through the maquis vegetation, you’ll smell the aromas of fresh thyme and oregano filling the air as you explore an idyllic church. Through forests you’ll then head uphill before descending towards Portaria, whilst enjoying views over Volos city. The last stretch to Portaria leads you through a lush green gorge, making for a beautiful final section for today.

From Portaria, you will be taken to the start of the footpath from Chania to Kissos, or to the village of Kissos (you will skip the Chania-Kissos section). From Chania, you descend via the eastern side of the ridge on an old donkey trail, through beech forest. Through a park-like landscape you end up in the pretty village of Kissos. In the village you will find the church Agia Marina, which dates back to the 17th century and is said to be the most beautiful church of the Pelion Peninsula. Kissos is also a great place for lunch.

After lunch, you will walk along an idyllic footpath to the village of Mouresi. The lush vegetation along the way might make you wonder if you are actually in Greece. In Mouresi, you continue down the old kalderimi to the seaside resort of Agios Ioannis, where you will find a lovely sandy beach.

Today you can opt for a relaxing day on the beach or embark on a nice circular walk. After a short stretch on tarmac, you will follow an old paved path up through dense forest and descend to the beautiful beach of Vanikas.

There is an optional loop to the Agii Saranti beach, further northwest. From Vanikas beach it’s back uphill and inland, before making the final descent to Plaka beach and walking along the coast back to Agios Ioannis.

Another beautiful day of walking awaits you as you set out along the coast this morning via a pleasant, cobbled path to reach the hamlet of Damouchari, a tiny fishing village in a bay. Though tiny it was once of strategic importance in earlier times, when it was the only natural harbor on the entire coast between Volos and Katerini. Today the bay provides a natural swimming pool with a pleasant pebble beach.

From Damouchari you’ll continue along the coast to Fakistra Beach where there is a possibility to visit the ‘Hidden School’ in a cave. From here you’ll walk uphill on a path, now and then crossing the tarmac road, to reach Tsangarda, a wide stretched village with numerous churches and squares.

From the terrace of your hotel in Agia Paraskevi, you can see the village square with its 1000-year-old plane trees.

Today you will cross the mountain range at 700m elevation towards the south. First you’ll walk through the lush village of Tsangarada alongside old churches and squares. Then you will ascend through forest to cross the ridge. Continuing via old mule tracks, you’ll walk through limestone landscapes covered with chestnut and beech trees. You’ll then descend to the picturesque mountain village of Milies whilst enjoying great views over the Pagasitic Gulf. Around Milies you’ll find many old olive groves and an array of natural beauty.

For your final walk, you’ll descend this morning via old, cobbled paths from Milies towards the coast all the while enjoying brilliant views. The last section before reaching the coastal village of Koropi is via dirt roads through expansive olive groves. From Koropi you walk to the nearby touristic village of Kala Nera, where you can enjoy lunch in the shadow of the big plane tree on the village square. Then you ascend via cobbled paths via a hamlet until the narrow-gauge railway tracks, that you follow until Milies. The tracks are 200-300m above sea level. Wherever mule tracks cross the tracks, stone road bridges have been built demonstrating fascinating civil engineering features from the past. You will also walk past the cave where, according to mythology, the centaur Cheiron taught Asklepios about medical plants and herbs.

After breakfast this morning your tour comes to an end. Travel to Thessaloniki, Volos or Athens airport to depart.